About this role.
Canonical seeks a Regional HR Manager for EMEA to lead and scale its regional People team. The role involves delivering compliant HR operations, partnering with senior leadership, managing complex employee relations across multiple jurisdictions, and designing HR policies for a global remote-first company. The ideal candidate has strong HR experience in technology, people management, and data-driven decision-making. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring travel up to four times a year. Canonical offers a dynamic, distributed work environment with opportunities to shape the future of HR.
Role DNA
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Job Complexity
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4/5Autonomy Level
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Core skills
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Cover letter sample
Dear Hiring Team,
I am writing to express my strong interest in the Regional HR Manager - EMEA position at Canonical. With over X years of HR leadership experience in global technology companies, I have a proven track record of scaling HR operations, partnering with senior leadership, and managing complex employee relations across multiple jurisdictions.
I am particularly drawn to Canonical's mission of open source software and its distributed-first culture, which aligns with my passion for building innovative and inclusive HR practices. I am confident that my expertise in talent development, organizational design, and data-driven decision-making would make a significant contribution to your People team.
I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how I can help shape the future of HR at Canonical.
Sample interview questions
In my previous role as an HR Business Partner, I supported seven EMEA countries, working closely with local legal counsel and staying updated on regulatory changes. I developed a compliance framework that included regular audits, standardized processes, and regional training for managers. This ensured alignment with local laws while maintaining a consistent employee experience.
I would start by assessing current capabilities and identifying bottlenecks, then create a scalable operating model with clear processes and roles. I would prioritize automation and self-service tools for routine tasks, allowing the team to focus on strategic initiatives. Regular feedback loops and data metrics would guide continuous improvement.
I once managed an investigation involving employees in three countries with conflicting data privacy laws. I coordinated with external counsel in each region, ensured evidence collection complied with local regulations, and maintained transparent communication with stakeholders. The outcome was a fair resolution that mitigated legal risk and preserved trust.
I regularly track metrics such as turnover, engagement, and time-to-fill. In one instance, I noticed a spike in attrition in a specific department and identified through exit interviews and manager feedback that there was a lack of career development opportunities. I partnered with leadership to implement a development program, which reduced attrition by 30% over the following year.
I believe DEI must be embedded in every HR process, from recruiting to promotion. I would start by conducting a comprehensive audit to identify gaps, then set measurable goals and ensure accountability at all levels. I also focus on building inclusive leadership capabilities and creating employee resource groups to foster a sense of belonging.
Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is very widely used in breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation and IoT. Our customers include the world’s leading public cloud and silicon providers, and industry leaders in many sectors. The company is a pioneer of global distributed collaboration, with 1200+ colleagues in 75+ countries and very few office based roles. Teams meet two to four times yearly in person, in interesting locations around the world, to align on strategy and execution.
The company is founder led, profitable and growing.
We are hiring a Regional HR Manager for EMEA to join our People team at Canonical.
With 1,200+ colleagues across 75 countries, we require a People function that thinks and acts globally. We’re looking for a regional lead that will report into our Global Head of HR who can help build our company as we go through continued growth plans. It’s an exciting time to join with the opportunity to help shape and create an HR function for the future. You will lead the EMEA team of HR professionals to provide precise, compliant and scalable HR operations to the business, advise and execute on HR issues across the whole employee life-cycle, and partner with senior leadership in your region. You will have an analytical approach, a keen eye for detail and the ability to interpret data trends and themes.
The role entails the individual to:
- Lead and scale Canonical’s regional HR team
- Deliver precise and compliant HR operations in a timely manner and with the highest degree of accuracy
- Interact closely with the broader People team to create tight-knit processes across all regions
- Be accountable for HR processes such as talent development, succession planning, performance assessments, onboarding, culture and engagement initiatives that drive high performing teams
- Work with senior managers across the business on performance management, organizational design, employee engagement, rewards- and workforce planning
- Own as well as coach and advise people managers on the full spectrum of employee relations issues, across multiple countries
- Partner with people managers to support the delivery of appropriate training and development programs
- Establish a trusted partnership with the business in your region
- Drive diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives
- Design new policies and deliver on business-critical HR related projects globally
- Present at Canonical events to articulate Canonical’s HR practices
What we are looking for in you
- Exceptional academic track record from both high school and university
- HR experience leading initiatives across regions within a technology business
- People management experience
- Experience in business partnering with senior stakeholders
- A good balance between leading and executing, in this role you will need to be hands-on involved in the daily HR routines too
- Experience in working in a remote first organization
- Able to leverage data to make informed decisions
- Knowledge and practical implementation of HR practices and employment law across EMEA
- Experience in handling and overseeing complex ER matters across multiple jurisdictions
- Fluent in business English (written and spoken)
- Self motivated, organized, accurate, confident, authentic, results-orientated, open-minded, enthusiastic and energetic
- Willingness to travel up to 4 times a year for internal events
Nice-to-have skills
- Experience with immigration policies and mobility processes
- Professional HR qualification (CIPD/SHRM or other)
- Facilitation skills
What we offer colleagues
We consider geographical location, experience, and performance in shaping compensation worldwide. We revisit compensation annually (and more often for graduates and associates) to ensure we recognise outstanding performance. In addition to base pay, we offer a performance-driven annual bonus. We provide all team members with additional benefits, which reflect our values and ideals. We balance our programs to meet local needs and ensure fairness globally.
- Distributed work environment with twice-yearly team sprints in person
- Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year
- Annual compensation review
- Recognition rewards
- Annual holiday leave
- Maternity and paternity leave
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues
- Priority Pass, and travel upgrades for long haul company events
About Canonical
Canonical is a pioneering tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source. As the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most important open source projects and the platform for AI, IoT and the cloud, we are changing the world of software. We recruit on a global basis and set a very high standard for people joining the company. We expect excellence – in order to succeed, we need to be the best at what we do. Most colleagues at Canonical have worked from home since its inception in 2004. Working here is a step into the future, and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game.
Canonical is an equal opportunity employer
We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background create a better work environment and better products. Whatever your identity, we will give your application fair consideration.
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