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. If your application results in an employment relationship, your Applicant Data will be transferred to our personnel records and processed in accordance with applicable legal requirements; otherwise, your Applicant Data will be retained for up to six (6) months after completion of the recruitment process. Read more about our privacy policy here. https://www.blacksemi.com/privacy-policy