International Human Resources Manager
People & HR
Berlin, Germany
We're looking for an International HR Manager based in Berlin to join our growing global HR team on a full-time basis.
This is a senior generalist role with real breadth and genuine ownership. You'll be Rise's dedicated HR leader for the EMEA and APAC regions — serving as Rise's named Verantwortlicher and owning our AÜG (Arbeitnehmerüberlassungsgesetz) licence compliance as a primary responsibility — while leading a wide range of HR activities across our regional footprint and acting as the go-to HR subject matter expert for clients, internal stakeholders, and the broader people team.
Key Responsibilities
AÜG Licence & German HR Compliance
- Serve as Rise's named Verantwortlicher — Rise's legally designated responsible person for all staffing and workforce deployment operations in Germany
- Own Rise's AÜG licence compliance end-to-end
- Maintain all required documentation including assignment agreements, equal pay assessments, maximum assignment duration tracking, and mandatory disclosures
- Monitor AÜG regulatory developments and ensure Rise's processes remain fully compliant
- Manage German-language authority communications and compliance filings
- Lead audit preparation including documentation review, records organisation, and authority liaison
- Work closely with Rise's legal team and external counsel to ensure AÜG documentation is watertight and audit-ready
- Maintain an AÜG compliance tracker and flag risks or issues promptly
Regional HR Leadership
- Lead HR operations across the EMEA and APAC regions, acting as the senior HR point of contact for employees, managers, and clients
- Manage both internal Rise employees and external contractor and client employee populations across the regional remit
- Build and own scalable HR frameworks, policies, and processes suited to a fast-growing, internationally distributed EoR business
- Partner with the Head of Global Payroll & HR and the wider people team to ensure consistency and compliance across all regions
- Contribute to the development of Rise's global people strategy as the HR function grows
- Identify gaps in HR coverage across new and existing markets and develop solutions proactively
Broader Compliance & Licence Management
- Maintain a compliance tracker covering employment licences, labour hire registrations, and regulatory obligations across EMEA and APAC
- Manage licence renewals, applications, and documentation across all active jurisdictions
- Liaise with employment authorities and regulatory bodies across the regional remit
- Ensure HR compliance records are audit-ready at all times
- Identify and flag compliance gaps or legislative changes before they become problems
Employee Relations
- Own ER cases end-to-end across the regional remit — grievances, disciplinaries, PIPs, and investigations — covering both employed and contractor populations
- Conduct investigations, chair or support hearings, produce outcome letters in English and German, and manage appeals
- Advise on Kündigungsschutz, notice periods, and statutory entitlements under German employment law
- Manage Betriebsrat interactions and works council consultation processes where applicable
- Coach managers and clients through ER processes with clear guidance and procedural compliance
Right to Work & Global Mobility
- Own right to work checks across the regional remit — ensuring valid documentation before and throughout employment
- Maintain a right to work tracker with expiry dates and renewal management
- Support visa tracking, work permit applications, A1 certificate management, and posted worker notifications
- Maintain a global mobility tracker covering active assignments and compliance obligations
- Liaise with immigration authorities and external advisors to keep everything compliant
Global Benefits Management
- Lead the management and evolution of Rise's EMEA and APAC benefits offering across both employee and contractor populations
- Work with brokers, insurers, and providers to benchmark, review, and improve schemes across jurisdictions
- Manage enrolment, changes, and leaver processing across the regional remit
- Ensure statutory benefits compliance including German mandatory benefits and local obligations
- Feed into the annual renewal process and benefits strategy discussions
HRIS, Time & Attendance
- Act as the HR voice in product and tech conversations about HRIS upgrades, new features, and platform improvements
- Contribute to system testing, implementation, and user acceptance activity
- Maintain data accuracy and manage time and attendance including timesheets, absence tracking, and exception handling
- Ensure compliance with the Arbeitszeitgesetz and working time obligations across all jurisdictions
- Maintain GDPR and German BDSG compliance across all HR and time and attendance data
Client, Sales & Partnerships
- Work alongside account managers and client contacts to deliver best-in-class HR service across the regional remit
- Act as a German HR subject matter expert for client-facing queries and escalations
- Collaborate with the sales and partnerships team on HR and employment law readiness for new market launches, whilst conducting thorough research on new and existing countries
Legal Team Partnership
- Partner closely with Rise's legal team and external counsel on AÜG documentation, EMEA ER matters, contract reviews, and compliance
- Manage legal sign-off processes cleanly and know when escalation is needed
People Development & Learning
- Identify L&D needs across the EMEA and APAC population and coordinate training delivery
- Support manager capability building around German employment law, AÜG, ER, and people management
- Contribute to Rise's broader L&D framework as the HR function grows
- Support hiring managers with job descriptions, interview processes, offer letters, and compliant onboarding
What You Bring
Essential
- 6+ years' HR experience with strong exposure to German employment law, HR compliance, and multi-country HR operations
- Experience managing both internal employee and external contractor populations across multiple jurisdictions
- Personalfachkaufmann/-frau (IHK) qualified or equivalent German HR qualification — must have
- Bilingual in German and English — both to a professional written and spoken standard — must have
- Based in Berlin, Germany — must have
- Eligibility and commitment to serve as Rise's named Verantwortlicher under the AÜG — a core requirement of this role, including a clean criminal record (Führungszeugnis)
- Direct exposure to AÜG compliance requirements, documentation obligations, and audit processes
- Experience managing German HR documentation, compliance filings, and authority communications in German
- Experience managing employee relations matters in line with German employment law
- Comfortable operating independently and with seniority in a remote, internationally distributed team
- Strong commercial awareness and ability to partner with client-facing teams
Strongly Preferred
- Direct experience managing AÜG licence compliance, documentation, or audit preparation
- Experience working in an EoR, PEO, staffing, or professional services environment
- Exposure to broader EMEA and APAC HR compliance requirements
- Experience collaborating with client-facing or commercial teams in an HR capacity
- Familiarity with works council (Betriebsrat) obligations and interaction requirements
- Experience supporting global mobility, work permits, A1 certificates, or posted worker processes
- CIPD Level 5 or above, or equivalent international HR qualification
- Additional language capability — French, Spanish, or other European or Asian languages an advantage