HR Ops Specialist (m/f/d)

Usercentrics is a global leader in data privacy and privacy-led marketing solutions. We believe there is no need for a trade-off between growth and privacy compliance. Our vision is to unlock the potential of data privacy to empower a thriving digital ecosystem. We work with companies to create a healthy balance between data-driven business and privacy-led marketing for every size of enterprise. Our customers build trust with their users through improved transparency and control to drastically improve marketing and monetization, while achieving full privacy compliance.
We're ooking for a detail-driven HR Specialist to join our global HR Operations team, someone who owns payroll and labour-law compliance end to end, keeps our HiBob ecosystem clean and audit-ready, and delivers fast, reliable support across our international hubs (with German or Portugal as main focus)
Your Tasks:

• HRIS & Data Management
• Work as a part of the global HR Operations team, ensuring continued high performance, clean data maintenance and continuous engagement.
• Focused on HR Operations objectives, fast progress and ensure regular deliveries of team objectives including but not restricted to clear messaging and adherence to departmental SLAs.
• Maintain scheduled reports while applying critical thinking to analyze data, benchmark HR processes against market best practices, and deliver actionable insights for management.
• Continuously maintain and optimize our HRIS ecosystem (HiBob, Innform, Lawpilots, and related tools), driving improvements where needed and proactively identifying data gaps before they impact downstream reporting.
• Perform regular audits and updates, ensuring the highest standards of data integrity, accuracy, security, and compliance at all times.
• Provide planned as well as ad-hoc HR data and analytics to support decision-making and provide actionable insights to management.
  
• Payroll & Benefits
• Serve as the primary owner of German or Portugese payroll and related compliance topics, including Czech labour law and social security legislation, ensuring accuracy and timeliness for every payroll cycle.
• Coordinate with Finance on budget, headcount, FTE reporting, and other payroll-related responsibilities — delivering the payroll report by month-end cutoff dates without exception.
• Support the HR Ops Manager and VP HR in coordinating with external payroll, insurance, and government vendors, proactively managing deadlines and flagging compliance risks.

• Compliance & Audits
• Ensure all HR processes comply with local employment and labour law, as well as the relevant legislation in other countries where the team operates.
• Audit existing policies, processes & guidelines and support in implementing change where required, while maintaining alignment with Manager HR Ops/ VP HR.
• Conduct internal HR audits to identify risks and gaps, and own the day-to-day management of Inbox and Zendesk queries — responding within a maximum 3-day turnaround to maintain high service levels.
• Stay ahead of legislative changes across all relevant jurisdictions — proactively monitoring updates and bringing actionable recommendations to the team before changes take effect, not after.

• Local HR Coordination (Germany or Portugal & International)
• Serve as the primary HR point of contact for employees, handling all queries with a maximum 3-day turnaround for certificates, amendments, target letters, L&D approvals, and absence management. Also provide support across other international locations as part of the global HR Ops team.
• Own onboarding and offboarding processes adapting global practices to local legal and cultural requirements.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to participate in design, implementation, reporting and monitoring of various HR initiatives linked to HR Ops.

• Continuous Improvement
• Proactively identify and deliver process improvements, automation opportunities, and best practices across HR Ops — bringing ideas to the table, and assist them through to implementation.
• Assist in key recurring outputs including the Hybrid Working Policy update, People Newsletter, and regular HR metrics and KPI reports for leadership.
• Support in creating and/ or monitoring HR metrics and KPIs, preparing regular reports for Management, Senior Leadership, etc. planned or ad-hoc

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• Experience: 3+ years of experience in HR Operations within a multi-country or global environment, with proven hands-on responsibility for HR Operations and employee lifecycle processes in Germany or Portugal and at least one other international location.
• Technical Skills: Technical knowledge and experience with maintaining and managing HRIS (Personio/ Workday/ SAP/ Peoplesoft/ HiBob, etc), payroll systems and data analytics tools.
• Knowledge: Strong knowledge of German or Portugese law and payroll administration (mandatory), as well as a solid understanding of European employment legislation, HR compliance requirements, and relevant audit frameworks (e.g., TISAX, ISO, SOX).
• Demonstrated ability to lead and contribute to HR projects, drive process improvements, identify operational efficiencies, and support the continuous enhancement of HR systems, policies, and practices.
• Soft Skills: Highly proactive with a strong ownership mindset and a "get-it-done" attitude. Able to anticipate needs, identify potential issues before they arise, and drive tasks to completion with minimal supervision. Excellent communication, analytical, problem-solving, prioritization, and time management skills are essential, along with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, international environment.
• Language: Fluency in English and German or Portugese

• Development budget for every employee
• Job-related language courses (English, German, Czech, Spanish, etc.)
• Hybrid working policy with the option to take a workcation (up to 60 days per year)
• Events: team buildings, happy hours, parties/get-togethers, and occasional company-covered breakfasts or lunches (in-office, across offices, online, and in person)
• Gifts: we celebrate life and work milestones at UC (work anniversaries, new baby arrivals, and similar occasions)
• Snacks, fruit, coffee, and drinks in the office