People Operations Specialist (Contract)

Location: Berlin, Germany
Employment Type: Freelance / Contract (12-month fixed-term)
Department: HR

Role Overview

As People Operations Specialist for Germany & Eastern Europe, you will play a critical role in stabilizing and elevating People Operations across the Eastern Europe and DACH cluster during an upcoming maternity leave period. You will work hand-in-hand with the Senior People Operations Specialist, owning and executing the day-to-day operational lifecycle of employees in Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. This is a high-trust, high-autonomy role for someone who thrives in multi-country complexity, partners credibly with People Business Partners and external providers, and brings discipline and care to every contract, payslip and HRIS record.

Key Responsibilities

Employee Lifecycle Management (DE, AT, BG, PL, HU, RO, CZ, NL)

Manage day-to-day employee lifecycle activities across Germany and Eastern European countries, including onboarding, contract changes, leave administration, and offboarding
Draft and review local-language and English employment contracts, contract amendments and supplementary agreements, partnering with external legal/tax providers where applicable
Maintain accurate employee records and HRIS data, ensuring a high standard of data integrity and employee experience
Support employees and managers with HR-related inquiries, policies, documentation, and operational processes

Payroll & Vendor Coordination

Partner with external payroll providers to support accurate and timely payroll processing across assigned countries
For Germany and Austria: critically review test payslips, apply the four-eyes principle with the Senior People Operations Specialist, and ensure full accuracy before sign-off, including variable compensation, statutory deductions and benefits-in-kind
Prepare and validate payroll inputs, including new hires, terminations, compensation changes, bonuses, and leave-related updates
Support payroll-related employee inquiries and collaborate closely with Finance and external vendors

Compliance & Reporting

Support compliance with local labor laws, policies, and employment documentation requirements, particularly within Germany
Assist with audits, statutory reporting, and required employee documentation
Help maintain compliant and scalable People Operations processes across the region

HRIS Data & Administration

Maintain accurate employee data and documentation within the HRIS system, ensuring records remain current and audit-ready
Support HRIS transactions and employee lifecycle updates, including hires, job changes, leave management, and terminations
Monitor data quality and resolve discrepancies related to employee records, time-off balances, and payroll inputs
Generate and support reporting requests for People, Finance, and leadership stakeholders as needed

Continuous Improvement

Identify opportunities to improve People Operations processes, workflows, and documentation across the region
Contribute to the development of scalable and efficient operational practices that enhance the employee experience
Support process standardization and knowledge-sharing initiatives across the EU People Operations team

Required Qualifications

2+ years of experience in People / HR Operations, ideally with multi-country EU exposure and a strong focus on Germany
Solid hands-on experience with German labor law, contract drafting and German payroll preparation/verification; familiarity with Austrian payroll and labor law strongly preferred
Working knowledge of at least two of: Polish, Hungarian, Romanian, Czech or Dutch HR/payroll requirements (typically via external providers)
Experience managing external payroll, tax and legal providers (e.g., DATEV, Rödl, Vetax, Crowe, Libraconsult, DEEL) and/or operating an EOR relationship
Proficiency with HRIS platforms; direct experience with HiBob (Bob) is strongly preferred
Strong attention to detail and organizational skills, with the ability to manage many concurrent priorities across countries and time zones without losing accuracy
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills in both English and German (written and verbal); additional EU languages are a plus

Additional Notes

Resumes/CVs should be submitted in English, as it is the primary business language across teams and regions. This is a 12-month fixed-term contract role. The company values diversity and encourages applications from candidates who may not tick every box but are excited about the role and believe they could grow into it.

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Gofractional