HR Advisor - Employee Relations & HR Operations

Zeemanvacatures; Barcelona; Hybrid; EUR 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Zeeman is seeking an HR Advisor to own the northern region of Spain from our Barcelona base. You will work with Sales Leaders and Regional Managers, handling day-to-day people matters while ensuring compliance with Spanish labour legislation and country-specific agreements.

You will partner with the payroll and HR admin teams, support recruitment, and contribute to broader HR projects across Europe. This hybrid role requires travel within Spain and a proactive, ownership-driven mindset.

Qualifications

• 2–3 years of relevant HR experience, preferably as HR Advisor/Generalist.
• Experience working with employee representatives or unions.
• Knowledge of Spanish employment legislation and collective bargaining; Catalunya specifics valuable.
• Higher education in HR, Labour Relations, Law, Psychology, Business Administration or related field.
• Master’s degree in HR or Labour relations highly valued.
• Native or proficient Spanish and advanced English.
• Strong written communication and professional HR documentation.
• Good judgement and practical, legally sound advice.
• Hands-on, curious, ownership, know when to escalate.
• Structured and precise, able to manage several cases and priorities.

Responsibilities

• Act as HR point of contact for Sales Leaders and Regional Managers.
• Advise on employee relations, performance, absence, discipline.
• Manage employee cases with Spain labour law and applicable collective agreements.
• Manage labour relations with employee representatives, works councils and unions.
• Prepare disciplinary and contractual change documentation and related matters.
• Support conciliation and working-time requests, absences and leave.
• Monitor changes in labour legislation and Catalunya-specific agreements and translate into actions.
• Collaborate with payroll to ensure correct changes and documentation.
• Support recruitment and onboarding as needed and advise on fair hiring practices.
• Analyze HR data like absence and turnover and identify action areas.
• Contribute to HR projects across equality, engagement, wellbeing, learning and development.
• Travel within your region as required.

Skills

Employee relations

Spanish employment law

Communication

Stakeholder management

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/related field

Master's degree in HR/People management/Labour relations

Job description

Your role as an HR Advisor

Working in HR at Zeeman means operating close to the business and close to the people.

Zeeman is a Dutch family business with around 1,350 stores across eight countries. In Spain, our HR team supports a geographically dispersed retail organisation where labour legislation, collective agreements and employee relations are part of the day-to-day work.

We are looking for an HR Advisor to take full HR responsibility for the northern region of Spain, working closely with Sales Leaders and Regional Managers, acting as their first HR point of contact.

This is a role for someone who already has a solid HR foundation and wants to grow into a broader advisory position. You will deal with real employee relations cases, support managers in making people decisions, work with employee representatives and unions, and help translate legislation and company policies into practical solutions for our stores.

You will be part of a small HR team based in Barcelona, working closely with our international HR colleagues in the Netherlands.

What you will do

• Act as the HR point of contact supporting Sales Leaders and Regional Manager with day-to-day people matters.
• Advise managers on employee relations, performance, absence, disciplinary matters, working conditions and other HR-related issues.
• Manage and follow up on individual employee cases, ensuring decisions are consistent, properly documented and aligned with Spanish labour legislation and applicable collective agreements.
• Manage labour relations matters, including communication and meetings with employee representatives, works councils and trade unions.
• Prepare documentation related to disciplinary processes, hearings, contractual changes, employee requests and other employment matters.
• Support and advise on conciliation and working-time requests, absences, leave and other employee rights.
• Monitor developments in labour legislation and collective agreements, with particular attention to Catalunya and the regions within your responsibility, and help translate them into practical HR actions.
• Work closely with payroll and HR administration to ensure employee changes and documentation are processed correctly.
• Support recruitment and onboarding where required and advise managers on fair and consistent selection practices.
• Analyse HR data such as absence, turnover and employee relations trends and identify areas requiring action.
• Contribute to HR projects including equality, engagement, wellbeing, learning and development, internal communication and HR process improvement.
• Participate in broader Spain and international HR projects, working with colleagues across Zeeman’s European organisation.
• Travel within your region when required to support managers, stores and employee relations processes.

What we are looking for

• 2–3 years of relevant HR experience, preferably in an HR Advisor, HR Generalist, Employee Relations or similar role.
• Previous experience working with employee representatives, works councils and/or trade unions.
• Good practical knowledge of Spanish employment legislation and collective bargaining agreements. Knowledge of labour legislation and collective agreements applicable in Catalunya is particularly valuable.
• Higher education in Human Resources, Labour Relations, Law, Psychology, Business Administration or a related field.
• A Master’s degree in Human Resources, People Management, Labour Relations or a related area is highly valued.
• Native or fully proficient Spanish and advanced English. Both languages are used regularly in the role.
• Strong written communication skills and the ability to prepare clear, accurate and professional HR documentation.
• Good judgement. You will often need to assess situations where there is not a standard answer and identify a practical and legally sound approach.
• Confidence working with managers and challenging or advising them when necessary.
• Discretion and professionalism when handling confidential employee information.
• A structured and precise way of working, with the ability to manage several cases and priorities simultaneously.
• Someone who is hands-on, curious and comfortable taking ownership, while knowing when a case needs to be escalated.

What you get

• A role with genuine responsibility for your own region and direct exposure to a wide range of HR and employee relations matters.
• Close collaboration within HR, with room to develop your judgement and experience in complex HR cases.
• Exposure to HR in an international organisation operating across eight European countries.
• The opportunity to work on both operational HR and broader projects including labour relations, equality, learning, engagement and organisational development.
• Collaboration with Zeeman’s international HR team and colleagues at our head office in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands.
• A high level of autonomy within a small HR team where your contribution is visible and directly connected to the business.

Practical

• Based in Barcelona, with responsibility for the northern region of Spain.
• Hybrid way of working, combining remote work, and visits to stores/regions when required.
• Full-time position.
• Availability to travel within Spain as required.
• Start date: to be agreed.
• Salary and employment conditions: between €2,173 and €2,700 gross per month.