Senior Local People Partner (All Genders)

zooplus SE; München; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

20 days abroad

Wellbeing offers

Subsidised transport

Bike leasing

20% product discount

Job summary

Zooplus SE in Munich is seeking a Senior Local People Partner for Germany to act as the People & Culture expert for the country, advising leaders and managing complex employee relations in line with German law.

You will partner with Legal, People Services and external advisors to drive compliant, practical guidance, support organisational change, and shape a positive employee experience across zooplus' German operations.

Qualifications

• University degree in Human Resources, Law, Business Administration, Psychology or a comparable field.
• Proven experience in HR, People Partnering, Employee Relations or a similar local People & Culture role in Germany.
• Strong knowledge of German employment law, employee relations, works council collaboration and HR compliance.
• Hands-on experience with complex people processes in Germany (disciplinary & performance cases, grievances, restructuring, exits, etc.).
• Ability to translate legal, policy and regulatory requirements into practical guidance.
• Strong stakeholder management with senior leaders, managers, HR partners and external advisors.
• Fluent German and English.

Responsibilities

• Be the local People & Culture expert for Germany with trusted guidance to leaders, managers and employees.
• Lead complex employee relations cases, including disciplinary processes and exits.
• Advise on German employment law and HR compliance, translating law into practical guidance.
• Partner with Legal, People Services and external advisors to assess risks and craft compliant solutions.
• Support consultation and negotiation processes and ensure local changes meet co-determination requirements.
• Coach managers on country-specific requirements, handling sensitive matters with discretion.
• Shape the local employee experience with initiatives to improve engagement and ways of working.
• Assist onboarding and offboarding in collaboration with hiring managers and People & Culture teams.
• Identify recurring themes and provide insights to senior partners for people decisions.
• Ensure strong local people practices, including contracts, rights and workplace safety.

Skills

German employment law

Employee relations

Works council

Stakeholder management

Policy interpretation

Communication

Bilingual (German & English)

Education

HR / Law / Business degree

Job description

Company Description

With over 25 years' experience, plus the same enormous passion and ambition we had on day-one, we're trailblazers in the pet e-commerce industry. Our solutions make over 12 million customers genuinely happier - and that's something we really care about. We work together to continually adapt; embracing change and the challenges it brings so that we can keep doing better. Join us and discover a place where your potential meets your passion for pets. That's the power of plus.

Job Description

As a Senior Local People Partner for Germany, you will be the go-to People & Culture expert for Germany, playing a key role in shaping how we support our employees and leaders across the country.

You will own complex and sensitive people matters, combining your expertise in German employment law, employee relations and works council practices with a pragmatic, business-focused approach. Working closely with leaders, People Business Partners, Legal, People Services and external advisors, you will help the business navigate change, manage risk and create a positive employee experience.

This is a role with real influence: you will advise and challenge stakeholders, lead complex cases, and help shape how our people practices work in Germany.

Your responsibilities:

• Be the local People & Culture expert for Germany, providing trusted advice to leaders, managers and employees on Germany-specific people matters.
• Lead complex employee relations cases, including disciplinary processes, performance matters, grievances, exits and other sensitive employee situations, ensuring they are handled appropriately and in line with German employment law.
• Advise on German employment law and HR compliance, keeping up to date with relevant legislative developments and translating them into clear, practical guidance for managers and People Business Partners.
• Partner with Legal, People Services and external advisors to assess people-related risks and develop practical, compliant solutions.
• Supporting consultation, information and negotiation processes and ensuring local changes are managed in line with applicable co-determination requirements.
• Support organisational change and restructuring, including employee transfers and other complex people initiatives, providing practical guidance and risk assessment throughout the process.
• Coach and challenge managers on country-specific requirements, helping them navigate sensitive people situations with confidence and consistency.
• Partner on the local employee experience, working with office teams, people leaders and People Business Partners on initiatives that improve engagement, satisfaction and ways of working.
• Support a smooth onboarding and offboarding experience in partnership with hiring managers and relevant People & Culture teams.
• Lead or coordinate exit interviews, identifying themes and insights and sharing these with relevant stakeholders to inform people decisions.
• Identify recurring people themes, risks and opportunities, providing insights and recommendations to Senior Lead People Business Partners and Senior People Business Partners.
• Ensure strong local people practices, including employment contracts, employee rights, workplace safety, documentation and implementation of local policies.

Qualifications

• A university degree in Human Resources, Law, Business Administration, Psychology or a comparable field.
• Proven experience in HR, People Partnering, Employee Relations or a similar local People & Culture role in Germany.
• Strong knowledge of German employment law, employee relations, works council collaboration and HR compliance.
• Hands-on experience managing complex people processes in Germany, such as disciplinary and performance cases, grievances, restructuring, consultation, exits or organisational change.
• The ability to translate legal, policy and regulatory requirements into clear, practical and business-focused guidance.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the confidence to work with senior leaders, managers, People Business Partners, Legal, People Services, external advisors and works councils.
• A confident and pragmatic communication style, with the ability to advise, challenge and influence stakeholders professionally.
• A structured, reliable and detail-oriented approach, with the ability to prioritise effectively and handle sensitive matters with discretion.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to balance business needs, employee experience and legal compliance.
• Fluent German and English, with the confidence to communicate effectively with employees, managers, senior stakeholders and works councils in both languages.

Additional Information

Headquartered in Munich, with offices across Madrid, Krakow, Wroclaw, London and Vienna, we collaborate because we genuinely love working together - so you'll be at the heart of an incredible, multinational team. We trust each other to get the job done, which means you'll benefit from hybrid working, spending 60% of your time in the office and 40% at home. There's an option to work for 20 days abroad in approved countries too.

Add to that development opportunities that help you to shape your own career path, excellent training and support, wellbeing offers, subsidised transport or bike leasing, plus 20% discount across all our products, and you'll begin to get a sense of what sets us apart. Find out more about the specific benefits at your local office in our blog posts.

A note on compensation: We believe in being transparent about salary ranges. The range shown reflects the full scope that the role can grow into over time, depending on experience, skills, and impact. Most offers are positioned around the midpoint of the range, ensuring a fair and consistent approach across our teams.

At zooplus, we believe in equal opportunity and support everyone to fulfil their potential. We recognise the power of listening and learning from each other and embrace diversity and inclusion of all.

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