People Operations Manager

FERNRIDE is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging because we value and celebrate everyone's differences and individuality. We strive to create an open, safe space in which you feel empowered and authentic. FERNRIDE has over 150 employees from 35+ countries. Our culture is characterized by the company values and fundamentals:

 #wewinasoneteam #weexecuteanddeliver #weareambitiousinnovators #weareopentochange #weputcustomervaluefirst #respect #professionalism #safety.

*Please apply with an English resume*

What you will work on

At FERNRIDE, the People & Culture team is shaping an engaged,  high-performing, and results-driven team. 

As a People Operations Manager, you will be the engine behind seamless employee lifecycle execution - owning and evolving the systems, processes, and tools that power our team. You’ll simplify and automate the core of how we operate, enabling speed, compliance, and clarity as we scale.

Your work will directly shape the employee experience and help position FERNRIDE as an employer of choice, while helping our lean People & Culture team become a benchmark for efficiency, execution, and impact.

How you will leave your footprint

• Serve as a subject matter expert on labor law matters, GDPR, pension schemes, and internal policy development, ensuring compliance and clarity at scale

• Execute a timely, error-free monthly payroll cycle in alignment with German legal and auditing standards

• Prepare and manage all employment-related contracts and agreements

• Drive automation across the HRIS (HiBob), DATEV auditing interface, and broader administrative workflows to minimize manual overhead

• Ensure a seamless employee lifecycle—coordinating onboarding, offboarding, entitlements, and key moments across the employee journey

• Serve as an operational backbone to Workplace Management and Recruiting, stepping in flexibly to support cross-functional priorities

• Improve the efficiency and responsiveness of our People & Culture Jira ticketing system—reducing resolution times and elevating service standards

• Enhance the quality and consistency of people data for reporting

• Improve the P&C Jira ticketing response as well as the resolve time

What you will bring to the team

• 5+ years experience in German labor law, HR operations, and regulatory compliance - paired with practical experience managing complex HR processes

• Strong judgment and confidence in advising on employee relations topics, from individual cases to structural recommendations

• Hands-on experience administering HRIS platforms (e.g. HiBob), digital payroll systems (e.g. DATEV), and productivity tools (e.g. Jira, Confluence)

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across all levels of the business

• A proactive mindset with a track record of identifying operational inefficiencies and implementing process improvements

• High attention to detail, strong analytical thinking, and a bias toward execution—you take ownership and deliver with precision

• Full professional fluency in German and English, enabling clear communication in a bilingual environment (interviews will be conducted in both languages)

• Based in Munich

What we offer @ FERNRIDE

At FERNRIDE, we believe in empowering you to thrive both personally and professionally. Our benefits are thoughtfully designed to support your growth, well-being, and aspirations while fostering a strong sense of work-life harmony. Here’s how we support you:

• Flexible working hours & remote work

• All-day breakfast and unlimited drinks, fruits, and snacks

• Lunch subsidy

• Select one of three options: (1) EUR 40 Spendit card /month (2) Wellpass (3) Mobility card

• Corporate Benefits platform

• Company pension scheme

• Team, department, and company events

• Company Equity

• 30 days of vacation

• Up to six weeks of remote work in countries covered under the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card)

"FERNRIDE does not require external assistance for recruitment. All hiring decisions are managed internally. We kindly request the recruitment agencies, consultancies, and other third-party services to refrain from contacting us regarding our open positions."

Who we are

At FERNRIDE, we believe in a future where robotics unlocks human potential to create a better world. Yet today, humans still perform repetitive, risky tasks to keep our world running. These jobs, essential yet unattractive, should be performed by robots, which still fall short. We are on a mission to change that and transform critical industries through human-centric automation. 

FERNRIDE delivers a comprehensive ground autonomy platform to offer scalable automation solutions across industries. They span from container terminals and yard operations via defence logistics to open-road trucking. By combining AI-powered autonomy with human oversight and modular, vehicle-agnostic hardware, we enable businesses and defence organizations to harness the full potential of automation, driving efficiency and safety.

FERNRIDE was founded in 2019 following 10 years of research at the Technical University of Munich and currently has over 150 employees. We are setting the standard for autonomous logistics and advancing Europe’s technological sovereignty by delivering the first-ever fully certified autonomous trucking system in Europe in 2025. 

Physical AI is the biggest transformational technology of our time. Backed by €75 million in venture funding from top-tier investors and trusted by blue-chip customers, such as HHLA, Volkswagen, and DB Schenker, we are on a mission to build Europe’s leader in Physical AI, on track to lead the world in next-generation industrial automation.

http://www.fernride.com