People & Culture Specialist (f/m/d)

We are seeking a (Senior) People & Culture Specialist (f/m/d) to play a central role in building and scaling our People & Culture function as we grow. This role is instrumental in managing payroll, contracts, mobility, compliance, and reporting, while also acting as a trusted partner to our leadership team. You will be responsible for ensuring operational excellence across core HR processes, building reliable and scalable People Operations systems, supporting employees and managers in a fast-moving, international environment, and reducing dependency on manual workflows as the company scales.

The successful candidate will bring a blend of operational expertise, strategic partnership, process-building capabilities, and a people-centered approach to help us scale smoothly and sustainably.

To join our team, you should be excited to:

• Scale People Operations and Global Mobility to support rapid company growth.
• Take ownership of payroll for NL and DE, while supporting cases involving international payroll.
• Manage contract management, employee lifecycle processes, compliance, and employee administration within our HRIS.
• Build reliable, scalable systems and reduce dependency on manual workflows for daily People Operations.
• Stabilize and document core People Operations and Global Mobility processes, including developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Deliver reporting and analytics that inform decision-making, translate People data into meaningful insights, and shape company policies.
• Partner with external experts (legal, insurance, accounting, relocation/visa specialists, payroll providers) to ensure smooth operations as the company scales.
• Build strong collaboration with other People & Culture areas, including Talent Acquisition, People Experience, and People Development.
• Provide business support to the leadership team, acting as a sparring partner on People Operations and business partnering topics.
• Contribute to writing and rolling out policies that support compliance, clarity, and culture.

Your Qualifications

• At least 5-8 years of hands-on experience in People Operations within an international company, ideally in a scaling technology, engineering, or deep-tech environment.
• Practical experience applying German labour law in an HR environment, with the ability to make informed day-to-day decisions.
• Strong knowledge of HRIS systems (Personio required), payroll and benefits administration systems, and reporting analytics.
• Experience managing immigration, visas, relocation, and international mobility programs is a plus.
• Experience building processes, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and HR infrastructure.
• Skilled in decision-making, collaboration, and stakeholder management, with proven ability to balance operational needs with employee experience.
• Strong hands-on mindset with high attention to detail and the ability to execute in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to build trust and act with professionalism and integrity.
• Fluency in German (minimum C1) and English.
• Advanced Microsoft 365 skills.
• Previous experience in a fast-growing startup environment, ideally in deep tech.