People Advisor (HR)

Who We Are & Why We’re Hiring

At EMBL, our vision is to create a more inclusive research and work culture that leverages diversity, in its broadest sense to enhance our role as a leader in the life sciences in Europe and globally.

As part of our Human Resources team, you will have the opportunity to support scientists around the world, whose mission is to improve biodiversity in the face of climate change and make discoveries leading to improved human health. EMBL is an intergovernmental organisation, and is an Associated member of Coordinated organisations.

Delivering modern HR practices through our new ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system across EMBL’s six sites, will increase efficiencies and enable the team to focus on what matters most, our people.

Each of our People Advisors are assigned to several groups/teams within EMBL, acting as the first line of support for employees. This position will be focussed on supporting our ancillaries in Germany. You will help onboard and welcome new joiners, provide proactive advice and support to staff, and handle a wide variety of people-related matters at an operational level. Working alongside our HR Partners, you will collaborate to ensure excellent service delivery to the organisation. As a people expert, you will support to enhance colleagues' experience and aid in the delivery of a high-performing culture across EMBL.

This opportunity would suit someone who is enthusiastic about change and excited by contributing to shaping and implementing effective people strategies and activities within the organisation.

See yourself at EMBL

Become part of a close-knit team that supports each other and contributes to finding creative resolutions to a diverse range of issues, whilst working collaboratively to ensure the right decisions are made for team members and keeping the best interests of the organisation in mind. We are looking for a proactive team player who is comfortable to engage with a wide range of audiences with a flexible, customer-focused, and outcome-orientated approach, able to excel in high-pressure situations.

Promoting a culture of open communication, trust, and cooperation, you are a good listener, team player, problem solver, and sound advisor. As a trusted advisor to staff, you provide a proactive, practical and supportive HR service to staff. Helping to build and foster a harmonious working team environment, you will help to drive a culture of continuous learning that enhances employee skills, capabilities, and performance.

What You Will Do

With an excellent understanding of the organisation and of the challenges faced by the people you support, you play a crucial role in fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, which empowers individuals from various backgrounds and improves team dynamics.

There are ongoing projects that you will be encouraged to join and contribute to.

Responsibilities

which will involve working with colleagues across the wider organisation. No one day is the same and there is always something different happening but in particular, you will be responsible for the following:

• Providing professional, balanced and consistent HR guidance and advice to ancillaries, responding effectively and quickly to queries on policies, procedures, terms and conditions of employment to ensure fairness and expediency with a focus on delivering what the organisation needs tactically to sustainably improve for the future.
• Working closely with the Talent Acquisition team ensuring new starters have a smooth and consistent onboarding experience by serving as the primary point of contact for new hires, addressing questions and providing support during their transition.
• Overseeing visitors and trainees, including drafting contracts, immigration and onboarding.
• Contributing to the Workday Knowledge Database and Intranet so that HR information remains up to date and reflects the questions being asked by staff.
• Coordinating and tracking HR processes including performance management, new starters, leavers and absence management.
• Contributing to the management of EMBL’s offboarding processes, ensuring a smooth transition for employees leaving the organisation, meeting with staff to provide information and advice on leaving entitlements, acknowledging and processing resignations.
• Providing guidance on international relocation and removals for new starters and leavers.
• Supporting staff with immigration processes, coordinating visa applications, and liaising with ministerial departments & authorities (e.g. UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Auswärtiges Amt/ German Foreign Ministry) where necessary.
• Proactively participate with colleagues within the wider HR team to ensure knowledge-sharing and consistency of practices and to act upon feedback which impact on HR policies and procedures.
• Driving a culture of high performance where talent is recognised, stretched and poor performance managed.
• Collaborating across the HR function to develop integrated solutions and ensure execution for major people-centered projects and processes with a ‘one team’ approach that boost employee morale and satisfaction.
• Acting as change agent to oversee new processes, help drive end-user adoption of HR technology, tools and solutions and to drive other change management across the organisation.

What You Will Need

• As our ideal candidate, you are degree educated, have a professional qualification in Human Resource Management or completed an apprenticeship in Human Resources Management, Public/Business Administration or a related field.
• Ideally, you bring prior experience of working as HR generalist or advisor in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple tasks of different disciplines, with a keen attention to detail, high degree of diplomacy, an analytical mind and with confident judgement and decision making.
• You are an authentic, innovative and collaborative HR professional who enjoys varied work. You bring energy, compassion and enthusiasm to the team and will be comfortable dealing with people at all organisational levels to assume responsibilities with results-focus and with achievement of best practice top of mind.
• With a commitment to providing exceptional customer service, you are able to effectively communicate and collaborate cross-functionally, building strong partnerships with colleagues of different cultural backgrounds.
• The ability to listen, consider alternatives and manage diverse viewpoints with emotional intelligence have supported you in navigating conflict and facilitating conversations.
• You are a curious quick learner who constantly looks for ways to improve, a critical thinker, a systems and process extraordinaire, and a thoughtful and consistent communicator with the ability to network and benchmark good practice.
• Motivated to make a difference with a pro-active approach, you bring good knowledge of employment legislation, application and compliance, current issues and thinking in HR best practice.
• You are unafraid to ask questions in an effort to know more and thrive when you can contribute creative resolutions to a diverse range of complex problems whilst keeping the best interest of the organisation in mind when seeking solutions.
• Professional level of German language as well as familiarity with the German social security system is required.

Bonus Points

• Prior experience in using HRIS (Human Resources Information System).
• Knowledge of HR processes and procedures in international organisations.
• Exposure to and work experience in a multicultural environment, ideally in a science organisation.
• Good knowledge of another European (such as French, Italian or Spanish) language.

We encourage you to apply even if you are not sure if you meet all the requirements above. We believe candidates with all kinds of backgrounds can have a lot to offer, and we are looking forward to hearing from you!

Contract duration: 3 years (renewable up to 9 years)

Salary: Grade 5 (monthly salary from 3.925,04 EUR after tax, excl. pension and health insurance contributions)

Why join us

EMBL is curiosity-driven, community-oriented and international. As an inclusive, equal opportunity employer, we believe that diversity enables us to collaborate more effectively and be innovative in our approaches. We are, therefore, committed to creating an inclusive and flexible culture - one where everyone can realise their full potential and make a positive contribution to our organisation.

We encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing team – we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and personal experiences reflect the diversity of the populations that our science serves. We actively encourage applications from all genders and cultures, ethnic groups and all demographics to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights at this transformational point in our people strategy.

Enjoy Lots Of Benefits

• Financial incentives: Salary free of income tax, Monthly family, child and non-resident allowances, annual salary review, pension scheme, death benefit, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family (including all prescriptions and generous dental & optical cover).
• Generous time off: 30 days annual leave per year, in addition to public holidays.
• Relocation package including installation grant (if applicable).
• Campus life: Free shuttle bus (select sites), on-site library, subsidised on-site gym and cafeteria, casual dress code, extensive sports and social club activities (on campus and remotely).
• Family benefits: Kindergarten (Heidelberg), 10 days of child sick leave, generous paid maternity/parental leave and monthly family & child allowances.
• Benefits for international newcomers: Visa exemption, education grant for private schooling, financial support to travel back to your home country every second year and a monthly non-resident allowance.
• For detailed information please visit our employee benefits page here.

What else you need to know

• International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Visit our International Applicants page, to find out more.
• EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we apply DORA principles to our recruitment and performance assessment processes here.
• Diversity and inclusion: At EMBL, we strongly believe that inclusive and diverse teams benefit from higher levels of innovation and creative thought. We encourage applications from women, LGBTQ+ & individuals from all nationalities.
• How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system. We aim to provide a response within two weeks after the closing date.

Closing Date

16/03/2025