Role Summary
This role delivers consistent, high‑quality, and compliant HR support within a German‑speaking, multicultural shared‑services environment. Operating with a high degree of autonomy and accountability, the Specialist ensures strict adherence to documented procedures, quality standards, and country‑specific regulatory requirements.
The position plays a critical role in:
- Delivering a seamless and professional colleague experience across the DACH region
- Ensuring accurate case triage and effective escalation
- Supporting the maintenance and quality of German‑language HR knowledge content
Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
1. Centralized Tier 1 HR Support – DACH
- Act as the primary Tier 1 point of contact for HR‑related inquiries for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland via ServiceCentral (or equivalent), including:
- HR policies and procedures
- Payroll inputs and basic benefits inquiries
- Onboarding and offboarding administration
- HR Cloud data changes and colleague record maintenance
- Deliver accurate, timely, and compliant responses using approved SOPs, scripts, and DACH‑specific knowledge articles.
- Independently manage assigned German‑language ticket queues, ensuring:
- High‑quality and complete case documentation
- Accurate system transactions
- Full compliance with peer‑review and approval controls
- Consistently meet or exceed defined SLAs and KPIs related to quality, accuracy, and turnaround time.
2. Standardized HR Transaction Execution
- Execute end‑to‑end Tier 1 HR transactions for DACH countries, including:
- Onboarding administration
- Background check coordination
- Employee data updates and corrections
- Employment verification letters
- Payroll inputs and basic pay changes
- Learning administration
- Basic total rewards and benefits support
- Apply country‑specific rules and guidance for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland within standardized global HR processes.
- Ensure strict adherence to GDPR, Swiss data‑protection requirements, and internal control standards.
3. German‑Language & Cultural Service Delivery
- Deliver Tier 1 HR support primarily in German (native or near‑native proficiency required).
- Provide support in English for internal collaboration, documentation, and escalations.
- Demonstrate strong cultural awareness when supporting DACH colleagues, including:
- Formal communication standards
- High expectations for precision and accuracy
- Sensitivity to regulatory, contractual, and works‑council frameworks
- Apply country‑specific operational knowledge, including:
- Payroll calendars and cut‑off dates
- Public holidays
- Documentation and compliance requirements
4. Case Triage, Escalation & Regional Collaboration
- Accurately assess and triage complex or non‑standard DACH inquiries, escalating as appropriate to:
- Tier 2 HR Services Specialists (Lisbon)
- Regional HR Specialists for the DACH region
- Provide clear, structured case handovers in German and/or English to ensure efficient resolution.
- Actively monitor escalations through to closure, ensuring a positive, professional colleague experience.
5. Knowledge Ownership & Continuous Improvement
- Serve as a Tier 1 reference point for German‑language HR knowledge content.
- Support onboarding and informal coaching of other Tier 1 colleagues supporting DACH processes.
- Identify recurring issues, documentation gaps, or compliance risks specific to Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of German‑language knowledge articles, scripts, and FAQs.
Qualifications
Required
- Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- 1–2 years of experience in a customer service or administrative role, preferably within HR Shared Services or Global Business Services.
- Native or near‑native German (written and spoken) – mandatory.
- Fluent English (written and spoken).
- Experience using HRIS and case‑management tools (e.g., Oracle Cloud, Workday, ServiceNow).
- Demonstrated experience supporting Germany, Austria, and/or Switzerland in an HR or administrative capacity.
Preferred
- Experience working in a multilingual or regional delivery hub.
- Exposure to DACH onboarding processes and employee data management.
- Experience operating in compliance‑driven and highly regulated environments.
Skills & Competencies
- German‑Language Excellence: Clear, precise, and professional communication.
- Process Discipline: Strong adherence to SOPs, controls, and quality standards.
- Judgment & Autonomy: Confident decision‑making within defined Tier 1 scope.
- Cultural Intelligence: Comfort operating within DACH cultural and regulatory norms.
- Attention to Detail: High accuracy in documentation and transactions.
- Resilience: Effective performance in a high‑volume, deadline‑driven environment.
- Collaboration: Strong partnership with Tier 2 teams and DACH Regional HR stakeholders.
