HR Partner – European Patent Office (EPO)

The European Patent Office in The Hague / Munich is seeking a HR Partner

in Directorate 4.3.1 (HR Customer Interface) five-year contract (subsequent appointment as permanent employee may be possible, if conditions laid down in the EPO Service Regulations are fulfilled)

In the role of strategic partner, the HR partner will

• work closely with line management to understand its business needs and challenges and then translate these into individual, team and organisational HR plans
• leverage line management needs and input across HR departments and then channel this feedback into the further development of HR policies and processes
• support line management in implementing individual, team and organisational development efforts and business plans
• engage in social dialogue, and support line management in doing the same, to ensure a high level of engagement and social peace.

The above activities are driven by the needs of line management to achieve their objectives, and include

• coaching and mentoring at management level
• culture assessment and action planning
• change management and transformation advice and support
• mid- and longer-term workforce and succession planning (quantitative and qualitative)
• restructuring advice and support.

In the role of operations manager, the HR partner will

• monitor compliance with HR procedures and policies and report back to line management and/or the responsible HR departments as appropriate
• engage in and support short-term workforce planning and priority setting
• advise on performance management and staff reporting issues
• act as co-ordinator in matters relating to health, well-being or conflict
• engage in and support reintegration measures after sick or unpaid leave
• engage in and support the management review process
• identify and support measures to resolve sources of (potential) conflict
• act as employee mediator should individual cases be escalated from the HR interlocutor to the HR partner, and come up with sustainable solutions based on his/her knowledge and relationship of trust with line management.

In the role of emergency responder, the HR partner will

• provide timely solutions to any emergencies, or
• activate specialised services as appropriate to resolve emergency issues.
• The ideal candidate will have

• a proven track record in a similar role or at least two professional HR areas
• experience in management-related activities
• ability to understand business objectives and to translate them into HR solutions
• experience in developing, integrating, delivering and managing fit-for-purpose HR strategies
• knowledge and experience in the development and facilitation of strategic change initiatives
• experience in assessing the efficiency of the organisation’s structure, its people and their capabilities, and in advising on ways to improve organisational effectiveness
• experience in social dialogue, and in identifying needs to optimise policies and practices that foster working relationships between management, staff and staff representatives
• an understanding of key HR expertise areas, including learning & development, impact of compensation & benefits, staff mobility, medical services, leadership, etc., to ensure effective business diagnosis and solutions
• ability to provide a customer-focused service
• ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously while remaining result-oriented
• desire to achieve excellence.

Minimum qualifications

• Diploma of completed studies at Master’s level or – in exceptional cases – equivalent professional experience. Excellent knowledge of one official language (English, French or German) and ability to understand the other two.
• Citizenship of one of the member states of the European Patent Organisation.

The EPO offers competitive salaries, an excellent social package, and varied work in a modern international environment. The net (basic) monthly salary for this vacancy ranges from EUR 4 500 to 6 500, depending on experience. In addition, depending on their personal circumstances, EPO staff may be entitled to relocation benefits and various allowances (e.g. household, dependant’s, childcare, education, expatriation, installation, rent and language allowance).

Location: The Hague, the Netherlands / Munich, Germany

Application deadline: 15 September 2015

Read more and apply here.