Culture and Talent Director

We believe we can solve the most urgent societal issues collectively, and we are bringing our model to make this happen by inviting all change agents to approach our world differently.

Our world, our societies, and our lives as we know them face critical and escalating challenges. Many of these are complex, deeply entrenched, and urgent, and they can’t be solved in isolation. A bigger approach is required to tackle these with the impact and durability needed. This approach requires coherent bridging between strong efforts of the past and next-generation strategies, between a broad range of sectors and stakeholders, and towards a movement of synergies between people, minds, and strategies.

To address this need, we built a social venture designed to collectively tackle societal issues by addressing broken or inefficient systems together and thereby accelerating societal (co-)impact. To this end, The Synergist acts as an independent, neutral backbone and incubator. We bring together the right people, organizations, and institutions globally. We foster an organized, safe, and collaborative environment that enables collective impact by co-defining a shared vision, goals, and strategies with members; establishing and maintaining a transparent and balanced governance structure; coordinating and driving activities, and bringing to life concrete projects and solutions that have been shaped with and complemented by a broad stakeholder group. This is what we call ‘leading from behind’.

• 2023 annual report
• The origin story of the Synergist by Nicholas Brooke
• Co-creation and collective intelligence in practice (Patient Engagement Open Forum)

• Location: Ideally Brussels-based, including remote working
• Job Type: Full-Time
• Reports To: COO of the Synergist

Your Role

We seek a dynamic and experienced Head of HR to lead our organization's culture and talent development and ensure that our unique approach, posture,role, mindset, and skillsets thrive as we evolve, grow, and diversify.

As the HR Director, you will play a pivotal role in defining, drawing, and bringing to life an HR vision & strategy that best supports the overall mission and growth of the organization. You will shape a forward-looking Synergist HR roadmap that not only attracts and retains top talent but also fosters an environment and culture where team members can thrive and continuously develop as part of a team. By aligning HR initiatives with the company’s long-term vision, you will ensure that The Synergist’s talented workforce is empowered, motivated, and well-equipped to meet the evolving challenges of the organization, bringing individual to their best and enabling a performing team. Your strategic insight will influence key areas such as talent acquisition, employee development, performance management, people allocation, and culture building, ensuring that the HR function remains a critical driver of organizational success.

Key Responsibilities: 

Shape an HR vision that enables the organization’s mission and continuously empowers its current and future workforce with the skills and tools they need, as individuals and teams, to drive collective, collaborative impact ‘from behind’.

1. Talent Acquisition & Onboarding:
• Lead recruitment efforts to attract top-tier professionals who align with the organization's values and goals. Ensure that the hiring process ‘nests’ the right kind of profiles and identifies candidates with the necessary skills and strategic mindset to drive The Synergist's mission forward.
• Oversee seamless onboarding processes, ensuring new hires are well-integrated and equipped to succeed.

2. Talent Development framework:
• Oversee and expand the development of The Synergist talented team framework, an internal development “system” designed to enhance the skills of employees at all levels. This initiative will offer tailored development programs for each role, ensuring employees are continuously growing within their functions on a 70-20-10 principle: 70% through experience, 20% through personal coaching, and 10% through training.
• Aim to build the Synergist team and talent framework into a broader educational platform that not only supports internal talent but also has the potential to develop future “Synergists” from outside the organization (potentially also acting as a recruitment tool).
• Drive a culture of continuous learning, encouraging employees to engage in skill-building programs that align with both personal and organizational goals.
3. Performance Management & Employee Lifecycle:
   
• Lead the full HR cycle, including the orchestration of the performance evaluations, feedback sessions, and development planning. Collaborate with department heads to ensure a robust evaluation process that fosters growth and accountability.
• Manage the entire employee lifecycle, from hiring to offboarding. This includes optimizing salary and benefits packages, supporting employees through life events, and handling transitions such as retirement or contract terminations with care and transparency.
4. Culture Building & Leadership: 
• Promote and uphold a strong organizational culture rooted in The Synergist's core values and leadership framework, “ICARE.” Champion engagement, inclusion, and collaboration throughout the organization, guarding this philosophy at the highest level of the organization, the Extended Executive Committee.
• Aim to build, shape, and develop a future HR team that ensures the department operates efficiently and supports broader organizational objectives.
• Participate and actively contribute to the extended executive committee that shapes the strategic direction of the organization.
5. Dynamic People allocation:
   
• Develop and manage a flexible system for allocating people across projects based on evolving needs, financial data, and individual development goals. Analyze effort forecasts and team availability to propose timely, strategic reassignments that balance project demands, personal growth, and team cohesion.
• Work closely with program leads and the COO to adjust planning dynamically, ensuring the right people are in the right place at the right time, with purpose, clarity, and continuity.
6. Data-Driven HR & Continuous Improvement:
   
• Leverage HR analytics to monitor employee satisfaction, retention rates, and other key metrics. Use data to improve HR processes continually and to inform strategic decision-making.
• Ensure HR policies and programs are scalable, efficient, and contribute to the long-term success of the organization.

Qualifications:

• Expertise in employee development, particularly in creating structured training programs and managing the employee lifecycle. 
• Strong communication and leadership skills, with experience leading HR teams and working closely with senior management.
  
• Relevant experience in HR leadership role, with a proven ability to develop and execute HR strategies that drive organizational success.
• Ability to use HR data and analytics to measure success and continuously optimize HR processes.

Preferred:

• An EU work permit 
• Social enterprising background 
• Experience working on societal issues (such as, but not limited to, health or environment)
• Fluency in English: C1 minimum 

What's In It for You:

• The opportunity to work with global for- and non-profit players to address societal needs (like patient engagement, precision medicine, women's health, rare diseases, climate change, sustainability, etc.);
  
• The opportunity to shape and implement a full employee development program to the benefit of societal causes.
  
• The opportunity to join a dedicated, dynamic, and diverse team that works to develop innovative and efficient programs to solve challenges that others ignore or have been unable to resolve sustainably to-date;
  
• A high degree of flexibility to work from home and/or remotely;
  
• The opportunity to grow personally within the organization as well as to be a part of the organization’s own growth trajectory.
  

Application Process:
Interested candidates should submit a resume and a cover letter detailing their qualifications and experience. Applications can be sent to talent@thesynergist.org