People Operations Specialist

Posted Yesterday
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Berlin, DEU
Hybrid
Mid level
Fintech • Information Technology • Payments • Productivity • Software • Travel • Automation
Travel & expense made easy.
The Role
Provide first-line People support for EMEA (German market), managing lifecycle documentation, Workday data integrity, and ticket triage. Ensure operational compliance, execute approval chains, interface with Payroll/Legal/IT, and improve processes and knowledge bases. Serve as operational gatekeeper to free Generalists and PBPs for strategic work.
Summary Generated by Built In

The People Operations Specialist, EMEA delivers high-quality, consistent People support and operational governance across multiple countries within the EMEA region - focused on the German Market. This role acts as the central gatekeeper for the employee lifecycle, ensuring absolute data accuracy, rigorous documentation standards, and strict operational compliance.

The role focuses on efficient query management, comprehensive lifecycle documentation, and seamless cross-functional workflows. Working in close collaboration with the People Success Team. The Specialist acts as the dedicated operational shield, managing technical workflows so that Generalists and PSBPs can remain focused on strategic initiatives. The Specialist owns the maintenance of regional document templates, ensures proper approval chains are executed, and serves as the primary operational point of contact for critical stakeholders such as Payroll, Legal, Security, and IT.

This role adheres to established policies and processes and supports their consistent application, the Specialist actively ensures internal processes and compliance guardrails are strictly met.

Note on Contract Type: This is a temporary position on an initial 6-month contract. However, for the right candidate, there is a strong possibility for this role to be reviewed and transitioned into a permanent position based on performance and evolving business needs.


What You'll Do

  • First-Line Employee Support: Act as the primary, solutions-focused point of contact for all EMEA People queries via Jira; triage and escalate complex issues to People Generalists or PBPs seamlessly.
  • Lifecycle Administration: Draft, issue, and track all regional employee lifecycle documentation (contracts, addenda, reference letters, terminations) with 100% accuracy and strict audit readiness.
  • Data & Systems Management: Own the end-to-end data integrity in Workday across the full employee lifecycle (onboarding, job changes, offboarding) and manage contingent worker administration and background checks.
  • Operational Compliance & Governance: Enforce strict guardrails across HR workflows, ensuring all necessary cross-functional stakeholder approvals (Finance, Comp, Legal) are systematically secured before processing system changes.
  • Cross-Functional Interface: Act as the primary operational pipeline to Payroll, IT, Legal, and Security, shielding Generalists and PBPs from routine administrative ticket-handling.
  • Continuous Improvement: Identify recurring query trends or data gaps to optimize internal knowledge bases, updating policies and processes to elevate the overall employee experience.

What we’re looking for

  • Experience: 3–5 years of experience in HR Operations, People Coordination, or a similar shared-services role, ideally within a fast-paced, high-growth tech or multinational environment.
  • Languages: Full professional fluency in both English and German (written and spoken) is required to effectively support our diverse regional workforce and external local authorities.
  • Local Expertise: A strong, foundational understanding of German labor law and regional HR compliance compliance standards.
  • Education & Background: A Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; equivalent practical experience with a strong track record in regional HR administration will also be highly valued.
  • Systems Savvy: Proven experience working with HRIS platforms (Workday proficiency is highly preferred) and ticketing systems (e.g., Jira) to manage workflows and maintain data integrity.
  • Compliance & Accuracy: A compliance-driven mindset with a sharp attention to detail, a commitment to procedural governance, and a track record of delivering 100% accurate documentation.
  • Customer-First Approach: Exceptional communication skills with a personalized, solutions-oriented approach to supporting employees.
  • Execution & Ownership: A reliable self-starter who exercises strong judgment—knowing when to act independently to resolve routine queries and when to escalate complex issues.

Skills Required

  • 3-5 years experience in HR Operations, People Coordination, or shared-services HR roles
  • Full professional fluency in English and German (written and spoken)
  • Strong foundational understanding of German labor law and regional HR compliance
  • Experience with HRIS platforms and maintaining data integrity across employee lifecycle
  • Experience with ticketing systems (e.g., Jira) to manage workflows
  • Workday proficiency
  • Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field, or equivalent practical experience
  • Compliance-driven mindset, strong attention to detail, and strict documentation accuracy

What the Team is Saying

Brian Guimond
Adamas Victória Cavalcante Robitz
Bastian Martino
Charlotte Delafosse
Daniella Schuh
Alice Rao-Wyckoff
Mily O Loughlin
Anna
Roshni
Henry Statfeld
Jose Soares

Navan Compensation & Benefits Highlights

  • Healthcare Strength The package includes medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, along with mental health resources such as Headspace. Additional protections like disability and life insurance and options like FSA are described.
  • Parental & Family Support Paid parental leave is specified as 16 weeks for the birthing parent and 10 weeks for the non‑birthing parent, with family medical leave also available. Supportive amenities such as an onsite Mother’s Room and company‑sponsored family events are included.
  • Leave & Time Off Breadth Flexible/unlimited vacation and generous PTO structures are highlighted, alongside paid holidays and sick time. Bereavement leave is also offered across many locations.

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The Company
HQ: Palo Alto, CA
3,300 Employees
Year Founded: 2015

What We Do

Navan (Nasdaq: NAVN) is the leading all-in-one business travel, payments, and expense management platform that makes travel easy for frequent travelers. From finding flights and hotels to automating expense reconciliation, with 24/7 support along the way, Navan delivers an intuitive experience travelers love and finance teams rely on. See how Navan customers benefit and learn more at navan.com.

Why Work With Us

At Navan, we’re never satisfied with the status quo, and we know breakthrough ideas come from diverse perspectives. We are committed to cultivating a workplace that reflects the diversity of the customers we serve while fostering leadership and innovation.

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Navan Offices

Hybrid Workspace

Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.

In-person connections is the foundation of Navan, the connections forged through face-to-face interactions improve company culture and what we can achieve together. We operate on a hybrid working model, which we define as four days a week in-office.

Typical time on-site: 4 days a week
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