Practice Group / Department:

People & Culture Business Partnering - Europe

Job Description

We're Norton Rose Fulbright - a global law firm with over 50 offices and 7,000 employees worldwide. We provide the world’s preeminent corporations and financial institutions with a full business law service. At Norton Rose Fulbright, our strategy and our culture are closely entwined. We know that our expansion will mean little unless it is underpinned by truly global collaboration and we understand that pioneering work only takes place when our people have room to move and think beyond boundaries. As well as the relevant skills and experience, we're looking for people who are innovative, commercial and value the work that they do. 

Norton Rose Fulbright is a Global Law Firm, and we are seeking an experienced Senior Manager to join our People & Culture team in Paris and Casablanca.

The Senior People & Culture Manager (“SPCM”) will be part of the wider EMEAPAC People & Culture Department, reporting to the Head of People & Culture - Europe and will work closely with the Chief Operating Officer in the region. The role holder will provide proactive and collaborative support to Partners and Business Services function and will help define as well as deliver our People & Culture priorities for Paris and Casablanca.

The role holder will lead a team of a Payroll and Administrative Manager, two People & Culture Advisors, one People & Culture Assistant and one People & Culture Apprentice based in the region. The role holder will collaborate with People & Culture colleagues across EMEAPAC including our centres of excellence such as Talent, Resourcing and Reward, Employee Relations, Global Mobility, Learning & Development, Systems & Data, and Responsible Business.

Key responsibilities

The SPCM is responsible for supporting and advising key stakeholders and business leaders in our Paris and Casablanca offices. The role delivers a pro-active, high quality service to the region, and works in partnership with the EMEAPAC People & Culture department as well as wider business services areas to achieve our business goals in a commercial, pragmatic and efficient way.

• Business Partnering & Advisory | Possess a deep understanding of the client group and their business priorities, challenges effectively and understands their talent needs. Delivers high quality employee services and works in partnership with the business. Works in collaboration with and supports the P&C Team, where required, in meeting operational and strategic business priorities.
• Communication and stakeholder management | Acts as a trusted advisor, who offers commercial and pragmatic solutions. Is responsive and proactive, communicates clearly and concisely. Demonstrates a “can-do” attitude.
• Employee Relations | In conjunction with our Head of Employee Relations EMEA, ensure that ER matters are addressed appropriately and in line with our central approach (subject to local legislation and approach).
• Works Council | Leads the agenda of the Employee Works Council representing the Management Team
• Leadership | Responsibility for the day-to-day leadership, engagement and development of the Paris People & Culture team; including setting and reviewing performance objectives on a regular basis as well as providing and seeking regular feedback. Ensure the team deliver a high quality operational support to stakeholders and clients. Ensure the team work effectively with and collaborate across the department.
• International collaboration | Works in partnership with and effectively collaborates with teams across the People and Culture department (including with our Centres of Excellence and Shared Service Centre) to achieve business goals.
• Attract and retain | In conjunction with Recruitment Centre of Excellence - supports the attraction & retention of the best people for our firm. Ensures our recruitment approach is consistent with our approach across the EMEAPAC region where possible.
• Regulatory  | Ensuring the offices comply with all HR and French Bar regulatory requirements in the relevant jurisdictions, specifically the French environment with self-employed avocats and employees.
• Policies and processes | Responsible for implementing and advising on local People & Culture  policies and processes. This includes payroll, compensation & benefits, performance, managing annual activities such as market data analysis, remuneration reviews, moderation processes, and budgeting, all aligned with our central People & Culture approach.
• Performance management | Supports the firm’s performance management initiatives together with the team. Reviews monthly performance reports, discusses performance trends and issues with local stakeholders. Provides guidance to individuals and managers regarding initiatives to support our high performance, high support culture.
• Performance and Compensation Reviews | Leads the  performance review and compensation cycles in conjunction with the Reward team and P&C Advisors and Assistant.
• DE&I | in conjunction with the DE&I team, advocates and drives the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion agenda for the region.
• Engagement | Drives the culture and engagement agenda; articulates the business case for engagement and advises and coaches business leaders. Ensures that engagement actions are defined and followed through by the client groups.   
• Project delivery | Proactively suggests and leads on local and EMEAPAC projects that support the wider People and Culture strategic priorities. Is delivery focused, with an emphasis on execution of projects within budget and on time.
• Continuous improvement | Collaborates with the P&C team, Head of People & Culture - Europe and COO to share feedback, identify service issues or inefficiencies, and propose solutions. Supports the implementation of any changes to enhance service delivery. Additionally, shares knowledge and learning with the wider P&C Team, and stays up to date with Human Resources and Employment law trends and broader market developments.

Key requirements

• Strong Educational & Professional Background | Solid academic credentials and relevant HR qualifications.
• Extensive HR Leadership Experience | Proven track record in senior HR roles, ideally within an international environment.
• Expertise in Employment Law | Deep understanding of local labor laws and compliance standards.
• Team Leadership & Development | Skilled in building and leading high-performing HR teams.
• Change & Project Management | Demonstrated success in driving change and managing complex projects to completion.
• Stakeholder Engagement | Excellent consulting, influencing, and relationship-building skills across all organisational levels.
• Communication Excellence | Outstanding verbal and written communication in both French and English.
• Tech Proficiency | Comfortable with Microsoft 365 and HR systems, ideally Workday.
• Professional Integrity & Service Orientation | Discreet, detail-oriented, and committed to high service standards.
• Personal Attributes | Proactive, flexible, organized, empathetic, solution oriented and collegial.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

To attract the best people, we strive to create a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to work, have a sense of belonging, and realize their full career potential. 
Our new enabled work model allows our people to have more flexibility in the way they choose to work from both the office and a remote location, while continuing to deliver the highest standards of service. We offer a range of family friendly and inclusive employment policies and provide access to programmes and services aimed at nurturing our people’s health and overall wellbeing. Find more about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion here.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams. We strive to create an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for all candidates. If you require any tailored adjustments or accommodations, please let us know here.