People Operations Specialist

Location:Berlin, Germany

Department:People

The People Operations Specialist, EMEA delivers high-quality, consistent People support and operational governance across multiple countries within the EMEA region - focused on the German Market. This role acts as the central gatekeeper for the employee lifecycle, ensuring absolute data accuracy, rigorous documentation standards, and strict operational compliance.

The role focuses on efficient query management, comprehensive lifecycle documentation, and seamless cross-functional workflows. Working in close collaboration with the People Success Team. The Specialist acts as the dedicated operational shield, managing technical workflows so that Generalists and PSBPs can remain focused on strategic initiatives. The Specialist owns the maintenance of regional document templates, ensures proper approval chains are executed, and serves as the primary operational point of contact for critical stakeholders such as Payroll, Legal, Security, and IT.

This role adheres to established policies and processes and supports their consistent application, the Specialist actively ensures internal processes and compliance guardrails are strictly met.

Note on Contract Type: This is a temporary position on an initial 6-month contract. However, for the right candidate, there is a strong possibility for this role to be reviewed and transitioned into a permanent position based on performance and evolving business needs.

What You'll Do

First-Line Employee Support: Act as the primary, solutions-focused point of contact for all EMEA People queries via Jira; triage and escalate complex issues to People Generalists or PBPs seamlessly.
Lifecycle Administration: Draft, issue, and track all regional employee lifecycle documentation (contracts, addenda, reference letters, terminations) with 100% accuracy and strict audit readiness.
Data & Systems Management: Own the end-to-end data integrity in Workday across the full employee lifecycle (onboarding, job changes, offboarding) and manage contingent worker administration and background checks.
Operational Compliance & Governance: Enforce strict guardrails across HR workflows, ensuring all necessary cross-functional stakeholder approvals (Finance, Comp, Legal) are systematically secured before processing system changes.
Cross-Functional Interface: Act as the primary operational pipeline to Payroll, IT, Legal, and Security, shielding Generalists and PBPs from routine administrative ticket-handling.
Continuous Improvement: Identify recurring query trends or data gaps to optimize internal knowledge bases, updating policies and processes to elevate the overall employee experience.

What we’re looking for

Experience: 3–5 years of experience in HR Operations, People Coordination, or a similar shared-services role, ideally within a fast-paced, high-growth tech or multinational environment.
Languages: Full professional fluency in both English and German (written and spoken) is required to effectively support our diverse regional workforce and external local authorities.
Local Expertise: A strong, foundational understanding of German labor law and regional HR compliance compliance standards.
Education & Background: A Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; equivalent practical experience with a strong track record in regional HR administration will also be highly valued.
Systems Savvy: Proven experience working with HRIS platforms (Workday proficiency is highly preferred) and ticketing systems (e.g., Jira) to manage workflows and maintain data integrity.
Compliance & Accuracy: A compliance-driven mindset with a sharp attention to detail, a commitment to procedural governance, and a track record of delivering 100% accurate documentation.
Customer-First Approach: Exceptional communication skills with a personalized, solutions-oriented approach to supporting employees.
Execution & Ownership: A reliable self-starter who exercises strong judgment—knowing when to act independently to resolve routine queries and when to escalate complex issues.

About Navan

Navan (Nasdaq: NAVN) is the global AI-powered business travel and expense platform that makes travel easy for frequent travelers. From finding flights and hotels, to automating expense reconciliation, with 24/7 support along the way, Navan delivers an intuitive experience travelers love and finance teams rely on. See how Navan customers benefit and learn more at navan.com.

Culture of Excellence

Our team is our competitive edge — a high-performance group of smart, driven people committed to winning together. This dedication to excellence is why we’ve been recognized as a Best Place to Work by Built In (2023–2026), a G2 Best Global Software Company (2025–2026), Forbes Cloud 100 (2022–2025), and CNBC Disruptor 50 (2022–2025). At Navan, we provide an environment where top talent excels, offering the autonomy and fast-paced trajectory needed to build a defining career and do the best work of your life.

Our Benefits

Navan offers a comprehensive benefits program designed to support your well-being, financial security, and life outside of work. Our benefits, thoughtfully tailored by country to meet local needs, include healthcare coverage, insurance offerings, and wellness resources for you and your family.

We support long-term financial growth through retirement savings programs and opportunities to participate in our equity plans, so you can share in Navan’s success. To promote balance, we offer flexible time off, country-specific holidays, and paid parental leave for all new parents. Additional benefits include connectivity and commuting support*, mental health resources, and exclusive travel-related perks. Wherever you’re based, our benefits evolve with you.

Workplace Policy

Navan believes in the value of in-person connections, whether that’s sitting down to have lunch with one another, taking a walking 1:1, or collaborating in a room together. The connections forged through face-to-face interactions improve company culture and drive business results. Navan invests in global office spaces — in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, among others — that feel welcoming. In-office perks such as company-provided lunches and happy hours create a strong team environment to help you do your best work. Our employees work from the office four days a week. Please expect this policy for all roles that are tied to an office.

Equal Opportunity

Navan is an equal opportunity employer. We make all employment decisions based solely on merit. We provide equal employment opportunity to all applicants and employees without discrimination on the bases of race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We prohibit any such discrimination or harassment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring.

Accommodations

Navan complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended by the ADA Amendments Act, and all applicable state or local law. Navan will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability in connection with applications for employment as required by law.

If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, you are welcome to email us at talent-accommodations@navan.com.

Candidate Privacy Notice and Use of AI

As part of the recruitment process, certain personal data may be processed using automated tools, including tools that use AI. For details on how Navan collects and uses your personal data, please review Navan's Candidate Privacy Notice here.

Job Search Best Practices

We have been made aware of recruitment scams involving fraudulent attempts to lure job seekers into sending money or personal information in return for fake job offers or coerce them into purchasing equipment by electronic funds transfer (Zelle, Venmo, etc.) Legitimate Navan recruiters will never ask for money in any recruitment or onboarding activities. All available job openings at Navan will be posted on Navan’s website and all Navan recruiters will be reachable through an email address ending in “@navan.com” or “@navan.tech” or "@talent.navan.com".

*Applies to select locations.