Head of People Operations and Payroll (D/M/W)

• Lead and develop the People Operations and Payroll team, setting clear priorities, service standards and ways of working that enable consistently high-quality support for employees and the business.
• Own the operational delivery of the employee lifecycle together with your team, including contracts, onboarding, employee data changes, mobility, leave administration and offboarding.
• Hold the team accountable for accurate, timely and compliant monthly payroll delivery, ensuring that employee data and payroll inputs are prepared, validated and submitted on time in close partnership with Payroll and Finance. Chip in by handling 2 countries yourself and maintaining a good relationship with our payroll vendor Deel.
• Establish robust payroll governance, controls and escalation processes, ensuring clear ownership, effective issue resolution and continuous improvement across the payroll cycle.
• Ensure compliance with local employment, payroll and statutory requirements across relevant countries, working closely with Legal, local experts, external providers and EOR partners.
• Define and drive the standardisation and continuous improvement of People Operations and payroll processes, policies, documentation and service delivery across regions.
• Ensure employee records and HR data are accurate, complete and maintained to a high standard, with systems, workflows and documentation that are reliable, secure and audit-ready.
• Lead the effective use and development of People systems, leveraging state-of-the-art technology, automation and data flows to simplify processes, improve controls and scale operations.
• Establish meaningful People Operations and Payroll reporting, translating data into clear insights, risk indicators and practical recommendations for senior leadership.
• Lead and sponsor cross-functional People projects, including systems implementations, process redesign, process standardisation and organisational change.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and the wider business on complex People Operations and payroll matters, providing clear, pragmatic and commercially aware guidance.
• Identify operational risks proactively and ensure that appropriate controls, documentation, escalation routes and follow-up actions are in place and consistently applied.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders, across regions, representing Blacklane with professionalism and accountability.

What success looks like

• Build trusted relationships across People & Culture and key business functions.
• Understand the current People Operations and Payroll teams, landscape, risks, systems and priorities.
• Identify quick wins that improve service quality, process clarity or operational efficiency.
• Identify bottlenecks and make adjustments to avoid single points of failures Within six months
• Establish clear ownership, standards and performance measures for People Operations and Payroll.
• Deliver improvements to priority employee lifecycle processes and reporting.
• Strengthen governance, documentation and collaboration with external providers. Within twelve months
• People Operations is recognised as a trusted, scalable and data-informed business partner.
• Core processes are consistent, efficient and appropriately adapted to local requirements.
• Employees and leaders experience clear, timely and reliable People support.

• Significant experience leading People Operations, HR Operations, Payroll or a similar function within an international organisation.
• Proven experience managing, developing and motivating high-performing teams, with the ability to create clarity, accountability and a strong service culture.
• Strong knowledge of employee lifecycle processes, HR systems, payroll interfaces, employee data and operational governance.
• Experience overseeing payroll operations across multiple countries, with a solid understanding of local employment, payroll, tax, social security and compliance requirements.
• A track record of simplifying, standardising and automating People Operations and payroll processes to improve quality, efficiency and scalability.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to turn People and payroll data into clear insights, risks and practical recommendations.
• Excellent stakeholder-management and communication skills, including the confidence to influence senior leaders and collaborate effectively with Finance, Legal, Technology and external partners.
• A structured, pragmatic and hands-on leadership approach, combined with strong attention to detail and a clear focus on operational excellence.
• The ability to balance global consistency with local requirements, business priorities and the needs of employees and managers.
• The judgement to manage sensitive and complex People Operations and payroll matters with discretion, resilience and sound decision-making.
• Fluency in English; German or other languages are a plus. We offer Our Company Culture & Values

• Monthly BVG / Deutschlandticket subsidy to support your commute
• Private pension plan with 20% employer contribution up to a monthly cap
• Subsidised healthy meals via BellaBona
• 28 vacation days per year, increasing with tenure
• Your Mental and Physical Health No compromise with Nilo and Wellhub
• Hybrid setup: 3 days a week in our Berlin HQ, right in the heart of Schöneberg
• Continuous learning through LinkedIn learning and L&D budget
• Fair pay and benefits tailored to local markets Long-term incentive scheme Mystery Rides: Quarterly Voucher to enjoy personal trips around the world with Blacklane and experience our service from a guest’s perspective.