De Gruyter Brill is a global leader in scholarly publishing in the humanities and beyond. Combining a rich heritage dating back to 1683 with a forward-looking mindset, our mission is to publish and curate indispensable research that breaks boundaries, builds new bonds, and shapes a better future. Join our diverse and passionate team of over 600 colleagues around the world – and help us shape the future of scholarly communications.
For more information, visit degruyterbrill.com.
Head of People Relations (f/m/d)
Berlin | Vollzeit | 1.10.2026
As Head of People Relations, you own the People Relations department end to end across De Gruyter Brill. Your team partners with leaders on organizational design, workforce planning and succession and brings in country-specific expertise, language and legal knowledge to employees. You lead a team of around seven colleagues across multiple countries, report directly to the CPCO, and become DGB's central point of contact for works council relations.
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Your tasks
Lead and develop the global People Relations function, ensuring consistent standards, processes, and collaboration across global and regional teams
Act as a strategic business partner to the Chief People & Culture Officer and senior leaders on organizational design, workforce planning, succession planning, and leadership matters
Partner with business leaders to drive organizational effectiveness, change initiatives, and people strategies that support business objectives
Oversee the global recruitment strategy, ensuring an inclusive, high-quality hiring process and building talent pipelines for critical roles
Taking take of an independent operational division (business unit), including active responsibility for employee life cycles including recruiting
Serve as the senior escalation point for complex employee relations matters, ensuring fair, consistent, and legally compliant case management across all locations
Ensure compliance with employment legislation, works council requirements and global HR governance while maintaining standardized employment documentation and policies
Lead and monitor the People Relations and recruitment budgets, driving operational excellence and cost-effective people solutions
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Your profile
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, Law or a related field
Minimum of 5 years of HR experience, ideally within an international organization
Solid knowledge of recruitment, employment law, and employee relations, including strong works council collaboration
Experience with modern HR systems and a strong understanding of HR processes and best practices
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to drive process improvements
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills with strong negotiation abilities and a high level of integrity and discretion
Fluent in English and German to best lead the global team; additional languages are an advantage
We offer you
An exciting professional challenge for one of the innovation drivers of the publishing industry
Family-friendly working time models, flexitime, and flexible home office arrangements to support a healthy work-life balance, alongside a substantial vacation allowance and additional special leave days
Extensive benefits and allowances for a healthy, balanced life
Development budget and opportunities for training and personal development
Passionate colleagues in diverse, international teams; joint team events and company parties
At De Gruyter Brill, we are dedicated to diversity, equal opportunity, and building an inclusive culture where everyone belongs. We believe in individual potential, so please apply even if you don’t meet every requirement—passion and a willingness to learn matter as much as qualifications. We look forward to hearing from you!
Josephine Hoppe
People + Culture
+49 (0)30 260 05-137
