Overview of the FunctionGlobal Mobility at Freshfields promote and manage the firm's mobility program ensuring the smooth movement of colleagues across different countries to meet business and client needs as well as to develop our talent and fill skills gaps. Our keys areas of focus are around colleague experience, compliance and operational efficiency. The GM function is going through a positive transformation to ensure we put employees at the heart of our program, we are operationally efficient and contain costs.
Role summary/purpose of jobThis is a new role to support the Firm's growing needs. The purpose of this role is to manage end to end planning, implementation and support for secondments and international transfers while ensuring the successful application of Freshfields' global mobility program policies. The Global Mobility Manager is the primary contact in respect of the management and coordination of the full international secondment lifecycle. The role will also support international remote working requests and the relocation aspects of our colleagues who are permanently transferring or are foreign local hires.
The role will operate with a high degree of autonomy. It requires considerable liaison with internal and external stakeholders utilizing strong interpersonal and relationship building skills to partner with colleagues at varying levels of seniority.
Key responsibilities and deliverables- Advise on all aspects of the firm's secondment policies, procedures, and processes to ensure best practice, efficiency, and reduction of exceptions in the management of secondments
- Advise secondees on all aspects of their secondment placement e.g., remuneration, benefits, payroll, tax, and accommodation, to facilitate their integration into the firm and the host office
- Manage complex secondment queries on a case-by-case basis from HR Shared Services or HRBPs/Assistants
- Interact with candidates, employees, and managers to answer immigration and relocation policy and program questions
- Deal with and advise on complex immigration information with assistance from the external immigration provider if required
- Manage the secondment lifecycle for all international moves between the firm's global network offices and also to client locations including - hosting departure briefings with the secondee, liaising with management, HR colleagues and external providers
- Manage ad-hoc projects within the Global Mobility team, working with other HR or cross-functional team members as appropriate
- Deal with international remote working queries in line with the firms policy and process.
Key requirements (Communication/skills/experience)Essential:- Proven experience in global mobility role (c5-8 years).
- Previous exposure or knowledge of secondment management, global tax and social security issues, immigration, and international compensation (c5-8 years).
- In depth knowledge of US immigration rules and processes.
- Able to demonstrate project management skills.
- Attention to detail.
- Advanced IT skills, including PowerPoint, Visio, and Excel.
- Strong interpersonal communication skills.
- Able to work in complex mobility landscape with changing processes.
Desirable:- Preference for experience gained in a professional services, partnership or in-house global mobility, expatriate tax or immigration role.
- Previous experience of Workday or other HR database .
- Previous experience of global mobility technology.
- Previous experience in managing US shadow payroll.
