HR Director - Europe

Company Overview: We're Zocks, a venture capital-backed AI startup changing the world of financial services, and other industries that value security and privacy. Our founding team built their careers working on real-time communication products, building enterprise platforms, and crafting tools for some of the most security-conscious industries. With experience gained from industry leaders like Twilio, IBM, Microsoft, and Hearsay Systems, we're using AI to bridge human conversations with enterprise systems, starting with financial services.  Our focus, although simple, is powerful: reinventing business operations and transforming the areas that often get bogged down by slow, inefficient processes. Our innovative platform allows people to communicate naturally, while we capture the information they need, so they can avoid data entry, streamline their operations, and spend more time on what matters most: their clients. Location: Budapest, XI. (On-site Monday to Thursday, Remote on Fridays) Why we are hiring for this role We are looking for an HR Director to lead and scale our European People Operations as we grow from ~150 to 300+ employees and expand our engineering organization internationally. Key challenges you will work on every day Designing, leading, and continuously optimizing HR frameworks that scale with the company and support our growth from ~100 to 200+ employees across Europe. Acting as the European HR leader, shaping people policies, employment frameworks, and operational standards that support a globally distributed organization. Owning HR operations across Europe end-to-end, including employment compliance, labor law matters, contracts, benefits administration, and HR systems, ensuring processes are compliant, efficient, and scalable. Partnering closely with US and Hungarian leadership and stakeholders, ensuring alignment between global company strategy and regional people operations. Supporting international expansion, including participation in setting up new European entities, defining employment structures, and ensuring local compliance. Leading our HR team and building strong People Operations capabilities as the organization grows. Supporting the scaling of our engineering organization, helping leadership identify optimal hiring locations and people strategies to grow engineering teams to 200–300 employees over time. Acting as a strategic partner to leadership on organizational design, workforce planning, compensation, and benefits strategy. Overseeing workplace operations in Hungary and supporting broader European operations to ensure a compliant and efficient working environment. Driving HR and operational analytics, transforming people data into insights that inform headcount planning, cost management, and strategic decision-making. Leading cross-functional projects such as policy development, HR system implementations, compliance initiatives, vendor management, and international expansion projects. Supporting executive leadership with strategic initiatives, organizational scaling, and board-level reporting preparation when needed. Most of this applies to you 10+ years of progressive experience in HR, People Operations, or HR leadership roles, including ownership of end-to-end HR processes. Experience building and scaling HR functions in a growing company, ideally in a startup or scale-up environment. Strong knowledge of European labor law, employment contracts, compliance requirements, and HR administration. Experience supporting international expansion, entity setup, or multi-country HR operations. Proven ability to operate as a regional HR leader while collaborating with global stakeholders. Experience partnering directly with senior leadership on organizational design, workforce planning, and people strategy. Strong management and leadership skills, with experience leading or mentoring HR or operations team members. Ability to work both strategically and hands-on in a fast-growing environment. Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate people and operational data into actionable insights. Experience managing external vendors, legal partners, and cross-functional stakeholders. Excellent communication skills and confidence interacting across all levels of the organization. High level of ownership, discretion, and sound judgment when handling sensitive information. Experience in high-growth environments where teams scaled significantly (e.g., 50 → 200+ employees) is highly preferred. Requirements Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Law, Finance, or a related field (or equivalent experience). Excellent communication skills in English and Hungarian. Strong understanding of Hungarian labor law and HR compliance, with familiarity with broader European employment practices. Experience supporting employment contracts, benefits administration, and HR operations. Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Proficiency with HR systems and standard business tools (e.g., Microsoft Office or equivalent). Experience working in a startup, scale-up, or fast-growing technology company is strongly preferred.