Jobid=72feb6bd2e32 (0.0992)
Your Strategic Partner for Headhunting & Niche Recruitment, Business Transformation & end-to-end HR Consultancy.
We bridge Highly-skilled Talent and the Best People & Culture practices with Technology & Innovation for transforming and scaling your business operations.
INTERIM HR DIRECTOR or SR HR MANAGER IN EMPLOYEE RELATIONS & DUTCH LABOUR LAW
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Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Sector: Chemical Distribution & Industrial Logistics
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Reporting to: Sr Regional HR Manager with dotted line to Global HR
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Scope: Employee Relations, Dutch Labour Law, Transformation initiatives
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Start Date: ASAP
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End Date: 31/12/2026, with possibility of contract renewal.
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Hours per week: 32 hours a week
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Work scheme: Hybrid, up to 2 days per week in Amsterdam Office.
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Contract type: TBC (Contract of Employment or Freelancer)
About our client
This is a global industrial chemical and ingredient distribution company with offices in the Netherlands.
It operates across the full value chain, including sourcing, storage, mixing, blending, packaging, and just-in-time distribution of industrial and speciality chemicals.
Its products and services support highly regulated sectors such as pharmaceuticals, food & ingredients, coatings, water treatment, and personal care.
This company at the local level operates in multiple sites in the Netherlands and combines logistics-intensive operations with technical, technological, regulatory, and commercial expertise.
Working with hazardous and regulated substances places strong emphasis on safety culture, compliance, and disciplined operational processes, making robust people governance and employee relations essential.
About Your Role
The Interim / Temporary Sr HR Manager is a well-experienced HR leader responsible for Employee Relations and Transformation initiatives agenda in the Netherlands and will support and report to the Regional Sr HR Manager, with a strong focus on employee relations, Dutch labour law, and works council governance within a chemical and industrial environment.
The role requires a deep understanding of HR implications in redundancy processes, terminations, reskilling activities, and negotiations with key internal and external stakeholders, including safety-critical roles, shift-based work, regulated working conditions, strict compliance frameworks and best HR practices.
This role balances legal robustness, operational continuity, and a human-centred leadership approach.
Key Responsibilities
Employee Relations & Labour Law (Core Focus)
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Own all employee relations matters, including performance management, disciplinary cases, absenteeism, and exits in a safety-critical environment.
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Act as a strategic liaison with the Works Council (OR) and employee representatives.
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Ensure full compliance with Dutch labour law, internal policies, and applicable collective agreements.
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Lead reorganisations, restructurings, employee transfer processes and harmonisation activities.
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Handle sensitive cases involving safety, conduct, fitness for work, and compliance with care and diligence.
Strategic HR Leadership
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Act as a trusted advisor to the Regional Sr HR Manager and leadership team on people and organisational topics regarding Transformation and Cost-Saving strategies.
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Translate global HR policies into a compliant Dutch HR strategy suited to chemical distribution and logistics industry practices, as well as global and local company policies.
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Execute workforce planning activities across operational, corporate, technical, and commercial functions.
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Support organisational change linked to site operations, process optimisation, and regulatory requirements.
HR Operations, Compliance & Risk
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Oversee HR policies, employment contracts, and internal regulations aligned with chemical-industry standards.
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Ensure consistent, high-quality HR service delivery across sites.
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Provide emotional and strategic support when executing the Trasnformation initiatives.
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Ensure GDPR-compliant handling of employee and health-related data.
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Identify and mitigate people-related risks connected to chemical operations, safety obligations, and absenteeism.
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Partner with Operations and EHS on safety culture, training obligations, incident follow-up, and compliance requirements.
Leadership, Talent & Safety Culture
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Coach Line Managers in cost-saving activities and coordinate operational tasks to ensure smooth execution of planned cost-saving projects.
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Strengthen leadership capability in managing regulated, safety-sensitive teams.
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Drive engagement, performance, and retention activities.
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Embed a strong safety, compliance, and accountability culture.
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Act as a change leader in a matrixed, international chemical organisation.
Profile & Experience
Required
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Master’s degree in HR, Labour Law, Business Administration, or similar.
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Deep, practical expertise in Dutch labour law and employee relations.
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Experience supporting reorganisations, site changes, or operational transformations.
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Preferably 10+ years of senior HR experience, including leadership roles.
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Nice-to-have: Proven track record working with Works Councils (OR).
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Strong understanding of safety-critical and regulated work environments.
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Fluent in Dutch and English.
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Exposure to international HR governance and matrix organisations.
Key Competencies
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Labour-law authority with industrial pragmatism
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Strong risk awareness and compliance mindset
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Calm, credible presence in complex employee relations cases
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Ability to balance safety, legality, and employee engagement
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Influential leadership and resilience
Our Core Values at TheHRchapter
Transparency: We believe in transparent and smooth recruitment processes for our Company and our Clients where we provide Transformation and Consultancy Services. You will get feedback from us always.
Candidate experience: Perfect blend between automated and humanised recruitment processes for our candidates, ourselves and our clients. Don't hesitate to ask us for feedback anytime.
Talented pool: We bring highly-skilled, motivated candidates to our company and our clients. Our candidates match with strong values, organisational culture and management style.
Diversity and inclusion: There is no place for discrimination and intolerance. We care about diversity, awareness, and respect for differences within TheHRchapter. Any client who doesn't comply with the anti-discrimination and compliance regulations automatically becomes excluded from our client portfolio.
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