Head of People Operations (m/f/d)

About Buena

Buena (backed by GV) makes everything related to real estate as simple and transparent as buying an ETF. Whether it's searching for, buying, or financing an apartment. We do this by taking over property management throughout Germany and transforming it into technology companies. In the last three years, we have become the third-largest property management company in Germany with fewer than 25 full-time employees at HQ.

About the Role

As the Head of People Operations, you will build the operational HR foundation for our soon-to-be over 1,000 employees at the Berlin HQ and our portfolio companies nationwide.

We are growing monthly through acquisitions of property management companies. This means different contracts, databases, and working methods come together. You will ensure that reliable HR processes are established that work with every further acquisition.

Your focus will be on Personio, accurate employee data, standardized HR processes, and handling specific personnel and labor law cases. You will design the workflows, implement them yourself, and be responsible for ensuring they function in day-to-day operations. For terminations, contract questions, and conflicts, you will be a competent sparring partner for our managing directors and executives, involving Legal or external legal counsel as needed.

Leadership development, performance reviews, and the design of salary bands and benefits lie with Operations and the responsible executives.

Your Responsibilities

• You will be responsible for Personio and our employee data. Personio is already running nationwide. You will further develop the configuration, permissions, and workflows, ensuring that the data is complete, up-to-date, and reliable.

• You will integrate new companies into our People Operations. You will review existing data and processes, clarify discrepancies, and transfer new portfolio companies into our systems and standards.

• You will build and implement repeatable HR processes. From contract creation and onboarding to contract changes and promotions to offboarding, you will define clear responsibilities, approvals, and controls.

• You will support specific labor law cases. You will clarify factual situations, advise our managing directors and executives on possible next steps, and manage the implementation together with the responsible decision-makers and legal advisors.

• You will ensure the quality of our payroll data. You will ensure that relevant changes reach the responsible parties for payroll correctly and on time, and clarify discrepancies.

• You will improve the system behind individual cases. You will translate recurring problems into better templates, clear processes, and suitable automations. You will make data gaps, open cases, and integration progress visible through operational reporting.

You're a Fit If You

• have already taken on operational HR responsibility for several hundred employees, ideally across multiple companies or locations.

• have personally built, implemented, and then managed HR processes in ongoing operations.

• have independently configured Personio or a comparable HR system and are familiar with data migration, permissions, workflows, and data quality.

• possess in-depth knowledge of German labor law and practical experience with complex personnel measures, especially terminations and conflict situations.

• recognize which cases you can handle independently and when you need to seek legal support.

• can set clear priorities even with incomplete information and reliably manage processes to completion.

• have experience in a fast-growing company, such as a VC-funded startup, a PE-funded company, or a company with many acquisitions.

• speak German at C2 level.

• want to work on-site at our Berlin office every day.

Your Benefits

• Opportunities for advancement in one of Europe's fastest-growing startups.

• MacBook & Studio Display.

• Attractive salary, including a €500 "Close-to-Office" bonus.

• €110 meal allowance and €50 fitness allowance.

• Books: Buena pays for any book you want to read.

• Daily breakfast and specialty coffee in the office.

Why Join Now

• You will shape our operational HR foundation. You will develop the systems and processes with which we reliably support over 1,000 employees and integrate further companies.

• Your work has a direct impact across the entire portfolio. Better data, clear contract processes, and well-handled personnel measures simplify the daily work of our companies.

• We are growing rapidly with a small team. In the last three years, we have become the third-largest property management company in Germany with fewer than 25 full-time employees at HQ.

• Those who deliver get responsibility. Our CEO was a Junior Product Manager three years ago, our COO was Chief of Staff two years ago.

• We are building Buena for the long term. The homeownership rate in Germany is well below the European average. We are changing that.

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