SENIOR HR MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Senior HR Manager
Team: Human Resources
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Reports to: Head of HR
Direct Reports: Local HR team members
About TSL
TSL is a leading international technical engineering and construction partner operating across the UK, Ireland, and Mainland Europe. We focus on design and build contracts for end-user clients, specialising in the Food, Pharmaceutical, Logistics, Data Centre, and Advanced Manufacturing sectors.
We are committed to creating the spaces that enable the fourth industrial revolution, while ensuring a positive environmental and social legacy for communities worldwide. Our team works with valued clients and supply chain partners to get things done efficiently and safely — delivering high-quality projects without compromise.
Role Overview
As Senior HR Manager for Germany, you will be responsible for leading and delivering all aspects of HR operations, strategy, and compliance for our German business entities. You will serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, ensuring that HR practices align with German labour law (Arbeitsrecht) and reflect TSL’s global people strategy.
This is a hands-on leadership role requiring strong business acumen, fluency in German and English, and a deep understanding of German employment regulations, including Betriebsrat (works council) relations, tariff agreements, and compliance with local employment law.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
* Lead and develop the HR function for TSL’s German operations, ensuring alignment with group HR strategy and local legal frameworks.
* Act as the primary HR contact for the German management team, providing strategic and operational HR support.
* Ensure full compliance with German employment legislation, including handling of contracts, terminations, disciplinary actions.
* Drive organisational performance by promoting core HR and business objectives.
* Oversee all aspects of talent management, recruitment, onboarding, and workforce planning for the German team.
* Support and advise line managers on performance management, learning & development, and succession planning.
* Manage and develop reward and benefits programs, ensuring competitiveness and compliance with German market norms.
* Lead employee engagement initiatives to foster a high-performance, inclusive culture.
* Partner with external legal advisers and the Head of HR – Germany on all employee relations cases.
* Prepare and present HR analytics and reports (HR KPIs, turnover, engagement, absenteeism) to senior leadership.
* Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion within the German workforce.
* Line manage the local HR team and develop their capability through coaching and structured progression.
* Collaborate with Group HR to ensure consistency of global HR policies, adapting them appropriately for the German legal environment.
* Represent TSL at local industry and HR events to strengthen employer brand visibility in the German market.
Skills and Experience Required
* Fluent in both German and English (written and spoken).
* In-depth knowledge of German labour and employment law (Arbeitsrecht).
* Strong HR experience within Germany.
* Proven ability to operate both strategically and operationally in a fast-paced, project-based environment.
* Strong understanding of HR compliance, payroll, benefits, and local HR systems.
* Experience managing employee relations and advising management on complex cases.
* Demonstrated success in driving HR initiatives across performance management, talent development, and engagement.
* Excellent communication, interpersonal, and influencing skills.
* Strong analytical and problem-solving ability; capable of making sound, commercially focused decisions.
* Hands-on leader who can inspire and develop a team while working autonomously.
* Experience within engineering, construction, or technical project-based industries is a strong advantage.
* Professional HR qualification (e.g., CIPD Level 7, Personalfachkaufmann/frau, or equivalent) preferred.
* High level of integrity, discretion, and professional maturity.
What We Offer
* Opportunity to shape the HR function within a high-growth international business.
* Competitive compensation and benefits aligned with the German market.
* Dynamic, collaborative, and values-driven working environment.
* Professional development opportunities across Europe.