HR Risk & Policy Specialist

HR Risk & Policy Specialist
Contract Length: 6 Months
Location: Leeds (Hybrid - 2 days on site)
Pay Rate: £800 a day Inside IR35

Drive Global HR Policy & Compliance in a Complex, Regulated Environment

We're partnering with a leading UK organisation to hire an experienced HR Risk & Policy Specialist to support a high-impact programme focused on global policy alignment and employment law compliance.

This is a unique opportunity to work at scale-translating regulation into practical HR frameworks while engaging with senior stakeholders across HR, Legal, and Risk.

About the Opportunity

You'll join a central People Risk / Governance function, operating at the intersection of HR, policy, and compliance within a large, highly matrixed organisation.

The role is focused on:

Reviewing and aligning global HR policies with local legislation
Ensuring consistency, traceability, and compliance across jurisdictions
Supporting regulatory change initiatives in the UKThis is a hands-on delivery role where you'll own key outputs, navigate complexity, and influence decision-making across multiple business areas.

Key Responsibilities

Lead a global review of HR policies, mapping them against local employment law across jurisdictions (e.g. US, Europe, India)
Identify compliance gaps, inconsistencies, and localisation requirements
Translate regulatory requirements into clear, practical HR policy updates and frameworks
Support interpretation and implementation of UK employment legislation changes
Collaborate with HR, Legal, and Risk stakeholders to drive alignment and execution
Engage stakeholders across regions to gather insight, challenge assumptions, and influence outcomes
Provide structured reporting on compliance status, risks, and improvement actions Skills & Experience

Essential

Strong background in HR (HR Manager, HRBP, HR Policy or HR Governance)
Proven experience implementing or reviewing HR policies aligned to employment law
Exposure to multi-jurisdiction / international HR environments
Ability to interpret legislation and translate into practical policy
Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with confidence to influence senior audiences
Experience working in large, complex and highly matrixed organisations

Desirable

Understanding of risk, controls, or governance frameworks
Experience working alongside Risk or Compliance functions
Exposure to regulatory change or transformation programmes
Familiarity with structured policy frameworks or assurance processes

Please note: Due to the high volume of applications, only successful candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from us within 48 hours, unfortunately, your application has not been successful on this occasion. However, we may retain your details for any future suitable vacancies and contact you accordingly.

Pontoon is an employment consultancy. We put expertise, energy, and enthusiasm into improving everyone's chance of being part of the workplace. We respect and appreciate people of all ethnicities, generations, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, and more. We do this by showcasing their talents, skills, and unique experience in an inclusive environment that helps them thrive. If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know and we will be happy to support you.

We use generative AI tools to support our candidate screening process. This helps us ensure a fair, consistent, and efficient experience for all applicants. Rest assured, all final decisions are made by our hiring team, and your application will be reviewed with care and attention
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed