People and Culture Manager (M/W/D) - Berlin

Whitecliffe University of Applied Sciences; Berlin; Vor Ort; EUR 70.000 - 110.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Whitecliffe University of Applied Sciences in Berlin seeks a People & Culture Manager to drive fair, compliant HR practices, from policy drafting to recruitment and onboarding, aligning with German law. You'll partner with senior leaders and the Betriebsrat to shape a trusted employee experience.

You will build structure, improve processes, and maintain precise documentation while guiding payroll coordination and end-to-end people operations in a fast‑moving educational environment, rooted

Qualifikationen

• Proven experience in German employment law (KSchG, BetrVG, ArbZG, GDPR/BDSG).
• End-to-end recruitment experience across Berlin/Germany.
• Strong payroll coordination skills with external providers or in-house Finance.
• Excellent documentation of contracts, policies, and HR communications.
• Proven ability to collaborate with employee representatives (Betriebsrat).

Aufgaben

• Draft, implement, and maintain employment policies compliant with German law.
• Lead end-to-end recruitment and onboarding processes in Berlin.
• Partner with senior leaders and Betriebsrat to shape people strategies.
• Coordinate payroll with external providers or Finance.
• Maintain high-quality HR documentation and records.

Kenntnisse

German employment law

End-to-end recruitment

Payroll coordination

German language (C1)

English language

Documentation

Stakeholder management

Ausbildung

HR/Business Administration/Law degree or qualification

Tools

Personio

BambooHR

Jobbeschreibung

About the Role

We're looking for a talented People & Culture Manager to join our team in Berlin — someone with the desire and competence to implement quality People & Culture practices, underpinned by fairness, respect, and trust while shaping how we attract, develop, and retain exceptional people, all within full compliance with German employment law. This is a hands‑on, influential role embedded in the heart of our Berlin operations. You'll develop the role and relationships to be a trusted advisor to senior leaders, a steward of our culture, and a facilitator of good people experience's. Central to this role is building a genuine, constructive partnership with our Betriebsrat. From drafting fair and compliant employment policies to organising end-to-end recruitment and onboarding experiences that genuinely set people up for success — this role spans the full HR lifecycle.

About You

You’re a capable HR professional who brings knowledge, curiosity, conscientiousness, and warmth to your work. You understand that great people operations are built on fairness, rigour, and relationships — and you’re equally comfortable navigating a complex legal framework, engaging thoughtfully with employee representatives, and having a difficult conversation with care and confidence. You believe good culture doesn’t happen by accident — it’s built deliberately, through consistent, fair practices and genuine respect for people’s voice in the workplace. You thrive in environments where you can build structure, improve processes, and make a visible, positive difference to people’s working lives. You’re calm under pressure, trusted by the people you work with, and known for the quality of your communication and documentation.

Skills, Experience & Attributes Essential

• Progressive HR / People & Culture experience within a German-based organisation (professional services, education, law, or similar)
• Demonstrable expertise in German employment law — KSchG, BetrVG, ArbZG, GDPR/BDSG
• The experience or capability to work constructively with a Betriebsrat or comparable employee representative body, including consultation, negotiation, and co-determination processes
• Confident managing payroll coordination with external providers or in-house Finance
• Fluent in German (C1 minimum) and highly proficient in English — written and spoken
• Strong documentation skills across contracts, policies, role descriptions, and HR correspondence
• End-to-end recruitment experience with a good knowledge of the Berlin and German talent market.

Desirable

• Familiarity with HR systems such as Personio or BambooHR
• Exposure to organisational design, change management, or workforce planning
• Degree or professional qualification in HR, Business Administration, Law, or equivalent (e.g. Personalfachkaufmann/-frau, CIPD)
• Experience supporting performance, engagement, and professional development frameworks with a strong emphasis on fairness and consistency
• Experience building or strengthening a positive, values-led workplace culture

Attributes We Value

• A genuine commitment to fairness, equity, and doing right by people
• Organised, dependable, and calm under pressure
• Empathetic — but equally pragmatic when it counts
• A natural builder of structure, process, and good HR practice
• Skilled at building trust and productive working relationships with employee representatives
• Proactive and self-directed
• Trusted for your communication and the quality of your work

Diversity is important to us: we welcome applications from people regardless of their ethnic, national, or social background, gender, disability, age, and sexual identity. We're committed to fair, unbiased processes at every stage — from hiring through to how we develop and support people once they've joined.

Why Join Us?

This is a rare opportunity to step into a pivotal people role at an organisation that genuinely values its culture and treats fairness as a first principle, not an afterthought. You’ll work in close, constructive partnership with our works council, have real scope to shape the employee experience, build something meaningful, and grow alongside a team that cares about doing things — and treating people — well.