People Operations Partner (m/f/d)

People Operations Partner (m/f/d)

Join us at Appinio, Europe’s fastest growing market research company. We combine an AI‑powered insights platform with expert consultancy to help companies understand how consumers think and make smarter decisions.

Founded in Hamburg in 2014, Appinio now operates across 13 countries with 260+ employees and 2,600+ international clients, delivering research from over 190 markets. We are remote‑first and growing fast.

Your mission as a People Operations Partner

We are looking for an experienced and passionate People Operations Partner to join our People Team and create unique employee journeys that reflect our culture while enabling international growth. You will be the key driver to ensure employees experience a hassle‑free day‑to‑day life, turning typical "HR services" into premium experiences, challenging the status quo and prioritising real talent issues. You will set global foundations, create processes and frameworks that our customers love, and take ownership from day one, having a tangible impact on the business.

A few words about the team

Our People Team operates with a product mindset. We value transparency, collaboration and true partnership with stakeholders. Rather than ticking off tasks lists, we focus on understanding needs, driving adoption and delivering meaningful outcomes, always aiming to improve the people experience at Appinio.

What you’ll be doing

• Own and drive the full employee experience across Europe—from contract management and onboarding to offboarding and day‑to‑day requests, delivering an outstanding experience.
• Manage payroll processes in Germany and Austria in close collaboration with external tax offices.
• Partner with our EOR provider (Remote) to ensure smooth onboarding, compliant contracts and accurate processes across countries.
• Support audits and ensure accurate, compliant employee data within our HRIS.
• Identify opportunities to automate, streamline and simplify processes, including the use of AI tools.
• Take ownership of broader People Operations topics such as policy updates, tool rollouts and process documentation.
• Work closely with IT, Finance and Legal to ensure seamless cross‑functional processes, compliance and a smooth employee lifecycle.
• If you are based in Hamburg, support office‑related topics.

You will thrive in this role if

• You hold a degree in Business Administration, Economics, HR Management or related fields.
• You bring 3+ years of experience in a People Operations or HR role within a fast‑paced, international environment.
• You are proficient in German & English (additional language skills are a plus).
• You have experience with HRIS systems (ideally Personio or HiBob) for managing employee data and HR processes.
• You have strong expertise and passionate for operational people work while challenging traditional admin approaches.
• You have hands‑on payroll experience in Germany (experience in Austria, France, Spain or the UK is a plus).
• You have experience working with ticketing systems, managing SLAs and handling employee requests in a structured, people‑oriented way.
• You live ownership: proactively identify improvement areas and explore scalable, smart solutions.
• You combine empathy with excellent organisational skills and a pragmatic, solution‑oriented mindset.
• You communicate clearly and confidently, and enjoy making processes more efficient and impactful.

What’s in it for you

• Flexibility policy: No hard cap on vacation days.
• Temporary work from abroad: If based in the EU, work outside your country for up to 180 days per year.
• All hardware needed, including your own MacBook.
• If located in Hamburg or Berlin, receive a Deutschland ticket or a mobility budget with NAVIT for office commute.
• If located in Germany or Spain, access to a subsidised Urban Sports Club membership.
• If located in one of our main cities—Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, London, Madrid, Barcelona or New York—you can use our co‑working spaces.

Kind reminder: Please ensure that your application is submitted in English.

Appinio is an equal‑opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

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