Director, Human Resources (EMEA) - 12 Month Contract

Lisbon April 17, 2026 Contract Lever
ValGenesis is a leading digital validation platform provider for life sciences companies. ValGenesis suite of products are used by 30 of the top 50 global pharmaceutical and biotech companies to achieve digital transformation, total compliance and manufacturing excellence/intelligence across their product lifecycle. 
 
Learn more about working for ValGenesis, the de facto standard for paperless validation in Life Sciences: https://www.valgenesis.com/about

This is a 12-month fixed-term opportunity covering a Maternity leave coverage for our current HR Director for EMEA.

You will oversee all people operations in EMEA, ensuring they are aligned with our business goals, executed in a compliance and prepared to scale.

About US:
We are a fast-growing technology company transforming the life sciences industry. Our clients are some of the largest Pharmaceutical and Biotech companies in the world. We are headquartered in Santa Clara, with 570 employees globally.
Our EMEA region has exciting growth opportunities as we continue to scale. In Europe our hub is located in Portugal (Lisbon) and we have employees also working remotely in Ireland, UK, Germany, Switzerland , Netherlands and Spain. 

We are looking for someone who can be both strategic and tactical and will work in partnership with our Europe Leadership team to deliver first-class HR support and coaching. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone looking to help continue improving our European HR operations and elevating the employee experience.

Please note - This role is hybrid, 3-days a week in office is required.
This is a 12-month fixed-term opportunity covering a Maternity leave coverage for our current HR Director for EMEA.

You will oversee all people operations in EMEA, ensuring they are aligned with our business goals, executed in a compliance and prepared to scale.

About US:
We are a fast-growing technology company transforming the life sciences industry. Our clients are some of the largest Pharmaceutical and Biotech companies in the world. We are headquartered in Santa Clara, with 570 employees globally.
Our EMEA region has exciting growth opportunities as we continue to scale. In Europe our hub is located in Portugal (Lisbon) and we have employees also working remotely in Ireland, UK, Germany, Switzerland , Netherlands and Spain. 

We are looking for someone who can be both strategic and tactical and will work in partnership with our Europe Leadership team to deliver first-class HR support and coaching. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone looking to help continue improving our European HR operations and elevating the employee experience.

Please note - This role is hybrid, 3-days a week in office is required.
We’re on a Mission
In 2005, we disrupted the life sciences industry by introducing the world’s first digital validation lifecycle management system. ValGenesis VLMS® revolutionized compliance-based corporate validation activities and has remained the industry standard.
Today, we continue to push the boundaries of innovation ― enhancing and expanding our portfolio beyond validation with an end-to-end digital transformation platform. We combine our purpose-built systems with world-class consulting services to help every facet of GxP meet evolving regulations and quality expectations.

The Team You’ll Join
Our customers’ success is our success. We keep the customer experience centered in our decisions, from product to marketing to sales to services to support. Life sciences companies exist to improve humanity’s quality of life, and we honor that mission.​
We work together. We communicate openly, support each other without reservation, and never hesitate to wear multiple hats to get the job done.
We think big. Innovation is the heart of ValGenesis. That spirit drives product development as well as personal growth. We never stop aiming upward.
We’re in it to win it. We’re on a path to becoming the number one intelligent validation platform in the market, and we won’t settle for anything less than being a market leader.​

How We Work
Our hybrid schedule is 3 days per week, within a reasonable commuting distance to our Lisbon office. We believe that in-person interaction and collaboration fosters creativity, and a sense of community, and is critical to our future success as a company. 
ValGenesis is an equal-opportunity employer that makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. Our goal is to have the best-qualified people in every job. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or any other characteristics protected by local law.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as a strategic and trusted advisor to the Europe Leadership team, providing guidance and support on all people-related matters in Europe
  • Provide guidance and support on employee relations matters, including conflict resolution, performance management plans and disciplinary actions.
  • Support organizational changes and initiatives, ensuring effective communication
  • Champions a phenomenal employee experience ‚supporting initiatives that bring to life and embed VG values
  • Drive a performance-led culture, supporting leaders to clearly articulate the business priorities with clarity of expected performance standards, and a consistent performance assessment process
  • Continuous improvement and execution of all people processes (onboarding, performance management, benefits, rewards, etc.)
  • Drive employee feedback mechanisms and partner with leaders to develop action plans
  • Utilize data to provide insights and recommendations to drive informed decision making
  • Manage international mobility, including immigration support
  • Work with the HR Leadership Team to create, drive and manage HR projects
  • Partner with the Talent Acquisition team to source high potential talent
  • Ensure the appropriate frameworks, practices and procedures are in place for compliance with employment law, social governance and best practice
  • Translate business and regional growth strategies into effective people priorities and plans across EMEA.
  • Requirements

  • 7+ years progressive HR experience, including business partnering, preferably within a SaaS or high-growth company
  • Comfortable working across multiple time zones with team members based around the globe
  • Strong knowledge of EU employment laws/regulations (Portugal, Ireland, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, UK)
  • Experience working in regions outside of Europe, considered an asset
  • Strong diagnostic skills and deep curiosity to understand people and situations
  • Business fluent in English and Portuguese
  • Strong communication skills, with the ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels
  • Proactive, can operate autonomously and comfortable with ambiguity
  • Strong business acumen, focus on value creation
  • Ability to work calmly and effectively in the face of pressure or setbacks
  • Ability to think global and act local while translating ideas into tangible results
  • Apply on company site

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