EMEA HR Manager - International Mobility & Compliance

Daikin Europe NV (DENV) is a subsidiary of Daikin Industries Limited, a Japanese outstanding company and worldwide the biggest developer, producer and supplier of HVAC-R (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration) solutions, including heating pumps and cooling technology.

DENV is Daikin’s sales, R&D, and production headquarters for Europe, the Middle-East and Africa. The headquarter has Belgian offices in Brussels, Ghent and Ostend, as well as 8 production plants, 24 sales subsidiaries and offices and a whole network of independent distributors and dealers across the EMEA region.

This role leads the International Employee Mobility and Social Law function within DENV, ensuring compliance with global employment regulations and managing cross-border/ multi-employer and virtual employmentassignments. The position oversees expatriation policies, immigration processes, and social law matters across multiple jurisdictions. As a team leader, you will drive strategic initiatives to optimize employee mobility programs, ensure legal compliance, and deliver high-quality support to employees and management.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership & Team Management

Lead and develop the International Mobility & Social Law team, fostering expertise and collaboration.

• International Mobility Strategy

Design and implement policies for expatriation, relocation, localization and all aspects of cross-border employment. Provide hands-on, legal advice on international employment topics towards HR colleagues and management. These topics include legal aspects of talent contracting, labour conditions, social security and payroll tax, employee benefits, international mobility, suspension and termination of employment relations etc., both under Belgian  and European laws, and with application of foreign legal systems.

• Compliance & Social Law

Ensure adherence to international labour laws, social security regulations, and tax compliance for  employees on international assignments or working in foreign branches or affiliated companies . Collaborate with other HR teams in solving questions & workforce challenges under foreign/ international employment laws.

Take the lead in or contribute to different international projects, e.g. legal compliant set-up of new employment organisational structures, social law aspects of M&A’s, development of company rules under foreign labour laws,  development of employment related policies on international/EMEA-level, international pooling of employee benefits, etc.

•  Stakeholder Collaboration

Partner with other HR teams, Corporate Legal and Finance & Accounting departments, and with external providers (e.g. international labour law network, global employment or expatriation service providers, ...) to deliver seamless mobility solutions. Proactively follow-up on the developments of EU employment law to support a legal compliant implementation thereof in line with the business needs, and share your expertise within the EMEA HR division.

• Process Optimization

Drive continuous improvement and digitalization of employment mobility and compliance processes.

• Risk Management

Identify and mitigate legal and compliance risks related to international employment.

Acting as legal liaison for the HR  EMEA organisation to follow up on corporate legal matters and company rules such as related to contract management, GDPR, J-Sox, information security and other risk management reporting activities.

Required Profile:

• Education & Skills

Master’s degree in HR, Business Administration, Law, or Economics.

Solid understanding of Belgian social law and international employment regulations (social security treaties, payroll and personal income tax implications).

Familiarity with compliance frameworks and risk management in employment mobility.

Proven experience in international employee mobility and social law in a multinational environment.

• Experience

Minimum 10 years of experience in HR or global employment mobility, with exposure to expatriate management and compliance and proven experience in team leadership or project coordination.

Proven track record in international environments and corporate settings.

• Competencies

Leadership & People Management: Ability to coach, motivate, and develop a small team.

Excellent knowledge of global employment regulations and compliance frameworks.

Analytical & Problem-Solving: Handle complex legal and tax scenarios.

Communication: Fluent in English; additional languages are an asset; able to explain legal concepts clearly.

Stakeholder Management: Empathetic stakeholder management with strong policy alignment. Builds trust and clarity in complex employment mobility matters by balancing compliance requirements with a people‑focused approach.

Digital Literacy: HRIS, employment mobility platforms, and MS Office proficiency

Daikin Europe is a subsidiary of Daikin Industries Ltd. and the leading provider of heating, cooling, ventilation, air purification, and refrigeration technology. The company designs, manufactures and brings to market a broad portfolio of equipment, as well as tailor-made solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial purposes in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). To date, Daikin EMEA has over 12 000 employees across more than 59 consolidated subsidiaries. It has 12 major manufacturing facilities based in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Austria, and the UK. Our aim is to drive sustainable and effective solutions, sparking a good climate for the generations to come. And all this can only be achieved because of our People. 

Good climate starts with people 
Our employees are the beating heart of our company. At Daikin, you get to work in a positive environment backed by trust, creativity and continuous improvement. Together, we create our top-quality solutions by empowering talented teams. You will get plenty of opportunities to learn and grow. We are deeply committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace culture that reflects the communities we serve. Good climate starts with people.