People Business Partner EMEA (m/f/d)
Location: Liederbach, Germany or London, UK
At The IRONMAN Group, our purpose is clear: to inspire people to unlock their greatest potential through sport, pushing beyond limits to become the fullest expression of human achievement. Through our BE ICONIC vision, we are building the most loved brands, producing the world’s most inspiring events, and fostering deeply engaged communities that change lives. By 2028, we aim to empower over a million athletes to cross a finish line each year and inspire a billion people worldwide through the power of the human spirit.
As part of our team, you’ll join a high-performance, caring culture where innovation thrives, communities are uplifted, and every achievement, big or small, is celebrated. You’ll help shape experiences that fill hearts, consume minds, and enrich souls. This is more than a job. It’s a chance to be part of a global movement, to lead from the front, and to leave a legacy. Together, we create moments that last a lifetime. The IRONMAN Group is the world's largest operator of mass participation sports, delivering over 200+ events a year across 55+ countries thanks to a passionate global team.
For our IRONMAN EMEA, we are seeking a highly motivated individual for the position of People Business Partner EMEA (m/f/d).
The People Business Partner is a key member of our dynamic global People team, a diverse and dedicated group across the globe. The People Business Partner (PBP) is a strategic trusted advisor and consultant to leaders across the business ensuring alignment between People strategies and business goals. The role will focus on the overall employee experience, talent enablement, employee relations, compensation management and compliance with labour laws and internal company policies.
What You’ll Be Doing
Step into a role where no two days are the same, and your impact is felt far beyond your desk. You will:
- Strategic People Partnership: Partner with business leaders to develop and implement people strategies that align with business objectives. Provide data-driven insights to support decision making on workforce planning, talent development, and organizational design. Act as a trusted advisor to leaders and play a key role in critical decision-making, offering guidance on employee relations, performance management, and retention strategies.
- Strategic Workforce Planning: Influencing and enabling future efficient growth. Long term planning. Finding efficiencies. Provide guidance to operational and functional leaders.
- Change Management: Supporting leaders and teams through organizational changes by implementing thoughtful management strategies focused on clear communication, employee engagement, and maintaining a positive workplace culture during periods of growth and evolution. Be a champion of change driving People team transformation.
- Employee Experience: Act as a champion of company culture and an advocate for employees by encouraging a positive and engaging work environment. Develop and implement initiatives that enhance the overall employee experience and collaborate with People team members on promoting and deploying relevant programs and initiatives and opportunities for professional growth. Regularly gather and analyze employee feedback to continuously improve workplace satisfaction and retention.
- Talent Acquisition: Support talent acquisition by partnering with business leaders on workforce planning, aligning recruitment strategies with organizational goals. Support full-cycle hiring, leverage tools, enhance employer branding, and deliver a seamless, inclusive candidate experience backed by data-driven insights and performance metrics. Support onboarding experience for new hires.
- Employee Relations: Foster a positive workplace culture by promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. Address employee concerns and mediate conflicts to ensure a fair and productive work environment. Conduct timely, objective, and thorough internal investigations including but not limited to allegations of harassment, discrimination, accommodation, and retaliation. Prepare all required documentation. Where required, collaborate with the legal team to determine proper resolution. Work with employees and managers to identify and resolve root causes of conflict and issues on teams. Collaborate with the People Operations Manager as relevant on ER matters.
- Talent Enablement (Performance Management, Development and Engagement): Collaborate with leaders to identify short-term and long-term talent needs and create development plans for employees. Support succession planning and leadership initiatives. Assist in design and execution of training and development programs to enhance employee skills and career growth. Guide managers through the performance management process including goal setting, ongoing feedback, performance reviews, performance improvement plans and exits when necessary. Partner with leaders to implement engagement strategies to improve employee satisfaction and retention. Champion of The IRONMAN Group desired culture and integration of the ‘BE ICONIC’ vision.
- Compensation Management: Provide guidance to managers on job leveling of roles and fair compensation based on the market trends to ensure fair pay practices. Support compensation planning and ensure alignment with fair pay practices. Assist in salary reviews, promotions and incentive programs.
- People Operations and Compliance: Ensure adherence to relevant in country labor laws, company policies, and best practices in HR. Play a key role in the implementation of a new global HRIS platform. Maintain accurate People data in all People systems and platforms. Partner with the People Operations team on payroll, benefits and collaborate on streamlining of people processes to enhance the employee experience.
What You Bring to the Team
We’re looking for someone who doesn’t just tick boxes, but thrives in our fast-paced, global environment. Ideally, you have:
- Proven experience, with at least 5+ years in an HR Business Partner or similar role partnering with executive level leaders in a global, matrixed organization during a period of change or transformation
- Demonstrated experience supporting EMEA populations, including hands-on Employee Relations (ER) case management and transformation
- Strong knowledge of employment laws, HR best practices, and organizational development principles
- Excellent skills in inspirational leadership, building relationships, communication, collaboration and problem-solving
- Experience of working in a global environment with cultural fluency, strong collaboration and multiple time zones
- Fluency in English is required; proficiency in any additional EMEA language is considered an asset
- Ability and willingness to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment across different time zones
- Highly organized and ability to multi-task effectively
- Ability to work independently and manage a high-volume of work
- Ability to blend strategic and operational or tactical work
- Excellent skills in MS Office suite and experience with various people/HR software systems/platforms
- Ability to travel for business is required.
Why You’ll Love Working With Us
At The IRONMAN Group, we’re not just building careers — we’re building lifestyles driven by passion, performance, and purpose.
- A culture you can feel – Step into an open, modern, and friendly environment where teamwork crosses borders and cultures and ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
- Live the race – Free entries to our legendary endurance events, so you can experience the event spirit first-hand.
- Grow without limits – Access to our online learning platform and other trainings to keep your skills sharp and your curiosity alive.
- We’ve got your back – Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is here to support you with both personal and professional challenges.
- Family comes first – An attractive parental leave policy that goes beyond statutory requirements.
- Work on your terms – Flexible hours and home-office options let you balance your career with the things that matter most.
- The world is your office – Travel the globe while contributing to world-class events and thrilling international projects.
We are looking forward to receiving your application including your salary expectations and your notice period.
To apply, click on the 'Apply' button to the right of this page.
