Interim Regional HR Business Partner (HQ & Europe/Africa)

Company Description

Are you looking for a career in the marine services industry? Look no further than Smit Lamnalco! We are a leading provider of safe, reliable and customised marine services to Oil, Gas and LNG terminals as well as Port operations.

Our diverse fleet of approximately 160 modern vessels and over 2500 skilled crew and staff members serve customers worldwide. We specialise in providing marine support services tailored to the unique operational needs of our global customers in local markets.

At Smit Lamnalco, we are committed to maintaining international standards on safety and reliability to onshore and offshore operations in challenging environments. Our headquarters are located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

If you're interested in joining our team, we encourage you to visit our website at www.smitlamnalco.com to learn more about our company and available job opportunities. Thank you for considering Smit Lamnalco as your potential employer in the marine services industry!

Job Description

We are looking for a hands-on HR professional who is as confident running payroll as advising managers and employees. This is not a purely strategic or managerial role — it is for someone who takes ownership and gets things done. Your work as Interim Regional HR Business Partner will directly impact employees, managers, and the business.

Details:

• Interim assignment for 8 months due to pregnancy leave.
• Start: as soon as possible in October or latest in November 2025, preferably with sufficient handover overlap.
• Full-time position (40 hours per week), with 3 days on-site and 2 days remote.
• Location: Papendrecht (first 2-3 weeks in Rotterdam).
• A challenging role with significant responsibilities.

What will you do?

You will be the go-to HR professional for operational HR across multiple regions, combining hands-on HR work with advisory support. Here are some important tasks that you will be responsible for:

Promoting ethical behavior and a positive culture

Core Hr Processes

• Payroll: Ensure all salary mutations are collected by the 10th (HQ) / 15th (regions), cross-check data accuracy, and ensure timely submission to payroll (ADP or local provider). Review final reports before approval.
• Performance management: Ensure managers complete annual reviews on time. Follow up with reminders and support.
• Absence management.
• Salary reviews/bonuses/consolidations: Support managers with input templates, consolidate proposals, check budget alignment, and prepare approvals. Ensure sharing of the letters before processing in the payroll.
• Exit interviews: Schedule with departing staff, document key feedback, and share trends with management.

Hr Administration

• Ensure personnel files and HR system data are kept up to date (contracts, salary changes, training records, etc.).
• Support audits or internal reviews with the requested data.

Budgeting & Reporting

• Provide HR data for annual budgeting and forecasting for annual personnel cost planning.
• Track variances between actual vs. planned costs monthly/quarterly and flag issues.

Advisor to managers and employees

• Be available as first point of contact for HR-related questions by advising managers and employees.
• Guide managers in handling employee relations (e.g., performance concerns, absences, grievances).
• Provide advice based on company policy and applicable local law.

Recruitment

• Agree with managers on role profiles and follow existing recruitment channels.
• Post vacancies, screen CVs, arrange interviews, attend one of the interviews, and guide managers in selection.
• Prepare offers and contracts, ensuring they are in line with local / regional standards and approvals.

Onboarding

• Ensure induction schedule is in place (HR intro, IT setup, departmental and manager/team meetings).
• Check in during first weeks to confirm integration and answer questions.

Training & Development

• Ensure the annual training plan is prepared based on input from managers and performance appraisals feedback.
• Monitor training progress and ensure participation is tracked.
• Provide guidance to managers on identifying training needs.

Policies & Compliance

• Maintain local HR and local crewing policies (only pertaining payroll), ensure they are updated with regulatory changes.
• Communicate changes to staff and managers.
• Conduct compliance checks (contracts, working hours, leave, payroll, etc.).

Qualifications

What do you bring?

• A bachelor’s degree in HR, Social Sciences or Business Economics (master’s preferred).
• 7–10 years of relevant HR Management (generalist) experience in an international environment.
• Solid experience in the Maritime Industry and working with multiple entities simultaneously.
• Excellent communication skills in English and Dutch, both written and spoken. Language skills in French are a pre.
• Proactive and knows how to navigate a fast-paced environment.

The candidate must be living in the Netherlands. 

Additional Information

Employment Conditions:

Applications should be send via the link in the vacancy. 

Smit Lamnalco is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as an individual with disability or other applicable legally protected characteristics.