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’.

• 
  
  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 individuals 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’.
• Talent Acquisition & Onboarding – Lead recruitment efforts to attract top‑tier professionals who align with the organization’s values and goals. Ensure 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.
• 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 supports internal talent and potentially develops future “Synergists” from outside the organization.
• Performance Management & Employee Lifecycle – Lead the full HR cycle, including the orchestration of 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 off‑boarding, including optimizing salary and benefits packages, supporting employees through life events, and handling transitions such as retirement or contract terminations with care and transparency. 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 organiza