Head of HR Continental Europe

About Northern Trust:

Northern Trust, a Fortune 500 company, is a globally recognized, award-winning financial institution that has been in continuous operation since 1889.

Northern Trust is proud to provide innovative financial services and guidance to the world’s most successful individuals, families, and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise, and integrity. With more than 130 years of financial experience and over 22,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.

The role

The HR Site Lead – Luxembourg is accountable for end-to-end HR site governance, statutory compliance, and regulatory adherence for Northern Trust Luxembourg. Acting as the primary HR point of accountability and escalation for the country, the role ensures clear ownership, timely decision-making, and effective coordination across the globally aligned HR operating model.

While HR delivery is provided through Global HR Services, HR Business Partners, and Centres of Expertise, the Site Lead provides local oversight, challenge, and assurance that all HR activities remain compliant, fit-for-purpose, and aligned with Luxembourg legal, regulatory, and governance expectations. Therefore, this is a governance-focused HR leadership role and not a full-scope HR delivery position.

This role plays a critical part in HR risk management, regulatory engagement, and site leadership, ensuring Northern Trust maintains a strong and credible HR control environment in Luxembourg. The role reports to the Head of International HR, Asset Servicing and ECOO HR.

In summary, the HR Site Lead role exists to provide: governance and accountability; risk management and escalation control; regulatory and statutory assurance and integration across the HR operating model

Responsibilities

Governance, Regulatory & Statutory Accountability

• Act as the accountable HR owner for all Luxembourg statutory, regulatory, and supervisory obligations.
• Represent the HR function at local Board and Executive Committee meetings, providing clear HR governance input and escalation.
• Ensure HR policies, frameworks, and practices meet local legal, regulatory, and supervisory authority expectations.
• Own and coordinate Board, Authorised Management, and regulatory HR reporting, working closely with internal stakeholders.
• Maintain oversight of HR risk assessments, audit findings, regulatory issues, and remediation actions, ensuring timely and effective closure.

Employee Relations & Staff Delegation Engagement

• Serve as the primary HR interface with the Luxembourg Staff Delegation.
• Lead and oversee statutory consultation processes and change programmes, ensuring compliance with local requirements.
• Coordinate closely with centralised Employee Relations and Legal teams, while retaining local accountability and decision ownership.

Site Leadership & HR Representation

• Represent HR within Luxembourg site governance and leadership forums.
• Act as the senior HR escalation point for local business leaders and management.
• Provide visible HR leadership on culture, employee engagement, organisational change, and regulatory readiness.

HR Integration & Oversight

• Act as the local integrator across HR Services, HRBPs, and Centres of Expertise, ensuring effective coordination and clarity of ownership.
• Ensure global HR programmes and solutions are implemented in line with Luxembourg legal, regulatory, and governance requirements.
• Proactively challenge, escalate, and influence where local risk, compliance, or governance concerns arise.

Skills and Experience

• Demonstrated experience operating within a highly regulated environment, ideally within financial services or similar sectors.
• Senior HR leadership experience with strong stakeholder credibility, judgement, and influencing capability.
• Proven capability in governance, risk management, audit interaction, and regulatory engagement.
• Experience operating effectively within a global, matrixed HR operating model.
• Strong decision-making, escalation management, and accountability mindset
• Excellent relationship management with Boards, Executives, regulators, and employee representative bodies
• Ability to balance global consistency with local regulatory and cultural requirements
• High levels of integrity, resilience, and professional judgement
• Fluency in English and French is required.

Working with Us:

As a Northern Trust partner, greater achievements await. You will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture in an organization where financial strength and stability is an asset that emboldens us to explore new ideas.

Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to assisting the communities we serve! Join a workplace with a greater purpose.

We’d love to learn more about how your interests and experience could be a fit with one of the world’s most admired and sustainable companies! Build your career with us and apply today. #MadeForGreater

Reasonable accommodation

Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at [email protected].

We hope you’re excited about the role and the opportunity to work with us. We value an inclusive workplace and understand flexibility means different things to different people.

Apply today and talk to us about your flexible working requirements and together we can achieve greater.

About Our Luxembourg Office

In 2024, the Northern Trust Luxembourg office celebrated their 20th anniversary, an important chapter in their history. Having opened in 2004 to support one client, they have since grown their client base substantially and increased their headcount significantly, which now stands at over 400.

From modern fully equipped meeting rooms to a vast canteen with a view over a vegetable garden, maintained by our team all year round, and a rooftop where beehives have been installed, this space is truly a source of pride for our team. Learn more.