HR Operations Specialist (EMEA)

Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited

Your new role

We are looking for an experienced EMEA People Operations Specialist to support employees and managers across a number of countries within the EMEA region, with a particular focus on Germany and France. This position sits within the People team and is responsible for delivering a smooth and efficient employee experience across the full employee lifecycle, whilst also supporting regional payroll activity.Working closely with both internal stakeholders and external payroll partners, you will ensure employee data is maintained accurately, processes remain compliant, and payroll is delivered efficiently across multiple countries.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide first-line support to employees and managers on a broad range of HR queries.
• Manage employee lifecycle administration, including onboarding, internal transfers, promotions and offboarding.
• Maintain accurate employee records within HR systems, ensuring data integrity at all times.
• Produce employment documentation, contracts, amendments and associated correspondence.
• Support compliance activities in line with local legislation and internal policies.
• Partner with stakeholders across the business to deliver an efficient and customer-focused HR service.
• Assist with reporting, audits and process improvement initiatives to enhance operational effectiveness.
• Act as a key point of contact for payroll across multiple EMEA countries, coordinating payroll inputs and changes to ensure accurate and timely processing.
• Liaise with external payroll providers, review payroll data, support reconciliations, and resolve employee payroll queries.
• Assist with year-end payroll activities, statutory reporting, audits, and the continuous improvement of payroll processes and controls.

What you’ll need to succeed

• Previous experience within HR Operations, People Services or HR Administration, ideally gained in an international environment.
• Exposure to multi-country payroll administration, ideally across the EMEA region – specifically Germany
• Strong systems experience, with knowledge of HR and payroll platforms such as Workday
• Good understanding of HR practices, employment legislation and compliance requirements.
• Fluent English language skills; additional European languages, particularly German, would be advantageous.

What you’ll get in return

Generous pay and benefits

What you need to do now

If you’re interested in this role, click ‘apply now’ to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.If this job isn’t quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.

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