People and Culture Director, Europe

Job Introduction

In Europe, we work closely with our customers to deliver custom-made and specialized services across International Organizations, Space, Immigration, and Defence. We provide tailored services for various public sector bodies including European Institutions, the Belgian and German Defence, the European Space Agency, and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). Our expertise spans IT services, Facility Management, Space Research, and Operations.

Key Purpose

The People and Culture Director, Europe is responsible for leading the People agenda across the Europe Business Unit, ensuring it enables strategy delivery, organisational transformation and sustained performance. Acting as a trusted adviser to the Europe Executive, the role shapes future workforce capability, leads people‑related change, and ensures strong governance, employee relations and leadership effectiveness across multiple jurisdictions. The People Director will balance strategic leadership with operational rigour, building a fit‑for‑the‑future People function that is commercial, credible and aligned to Serco’s values.  The role is accountable for delivering people outcomes that enable strategy not simply managing HR activity.

Key accountabilities

Strategic leadership

• Act as a trusted adviser to the Europe Executive, providing insight, challenge and pragmatic solutions
• Translate Group and Divisional People strategy into a clear, executable European agenda
• Shape the future People & Culture operating model in line with business strategy and technology investment

Transformation & change

• Lead People‑related elements of major business and technology transformation programmes
• Redesign roles, skills and ways of working to support future capability
• Ensure change is delivered with pace, clarity and strong employee engagement

Organisation & workforce

• Lead workforce planning across Europe, aligning capacity, capability and cost
• Oversee organisation design, succession planning and talent pipelines
• Drive leadership capability and culture aligned to Serco values

Employee relations & governance

• Provide strong, credible leadership on employee relations across multiple European jurisdictions
• Ensure compliance with local employment legislation, works councils and collective arrangements
• Balance risk management with commercial pragmatism
• Ensure that People and Culture policies, practices and behaviours fully support the requirements of the Serco Management System

Key accountabilities Extension

People operations & delivery

• Ensure high‑quality, consistent People services across Europe
• Leverage technology and shared services to improve efficiency and experience
• Hold teams accountable for delivery, standards and outcomes

Team leadership:

• Lead and develop the European People leadership team
• Build capability, clarity and accountability within the function
• Foster a collaborative, commercial and outcome‑focused culture
• Ensure continuity and sustainability beyond individual role holders
• Helps to translate COE strategies and solutions into outcomes that meet Europe business needs
  

Culture and engagement:

• Champion a strong security, safety and performance culture
• Ensure clear, honest communication during change
• Build trust and engagement across diverse European workforces

Essential technical and professional skills, knowledge and qualifications

Essential:

• Senior People leadership experience in a complex, multi‑country European environment
• Proven track record of leading large‑scale transformation or operating‑model change
• Strong experience advising senior executives
• Deep understanding of employee relations and employment law across Europe, including works councils
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong coaching and development capability for senior people leaders
• Skilled at navigating matrixed governance and dual reporting lines
• Able to use people data to drive insight led decisions
• Credible presence with internal and external stakeholders

Desirable:

• Experience of People technology implementation or digital transformation
• Background in a matrixed or outsourced services environment
• Experience operating in regulated or unionised contexts
• Understanding of people related risk management in regulated environments
• Experience redesigning people operating models including shared services
• Comfortable leading change during ambiguity and transition
• Experience in reducing fragmentation and moving towards common standards and ways of working across countries
• Able to work through influence rather than direct control to ensure alignment on priorities, timelines and performance measures

Essential technical and professional skills, knowledge and qualifications (Extension)

Critical capabilities:

• Commercial judgement – understands the business and makes balanced decisions
• Change leadership – confident leading ambiguity and transformation
• Influence & credibility – trusted by senior leaders and teams alike
• Pragmatism – focuses on what works, not theory
• Resilience – able to operate under pressure and manage complexity
• Collaboration – able to work across boundaries and form strong relationships to navigate

Additional / Special features of the role

• There will a regular requirement to travel to contracts and other locations in the Europe Business Unit, and to key Serco locations in the UK.
• The role is ideally based in Belgium (Brussels), though alternative locations may be considered for the right candidate.
• Fluent English and proficiency in either German or French are essential. Knowledge of Italian and/or Dutch is an advantage.