HR Manager

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic HR Partnership

• Act as a trusted advisor to plant leadership and management teams.

• Align HR strategies with business objectives, operational priorities, and workforce planning requirements.

• Support organizational design, restructuring, and workforce optimization initiatives.

• Provide coaching and guidance to managers on leadership, employee engagement, and performance management.

• Employee & Labor Relations

• Manage complex employee relations matters, including disciplinary actions, grievances, performance issues, and investigations.

• Ensure compliance with German labour law and internal company policies.

• Develop and maintain constructive relationships with Works Councils (Betriebsrat) and employee representatives.

• Lead consultations and negotiations relating to organizational changes, restructuring, working time arrangements, and policy implementation.

• Coordinate external legal counsel where required.

• Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Lead end-to-end recruitment activities for salaried and production positions.

• Partner with hiring managers to identify workforce requirements and succession needs.

• Develop strategies to attract and retain skilled manufacturing talent.

• Performance & Talent Management

• Drive the annual performance management process.

• Identify talent, succession planning, and development opportunities.

• Support leadership development and employee career progression initiatives.

• Facilitate training programs and organizational capability-building activities.

• Compensation & Benefits

• In liaison with corporate, administer salary review, bonus, and incentive programs.

• Partner with corporate compensation and benefits on market benchmarking and compensation recommendations.

• Ensure internal equity and compliance with applicable regulations.

• Support implementation of pay transparency and equality initiatives.

• HR Operations & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with German employment legislation, social security requirements, and company policies.

• Oversee employee lifecycle processes including hiring, onboarding, transfers, promotions, and separations.

• Maintain accurate HR records and data reporting in HRIS systems.

• Monitor and analyze HR metrics including turnover, absenteeism, productivity, and employee engagement.

Payroll Responsibilities

• Manage and coordinate the end-to-end monthly payroll process for employees in Germany, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with applicable tax, social security, labour, and statutory requirements.

• Act as the primary liaison with external payroll providers, finance teams, and relevant government authorities to ensure payroll is processed correctly and in accordance with legal requirements.

• Review and validate payroll data, including salary changes, bonuses, shift premiums, overtime, allowances, absences, and termination payments.

• Ensure statutory deductions, tax withholdings, social insurance contributions, and employee benefits are accurately calculated and administered.

• Support payroll audits and maintain payroll records, documentation, and reporting in compliance with company policies and data privacy requirements, including GDPR.

• Manage payroll-related employee inquiries and provide clear guidance on pay, deductions, benefits, and statutory entitlements.

• Monitor legislative and regulatory changes impacting payroll and recommend process updates to ensure ongoing compliance.

• Partner with Finance to support payroll reconciliations, accruals, budgeting, and workforce reporting requirements.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance payroll accuracy, efficiency, controls, and employee experience.

• Ensure confidentiality and security of employee compensation and personal data at all times. Change Management

• Support business transformation and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Lead HR aspects of reorganizations, and site changes when required.

• Develop communication and employee engagement plans during periods of change. Health, Safety & Wellbeing

• Partner with EHS and operational leaders to promote a safe working environment.

• Support employee wellbeing initiatives and occupational health programs.

• Participate in return-to-work, accommodation, and absence management processes.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Law, Psychology, or related field.
• Master's degree or HR certification preferred.

Experience

• 7-10 years of progressive Human Resources experience.

• Minimum 3 years in a manufacturing, industrial, aerospace, automotive, chemicals, or engineering environment.

• Demonstrated experience working with German Works Councils.

• Experience managing employee relations and labor law matters in Germany.

• Experience supporting organizational change and restructuring programs.

• Knowledge & Technical Skills

• Strong knowledge of German employment law and industrial relations.

• Understanding of collective bargaining agreements and co-determination requirements.

• Experience with HRIS systems.

• Knowledge of compensation and benefits practices.

• Strong project management and organizational skills.

• Leadership Competencies

• Business acumen.

• Strong influencing and negotiation skills.

• Excellent stakeholder management capabilities.

• High level of integrity and professionalism.

• Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information.

• Results-oriented with strong problem-solving skills.

• Language Requirements

• Fluent German and English required.

• Additional European languages are advantageous.

• Key Success Measures

• Employee engagement and retention levels.

• Effective management of employee relations issues.

• Successful Works Council collaboration and negotiations.

• Recruitment and time-to-fill metrics.

• Compliance with labour legislation and company policies.

• Leadership capability development.

• Achievement of diversity, talent, and succession objectives.

• Working Environment

• Manufacturing and office-based environment.

• Regular presence on the production floor.

• Occasional domestic and international travel.

• Ability to work effectively with both hourly and salaried employee populations.