VP HR, EMEA

Join DayOne – Shaping the Future of Data Infrastructure

DayOne is a global leader in the development and operation of high-performance data centers. As one of the fastest-growing companies in the industry, we’ve built a robust presence across Asia and Europe — and we’re just getting started.

As we expand into new international markets, we’re looking for talented, driven individuals to join us on this exciting journey. This is more than a job — it’s an opportunity to be a key contributor to our dynamic team and help shape the future of global data infrastructure.

If you're passionate about innovation, technology, and growth, we invite you to be part of DayOne’s next chapter.

Role Summary

The HR Leader for EMEA will be a key member of the regional leadership team, responsible for building and scaling the people function in a high-growth, start-up data center environment. This role will drive the people strategy to support rapid expansion, critical talent acquisition, and operational excellence across EMEA, while ensuring compliance in complex regulatory markets.

 Strategic Business Partnership

• Partner with EMEA leadership to build and execute a scalable people strategy aligned to aggressive growth plans
• Translate business expansion (new sites, markets, customers) into workforce and organizational plans
• Act as a trusted advisor on scaling teams, leadership capability, and culture

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Build

• Partner closely with TA to rapidly scale critical talent, including: 
  • Data center operations
  • Engineering and technical roles
  • Commercial and support functions
• Develop hiring strategies for scarce, highly competitive talent markets
• Ensure speed, quality, and diversity in hiring while maintaining a strong candidate experience

Organizational Design & Scaling

• Design agile organizational structures to support site launches and regional expansion
• Build frameworks for roles, leveling, and career progression in a fast-growing environment
• Support integration of new teams, locations, or acquisitions

Employee Relations & EMEA Compliance

• Manage complex multi-country labor law requirements, including works councils and unions where applicable
• Provide guidance on employee relations in high-risk or highly regulated environments
• Ensure compliance with local regulations, particularly in countries with strict employment laws

Culture & Employee Experience

• Establish and embed a strong, performance-driven and operationally focused culture
• Drive engagement, retention, and workforce stability in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Support shift-based and operational workforce needs (e.g., data center technicians)

Compensation & Rewards

• Ensure competitive and scalable compensation structures for technical and operational talent
• Partner with global teams on incentives, retention strategies, and market positioning
• Balance cost discipline with competitiveness in high-demand talent markets

Change Management & Transformation

• Lead people aspects of rapid growth, site expansion, and organizational change
• Drive adoption of new processes, systems, and operating models
• Support leaders through ambiguity and high-growth scaling challenges

HR Infrastructure & Operations

• Build and optimize HR processes, policies, and systems appropriate for a scaling organization
• Partner with global HR COEs to ensure effective delivery across TA, C&B, L&D, and People Ops
• Drive operational excellence while maintaining flexibility

Leadership & Team Development

• Build and lead an EMEA HR team as the business scales
• Develop HR capabilities aligned to the needs of a technical, operational business
• Coach leaders on managing growth, performance, and team effectiveness

Qualifications & Experience

• 12+ years of HR experience, including significant leadership experience in EMEA
• Experience in high-growth, start-up, or scaling environments (strongly preferred)
• Industry experience in data centers, infrastructure, engineering, or technology (preferred)
• Proven track record of building teams and scaling organizations
• Deep expertise in EMEA employee relations and labor laws
• Strong experience in high-volume and specialized talent acquisition

Key Competencies

• Builder mindset (comfortable creating from scratch)
• Strong business and commercial acumen
• Ability to operate in ambiguity and rapid change
• Executive presence and influencing skills
• Data-driven and outcome-focused
• Cross-cultural leadership capability

Success Measures

• Speed and quality of hiring for critical roles
• Successful launch and scaling of EMEA sites/operations
• Retention of key technical and operational talent
• Strong employee engagement during rapid growth
• Effective management of ER risk and compliance
• HR infrastructure that scales with the business

What Makes This Role Unique

• Opportunity to build the HR function from the ground up in EMEA
• Direct impact on scaling mission-critical infrastructure (data centers)
• High visibility with senior leadership in a fast-growing, entrepreneurial environment
• Blend of strategic leadership and hands-on execution

DayOne is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

If you're ready to grow with one of the fastest-moving companies in the data center industry, apply now and be part of our global journey.