HR Director & Business Partner

Job Title: Head of HR (HR Director & Business Partner)

Location: Sophia or Velizy, France

Reports to: HR Group Director & Business Partner

Job Overview

Cadence is seeking an experienced and people‑focused Head of Human Resources to lead HR across France, Italy, Spain, and Morocco. This role plays a critical part in aligning people strategy with business objectives in a fast‑growing, international, high‑tech environment with over 500 employees across multiple legal entities.

Key focus areas include post‑acquisition integration, organisational alignment, and change leadership, enabling the growth and evolution of a complex, matrixed organisation.

Job Responsibilities

• Hold overall accountability for HR across France, Italy, Spain, and Morocco for 500+ employees.
• Lead and support a regional HR team of six professionals spanning recruitment, learning, HR systems, and employee relations.
• Act as an HR Business Partner to a significant part of the business, supporting leaders on people strategy and organisational effectiveness.
• Partner with regional leadership and global HR to design and implement HR policies, practices, and programmes aligned with Cadence’s strategic goals.
• Advise and coach managers on performance management, employee development, retention, succession planning, and career progression.
• Lead employee relations activities, including engagement with formal employee representation bodies, ensuring compliance, consistency, and constructive dialogue.
• Develop, adapt, and document local HR policies, ensuring alignment with global standards and local legal requirements.
• Collaborate with global compensation and benefits teams to assess market trends and support competitive, compliant reward practices.
• Partner closely with Finance on salary reviews, benefits administration, pensions, and other pay‑related processes.
• Ensure full compliance with local labour laws and employment regulations across all countries in scope.
• Play a key role in M&A activity, with emphasis on post‑acquisition integration and cultural alignment.

Job Qualifications

• At least 15 years of progressive HR leadership experience, ideally within a global high‑tech or complex matrix organisation.
• Proven experience managing employee relations in environments with formal representation structures.
• Strong knowledge of labour law, compensation, pensions, and employment practices within relevant European labour markets.
• Demonstrated ability to partner with senior leaders, influence decision‑making, and translate business strategy into people outcomes.
• Experience leading and developing HR teams through periods of growth and change.
• Fluency in English and French, with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness and ability to work in a hybrid model and travel internationally as required.

Additional Skills/Preferences

• Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, and post‑acquisition integration.
• Master’s degree in Human Resources or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Strong consulting and coaching capability, with a collaborative and pragmatic approach.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 25 days holiday per year
• Private Medical and Dental plans, Income Protection and Life Insurance
• Group Personal Pension Plan
• 5 days paid time to volunteer to give back to our communities
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Cadence is committed to equal employment opportunity and employment equity throughout all levels of the organization. We strive to attract a qualified and diverse candidate pool and encourage diversity and inclusion in the workplace.