HR Assistant

About Our Client

Our client is a family-run Japanese company with over 200 years of history and two key business divisions: food for human consumption and pet food. In Japan, our client is the No.1 pet food brand, known for its wide product portfolio and innovative, industry-defining product "Churu" . After significant domestic growth, the company continues to expand internationally with the mission to bring joy to pets and their owners worldwide.

They are now seeking a detail-oriented, reliable, and hands-on HR Assistant to support growing European operations.

About the Role

The HR Assistant will play a key supporting role in day-to-day HR operations for the European team. Working closely with the HR Manager, this position will be responsible for administrative HR processes, employee communication, and coordination with external partners such as the payroll provider.

This is a fully onsite role based in Düsseldorf and is ideal for someone who is structured, dependable, and capable of managing tasks independently.

Key Responsibilities

HR Operations & Administration

• Serve as the first point of contact for employees across Europe regarding HR-related queries (holidays, sick leave, policies, contracts, certificates).
• Manage HR documentation, including employment contracts, amendments, onboarding/offboarding documents, and personnel files.
• Maintain HRIS and internal databases, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality of all employee data.

Payroll & Time Management

• Coordinate monthly payroll with the external payroll provider.
• Collect, verify, and submit all necessary data (absences, benefits, overtime, changes in employment status).
• Track and manage annual leave, vacation requests, sick leaves, and other absences.

Employee Support & Communication

• Assist the HR Manager with internal communication and HR initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with German labor law and internal company policies.
• Prepare onboarding documentation and ensure smooth integration for new hires.

Requirements

Experience & Skills

• 2–5 years of experience in an HR support position.
• Professional background from larger or midsize organizations, ideally with established HR processes.
• Strong knowledge of German labor law, HR administration, and employment contracts.
• Proven experience handling German payroll coordination (with external providers is a plus).
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills; ability to support employees at different levels.
• High attention to detail, strong sense of responsibility, and ability to work independently.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills.

Language & Location

• German: native// English: good working proficiency.
• Being able to work 100% onsite in Düsseldorf.