Head of People Relations (f/m/d)

De Gruyter Brill; Berlin; Hybrid; EUR 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible home office arrangements

Vacation allowance

Development budget

Training opportunities

Job summary

De Gruyter Brill seeks a Head of People Relations to own the department end to end across the organization. You will lead a team of about seven across multiple countries, partner with the CPCO and senior leaders on organizational design, workforce planning, and succession, and serve as the central contact for works council relations.

You will drive global recruitment strategy, oversee employee life cycles, ensure employment law compliance, and manage budgets for People Relations and recruitment,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business administration, psychology, law or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years HR experience, ideally in an international setting.
• Strong knowledge of recruitment, employment law and employee relations.
• Fluent in English and German; additional languages are an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the global People Relations function across regions.
• Partner with the Chief People & Culture Officer and senior leaders on org design and workforce planning.
• Drive organizational effectiveness, change initiatives and leadership matters.
• Oversee global recruitment strategy and talent pipelines for critical roles.
• Manage employee life cycles including recruiting and case management.
• Ensure compliance with employment law and works council requirements.
• Manage budgets for People Relations and recruitment.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

HR processes

Communication

German language

English language

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business Administration/Psychology/Law

Tools

HR software

Job description

De Gruyter Brill is a global leader in scholarly publishing in the humanities and beyond. Combining a rich heritage dating back to 1683 with a forward-looking mindset, our mission is to publish and curate indispensable research that breaks boundaries, builds new bonds, and shapes a better future. Join our diverse and passionate team of over 600 colleagues around the world – and help us shape the future of scholarly communications.

Berlin | Full-time employee | Oct 1, 2026

As Head of People Relations, you own the People Relations department end to end across De Gruyter Brill. Your team partners with leaders on organizational design, workforce planning and succession and brings in country-specific expertise, language and legal knowledge to employees. You lead a team of around seven colleagues across multiple countries, report directly to the CPCO, and become DGB's central point of contact for works council relations.

• Lead and develop the global People Relations function, ensuring consistent standards, processes, and collaboration across global and regional teams
• Act as a strategic business partner to the Chief People & Culture Officer and senior leaders on organizational design, workforce planning, succession planning, and leadership matters
• Partner with business leaders to drive organizational effectiveness, change initiatives, and people strategies that support business objectives
• Oversee the global recruitment strategy, ensuring an inclusive, high-quality hiring process and building talent pipelines for critical roles
• Taking take of an independent operational division (business unit), including active responsibility for employee life cycles including recruiting
• Serve as the senior escalation point for complex employee relations matters, ensuring fair, consistent, and legally compliant case management across all locations
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation, works council requirements and global HR governance while maintaining standardized employment documentation and policies
• Lead and monitor the People Relations and recruitment budgets, driving operational excellence and cost-effective people solutions

Your profile

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, Law or a related field
• Minimum of 5 years of HR experience, ideally within an international organization
• Solid knowledge of recruitment, employment law, and employee relations, including strong works council collaboration
• Experience with modern HR systems and a strong understanding of HR processes and best practices
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to drive process improvements
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills with strong negotiation abilities and a high level of integrity and discretion
• Fluent in English and German to best lead the global team; additional languages are an advantage

We offer you

• An exciting professional challenge for one of the innovation drivers of the publishing industry
• Family-friendly working time models, flexitime, and flexible home office arrangements to support a healthy work-life balance, alongside a substantial vacation allowance and additional special leave days
• Extensive benefits and allowances for a healthy, balanced life
• Development budget and opportunities for training and personal development
• Passionate colleagues in diverse, international teams; joint team events and company parties

At De Gruyter Brill, we are dedicated to diversity, equal opportunity, and building an inclusive culture where everyone belongs. We believe in individual potential, so please apply even if you don’t meet every requirement—passion and a willingness to learn matter as much as qualifications. We look forward to hearing from you!

De Gruyter Brill is a global leader in scholarly publishing in the humanities and beyond. Combining a rich heritage dating back to 1683 with a forward-looking mindset, our mission is to publish and curate indispensable research that breaks boundaries, builds new bonds, and shapes a better future. Join our diverse and passionate team of over 600 colleagues around the world – and help us shape the future of scholarly communications.For more information, visit degruyterbrill.com.

De Gruyter Brill is a global leader in scholarly publishing in the humanities and beyond. Combining a rich heritage dating back to 1683 with a forward-looking mindset, our mission is to publish and curate indispensable research that breaks boundaries, builds new bonds, and shapes a better future. Join our diverse and passionate team of over 600 colleagues around the world – and help us shape the future of scholarly communications.

Berlin | Full-time employee | Oct 1, 2026

As Head of People Relations, you own the People Relations department end to end across De Gruyter Brill. Your team partners with leaders on organizational design, workforce planning and succession and brings in country-specific expertise, language and legal knowledge to employees. You lead a team of around seven colleagues across multiple countries, report directly to the CPCO, and become DGB's central point of contact for works council relations.

• Lead and develop the global People Relations function, ensuring consistent standards, processes, and collaboration across global and regional teams
• Act as a strategic business partner to the Chief People & Culture Officer and senior leaders on organizational design, workforce planning, succession planning, and leadership matters
• Partner with business leaders to drive organizational effectiveness, change initiatives, and people strategies that support business objectives
• Oversee the global recruitment strategy, ensuring an inclusive, high-quality hiring process and building talent pipelines for critical roles
• Taking take of an independent operational division (business unit), including active responsibility for employee life cycles including recruiting
• Serve as the senior escalation point for complex employee relations matters, ensuring fair, consistent, and legally compliant case management across all locations
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation, works council requirements and global HR governance while maintaining standardized employment documentation and policies
• Lead and monitor the People Relations and recruitment budgets, driving operational excellence and cost-effective people solutions

Your profile

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, Law or a related field
• Minimum of 5 years of HR experience, ideally within an international organization
• Solid knowledge of recruitment, employment law, and employee relations, including strong works council collaboration
• Experience with modern HR systems and a strong understanding of HR processes and best practices
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to drive process improvements
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills with strong negotiation abilities and a high level of integrity and discretion
• Fluent in English and German to best lead the global team; additional languages are an advantage

We offer you

• An exciting professional challenge for one of the innovation drivers of the publishing industry
• Family-friendly working time models, flexitime, and flexible home office arrangements to support a healthy work-life balance, alongside a substantial vacation allowance and additional special leave days
• Extensive benefits and allowances for a healthy, balanced life
• Development budget and opportunities for training and personal development
• Passionate colleagues in diverse, international teams; joint team events and company parties

At De Gruyter Brill, we are dedicated to diversity, equal opportunity, and building an inclusive culture where everyone belongs. We believe in individual potential, so please apply even if you don’t meet every requirement—passion and a willingness to learn matter as much as qualifications. We look forward to hearing from you!