HR Manager at Stephenson Harwood in Madrid, Community of Madrid, ES

What we will offer

We will offer you a place where you can be yourself and where there are no limits on what you can achieve. With us, you can take ownership of your career and have honest conversations throughout. You would join an ambitious firm with a clear strategy for profitable growth where you can get early responsibility and early involvement in growing the business. Here you can expect a competitive and fair reward as well as recognition based on all round performance. This forms part of our internal promise to you, The Deal, between the firm and its employees.

Team Structure

The HR and T&D department comprises of 50+ people globally and is responsible for the effective management of all matters concerning the employment and development of people within Stephenson Harwood.

This involves carrying out appropriate initiatives, providing guidance and support to partners, managers and all employees, as well as the creation of an environment which enables people to make the best use of their

capabilities and realise their potential. This means we are involved in a wide range of activities including:

• Implementing our people and talent strategy in line with business objectives
• Recruitment of all partners and employees, including early careers
• Talent and career management
• Reward strategy and salary review
• Supporting the appraisal and performance management process
• Employment and personal administration, including payroll and benefits
• Policy and procedure setting and the practical application of these across the business.

Main Responsibilities

General HR Management

• Act as the first point of contact for all HR related matters in the Madrid office
• Take ownership of all end-to-end HR processes, ensuring accuracy and escalating any issues as appropriate
• Build strong relationships with key stakeholders acting as a trusted and commercial adviser on all people matters, including the Office Managing Partner (OMP) and Office Manager in Madrid
• Drive forward the people priorities and wider firm strategy, including regularly presenting at meetings along with coaching and challenging partners and managers where appropriate
• Lead annual people processes for the Madrid office, such as performance reviews, talent mapping and the salary review
• Work closely with the OMP to support talent management, including engagement, dealing with underperformance, as well as work force planning and succession
• Work closely with partner HR team on any partner related matters for the Madrid office
• Support global HR project delivery, ensuring local requirements and nuances are incorporated into firm-wide policies and initiatives

Employee lifecycle management

• Collaborate with the global talent acquisition team to support attraction, recruitment and new headcount requests in the Madrid office
• Arrange interviews, draft offer paperwork and contracts, and support the resourcing team as needed
• Lead the onboarding and offboarding processes, ensuring a seamless experience for all employees
• Process pre-employment background security screening for new hires
• Coordinate induction programmes for employees at all levels, including partners
• Manage joiner administration and act as the first point of contact for new joiners
• Manage changes to terms and conditions, including flexible working arrangements and extensions of fixed-term contracts
• Oversee family friendly leave processes, such as maternity and paternity leave and ensure compliance with relevant legislation
• Manage immigration matters and facilitate intra-company and client secondments
• Monitor and report on employee absence, leave, and holiday records
• Effectively manage employee relations matters, including grievances and disciplinaries, providing guidance and support throughout
• Ensure effective offboarding, including scheduling and conducting exit interviews and feedback collection

Payroll and benefits

• Liaise with the third party payroll provider, providing accurate information to support the monthly payroll
• Ensure efficient and accurate use of HR and payroll systems for all updates and changes
• Support the global reward and benefits team with the provision and management of benefits for the Madrid office

HR systems

• Proactively and accurately use the HR information system to log and report on headcount, absence, holiday, diversity, and other employee data
• Produce regular and ad-hoc HR reports for management and global colleagues

Policies, know-how, and HR function development

• Ensure all employment contract templates, HR policies, procedures, and guidelines are compliant with Spanish law and firm standards, and are regularly reviewed and updated
• Align annual global HR processes—including budget, performance review, and salary review—with firm timelines and local regulations
• Develop, maintain, and update local HR templates, guides, and best practices for the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, induction, and offboarding
• Monitor local HR market trends and benchmarking, proposing relevant initiatives to improve benefits, salaries, and overall HR practices
• Document and proactively maintain records of HR processes and procedures
• Suggest, promote, and implement improvements to HR processes, templates, and guidance
• Stay up to date with regulations, market practices, and HR developments

Attributes/Skills Required

• Substantial experience in a similar HR role, preferably within a professional services environment, demonstrating the ability to manage HR operations independently and efficiently
• Strong knowledge of Spanish labour law and HR best practices, with the ability to advise on local employment matters
• Exceptional organisational skills, including the capacity to plan, prioritise, and handle high volumes of work while meeting deadlines
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail, with proven ability to manage sensitive information and maintain confidentiality at all times
• Proficient in HR information systems, with Workday experience preferred, and advanced skills in Excel for data management and reporting
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in both English and Spanish, able to convey information clearly and build effective relationships with stakeholders at all levels
• Commercial outlook enabling a practical and business-focused approach to HR
• Proactive, adaptable, and resilient, able to respond to changing demands, manage multiple priorities, and drive process improvements
• Empathetic and people-centric, with the ability to quickly build rapport, support colleagues, and foster a positive workplace culture
• Credible and professional, eager to learn, develop, and contribute new ideas to enhance HR practices and efficiency
• Relevant Human Resource Management qualification or equivalent is desirable
• Native or fluent Spanish speaker, with strong reading and writing skills
• Proficient in English, with the ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in a business environment

About the Firm

Stephenson Harwood is an international law firm, and we're committed to creating 'positive partnerships' with our clients. We represent listed and private companies, institutions and individuals, building lasting relationships to help them succeed in a complex and ever-changing world.

Our focus is on five core sectors: Energy Transition, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Private Capital and Funds, Technology, and Transportation and Trade.

With more than 1,500 people, including 230+ partners, across ten offices in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, we combine deep legal capabilities and broad commercial expertise. We have also forged close ties with high quality law firms around the world, blending local knowledge with global savvy for clients in over 100 countries.

We understand the power of diversity in delivering that high calibre advice to our clients. We want to attract diverse talent and we particularly encourage applications from underrepresented demographics.

• 230+ PARTNERS
• 11 OFFICES
• 45+ LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY OUR PEOPLE

Offices in Madrid, Al Khobar, Athens, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Paris, Riyadh, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and associated office in Guangzhou.

Our brand strengths:

GO FAR, GO TOGETHER

EXPERTS IN MORE THAN LAW

CAN DO PERSONALITIES

ALWAYS READY