(Senior) People Operations Manager (f/m/d) - Processes & Automations

We believe in zero admin, not zero personality – and we build every feature with the people wearing safety boots in mind, not suits. We’re excited to shape the future together as a team, staying grounded in our mission to empower the builders and makers of tomorrow.

YOUR MISSION AT PLANCRAFT

What would People Operations look like if the processes behind it were genuinely easy to use: for employees, managers and the People team? At plancraft, you’ll have the chance to build exactly that as we grow across Europe: clearer ways of working, better systems and thoughtful support through every stage of the employee journey.

As our People Operations Manager with focus on Processes, Automation & AI workflows, you will turn recurring operational challenges into lasting improvements. You will work hands-on in People Operations, staying close to employee and manager needs and contributing to reliable day-to-day support. Your main ownership lies in operational excellence: improving workflows across the employee lifecycle, strengthening our systems and data, expanding self-service, and putting useful automation and AI into practice.

There is plenty to build. As we grow across Europe, you will help operationalize new legal entities, support transitions from employer-of-record (EOR) setups, and contribute to locally compliant benefits. At the same time, you will rethink everyday work: Which requests should be easier for managers to handle themselves? Where do handovers break down? What can we simplify or automate so that the experience gets better as we scale?

You will report to our Lead People Operations & Partnering and work closely with the wider People & Organization team, technical colleagues and stakeholders across the business. You will have the support of experienced People colleagues on complex operational matters while taking the lead on improvements to our People Operations setup.

Your Responsibilities

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, SYSTEMS & AUTOMATION

• Identify recurring friction, manual work, unclear handovers and data gaps in our People processes; prioritize improvements based on their impact on employees, managers and the People team.
• Design and implement clearer end-to-end workflows, standards and documentation across the employee lifecycle, from onboarding to changes during employment and offboarding.
• Lead practical automation and self-service initiatives from problem definition through rollout and adoption, using our existing tools, no-code or low-code solutions, and AI where they add real value. Partner with technical experts on more complex integrations.
• Improve the quality and usability of our people data, build meaningful operational reporting and use insights to recommend where we should focus next and measure whether changes work.
• Develop manager and employee resources - such as guides, templates, playbooks and knowledge content - that make common People topics easier to navigate independently.

HANDS-ON PEOPLE OPERATIONS & INTERNATIONAL GROWTH

• Drive and contribute to the smooth day-to-day delivery of our core People Operations processes, including HRIS administration (Personio), contract changes, payroll inputs, employee data and documentation.
• Respond to employee and manager requests with care, accuracy and a strong service mindset, bringing recurring questions and pain points back into your improvement work.
• Play an active role in scaling our international People setup: help operationalize new legal entities and EOR transitions, and support the development and rollout of locally compliant benefits across our European markets.
• Help maintain reliable, compliant processes as our organization and local requirements evolve.

YOUR PROFILE

Must-Have Skills

• 2–3 years of experience in People Operations, or a comparable operational People role.
• Proven experience in managing core employee lifecycle processes, including HR administration, contract management, payroll inputs, and HRIS maintenance.
• Strong process thinking with a passion for improving workflows rather than simply executing them with high affinity for HR systems, structured documentation, and data quality.
• Experience managing operational employee and manager requests with accuracy, reliability, and a strong service mindset.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify patterns, prioritize improvements, and translate insights into scalable solutions.
• Great curiosity and ideally first experiences in applying automation and AI to improve operational efficiency.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in German & English (C1/C2 level); additional European languages are a plus.
• Experience in a scale-up or high-growth environment .
• Located within Germany with willingness to come to our Hamburg HQs minimum once per quarter.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Experience with international employment setups, EOR models or benefits across European markets.
• Familiarity with Personio, Leapsome, Notion, Slack Workflows or comparable tools.
• Hands-on experience with no-code or low-code automation, AI-assisted workflows, or reporting and dashboard tools.
• Additional European languages.

Who this Role is for

You like being close enough to the day-to-day to understand what actually needs fixing—and you enjoy doing the work to fix it. You can handle an employee request with care in one moment, then step back and ask why the same request keeps appearing and how the process could work better for everyone.

You are energized by building things people will genuinely use: a clearer workflow, a useful manager guide, cleaner data or an automation that saves time without making the experience feel impersonal. You bring structure to ambiguity, work well with colleagues across functions and care about both operational reliability and the human experience behind it.

If you want to shape the systems and ways of working that help our People function scale across Europe, we'd love to meet you.

WHY PLANCRAFT?

• Team Spirit: We’re driven by passion, commitment, and a shared mission. Team spirit matters to us — and we make it visible: with four major team event weeks per year, casual monthly on-site and remote formats, and a strong recognition culture where we regularly celebrate both the big and small wins together.
• Ownership: You’re encouraged to take ownership from day one. In a flat hierarchy and high-trust environment, you’re empowered to make meaningful decisions and drive real impact.
• Learning & Growth: We invest in your personal and professional development through a strong feedback culture with 6-monthly 360° growth reviews, a personal learning budget (1.500€/year), 2 paid days of educational leave, and targeted enablement formats. Our goal is to help you unlock your full potential.
• AI Enablement: Our internal tools and workflows are AI-enabled by design. We support every team and individual in applying AI at the next level in their daily work.
• Tech & Tooling: You’ll receive a MacBook, premium headphones, and everything else you need — from hardware to tools — to be effective in your daily doing.
• Flexibility: Whether remote, hybrid, abroad or on-site — you work where you’re at your best. Our Hamburg office (with a rooftop terrace) is always open, and you decide each week how often you come in. And if you need a change of scenery, working abroad worldwide up to 2 months is always an option.
• Recharge: To ensure the needed rest, we offer 30 vacation days per year (based on a 5-day week) plus Dec 24th off. We also subsidize your Urban Sports Club membership and organize internal sport meetups.
• Mobility: You can lease a "JobRad" (Bike) and get a subsidized "Deutschlandticket" or "BahnCard" for public transport to be supported in your commute.
• International Environment: We’re becoming more international every month, with team members already in Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and Austria — which is why English is our internal company language.

We’re #stoked to shape the future, #together as a team, and #humble in our mission to support the builders of tomorrow. For a first impression of us, take a look at our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/plancraft.app/reels/ and LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/plancraft-gmbh/?viewAsMember=true.

Diversity makes us better.

We welcome people of all backgrounds, identities, abilities, and experiences, and we believe that different perspectives lead to better ideas, stronger products, and a healthier workplace. If you’re excited about our mission but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be exactly who we’re looking for.

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On the application process

We want your candidate experience with us to be smooth, transparent, and enjoyable. We aim to get back to you regarding your application within 5 business days. Our interview process typically takes about 4 weeks from start to finish, though this may vary by role. You can learn more about our process here https://plancraft.com/en-gb/jobs#hiring. If you need adjustments or flexibility at any stage, please don’t hesitate to let us know — we’ll do our best to make it work for you.

Note on creating a test account:

If you would like to create a test account as part of the challenge, please enter "Applicant" in the relevant field during registration and select "Other" under Trade. This ensures that our sales team does not mistakenly register you as a craft business and reach out to you unnecessarily.

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Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis), table; dl-de/by-2-0; StarIn's calculation