Senior People Business Partner DACH (m/f/d)

About this role

Responsibilities

• We are looking for a senior, strategic People Business Partner, working from our beautiful Cologne office. Fastned is a matrix organisation and our People Business Partner team supports on a country as well as a function level. In the role you will oversee all People topics in Germany, Switzerland and Austria (currently around 70 FTE and growing fast) as well as another international department. In this senior role, you will act as the primary People counterpart for the local leadership teams, playing a pivotal role in shaping and executing the people agenda not only for the DACH region, but also across Fastned as a whole. You will guide and support our leadership teams in all three markets to develop their leadership skills, jointly handle complex HR topics and shape our scaling organization to be future-proof.
• Our People Business Partner team currently consists of one People Business Partner Lead and three other People Business Partners (based in Brussels, London & Amsterdam) with whom you will collaborate and also act as a sparring partner on complex regional and cross‑country topics. You will work closely with the wider People team, which includes People Business Partnering, Payroll, People Operations and Talent Acquisition.
• In concrete terms, you will be:
• Partnering with your leadership teams to build strong, trust‑based relationships
• Acting as a sparring partner on people topics, while engaging with key stakeholders to proactively anticipate growing business needs
• Using your HR expertise to independently handle complex cases and advise leaders on organisational design that supports a sustainable growth of our Fastned teams
• Acting as our local expert on labor law and HR practices in Germany, while providing guidance and building up knowledge for Switzerland and Austria
• Owning talent, performance and succession topics in your region/ department(s): monitoring performance and engagement and shaping team structures while identifying critical roles and potential successors
• Partnering closely with our local Talent Acquisition team to translate business insights into proactive and long‑term hiring plans
• Analysing where skills are missing across your teams, working with the wider People team and your (local) leads to roll out e.g. practical learning initiatives that help people grow in their roles
• Leading and contributing to cross‑functional People projects that span Fastned’s wider business (e.g. Comp & Ben, HR data & tooling), bringing in the DACH perspective while keeping approaches harmonised across the business
• Who we are looking for
• You are an experienced (Senior) People Business Partner who is comfortable operating as a consultant on complex HR topics and organisational changes, engaging and influencing stakeholders at all levels while remaining genuine and empathetic.
• You’re a strong, down‑to‑earth communicator that people enjoy working with and who keeps things human and fun, even when topics are complex
• You combine strategic thinking with hands‑on execution and easily navigate a fast‑growing, international, matrix environment.
• Minimum of 6 years of experience as a (Senior) People/HR Business Partner in a high‑paced (preferably scale‑up/start‑up) and matrix business environment
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, a related field or equivalent training and work experience
• Fluency in German and English
• Thorough knowledge of German labor legislation; Swiss and/or Austrian labor law knowledge is a strong plus, or the ability and willingness to quickly build this expertise
• Available at least 36 hours per week
• You are willing to work mostly on site in our office in Cologne and are open to travel regularly to the offices in Zurich & Vienna and Headquarter in Amsterdam
• Genuine passion for sustainability and the transition to electric mobility, and the desire to help build a purpose‑driven, high‑performing organization
• Join us in building a better future!
• We work hard to change the world, but we don't forget to recognise & celebrate our successes, big and small. We put a focus on work-life balance, provide you with genuine work flexibility and have family-friendly policies in place. Our benefits include:
• Our benefits include:
• Stock option plan - we believe in shared value creation
• A training and development budget of €3,000 gross per year per employee, because development and training are important to us and our sector offers endless opportunities
• You get access to our fully electric vehicle fleet (all charging expenses covered)
• 29 holidays. Additionally, we give you 2 Mission Days you can use to contribute to Fastned’s mission or to support a cause that is important to you
• Daily lunches, snacks & drinks are provided at our office locations
• Next to fun events year-round, we throw notorious Christmas parties and organise an amazing yearly trip abroad with all employees
• Mental wellbeing with nilo health (1:1 coaching, group formats and digital tools)
• Urban Sports Club membership subsidised by Fastned
• Additional support for parents: personal coaching before, during and after parental leave with Foundree
• Greater understanding of women's health through our partnership with Flouria – you have quick access to women's health experts
• Other perks include flexible working hours, full travel compensation and the working gear of your choice
• Interested?
• We would love to have a conversation with you to get to know you and learn more about why you’re excited about joining our mission.
• Fastned stands for equity and inclusion. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, religions, neurodiversity, disabilities, parental status or any other protected characteristic that makes you unique.