Senior People Compliance Specialist, EMEA

An overview of this role

As a Senior People Compliance Specialist (EMEA), you'll partner with GitLab to manage compliant works council engagements across Germany (Mitbestimmung and information rights), the Netherlands (adviesrecht and instemmingsrecht), and France (CSE consultation procedures). You'll lead end-to-end processes, from preparing agendas and information packages to coordinating translations, documentation, and stakeholder inputs, so teams can move through organizational changes with clear timelines and strong governance. In this role, you'll partner closely with People Business Partners, Legal (including Employment Counsel), and business leaders to build trusted relationships, responding to information requests, and reduce compliance and operational risk through standardized guidance, training, and repeatable processes. Over your first year, key outcomes include improving process efficiency, strengthening recordkeeping and data retention practices, and becoming a go-to advisor for works council requirements and compliance across the region.

What you'll do

• Build, drive and iterate our works council engagements, processes and administration across Germany, the Netherlands, and France, ensuring compliance with information, consultation, and co-determination requirements, legal timelines, works agreements, and locally agreed service levels
• Prepare meeting agendas and comprehensive information packages for recurring works council meetings and consultations, including documentation management, translations, and stakeholder coordination
• Partner with People Business Partners, the legal team and the business to build and maintain high-trust, productive relationships with works council members through responsive, consistent support
• Collaborate with Legal, People Business Partners, and business leaders to plan and execute compliant consultation approaches.
• Advise and educate managers and stakeholders on works council requirements, timelines, and procedural best practices, including guidance for sensitive and complex topics
• Manage multiple concurrent requests and consultations independently, prioritizing work to ensure timely completion and clear communication across time zones
• Develop and maintain standardized processes, templates, training materials, and guidance to improve consistency and efficiency in works council operations
• Track, report, and maintain consultation records and metrics, responding to works council information requests and ensuring audit readiness and data retention compliance
• Partner with Employment Counsel, Legal and Privacy team on laws and regulation updates
• Act as subject matter expert on HR compliance and act in an advisory role to People Team centers of excellence, cross-functional stakeholders, and clients
• Proactively address processes to mitigate compliance and operational risk by recommending and prioritizing changes to support the business

What you'll bring

• Experience coordinating works council processes, employee relations, or labor relations in Europe, including managing inform, consult, and co-determination obligations and timelines
• Working knowledge of works council processes and requirements in at least one of Germany, the Netherlands, or France, with the ability to quickly build expertise across additional countries
• Fluency in English and proficiency in French; additional language skills are useful in a multi-country environment
• Understanding of European labor law, including information and consultation rights and common approaches to compliant stakeholder engagement
• Experience partnering with Legal, People Business Partners, and business leaders on consultation approaches for organizational changes and other sensitive matters
• Strong project management skills, including prioritizing multiple requests, maintaining clear documentation, and driving work to timely completion in a remote setting
• Clear written and verbal communication skills for diverse audiences, including preparing agendas, information packages, and training materials, and handling confidential information with sound judgment

About the team

The People team helps GitLab operate responsibly and consistently by building and running people-related processes that support our all-remote, globally distributed workforce. In this role, you'll work closely with People Business Partners, Employment Counsel, Legal, Privacy, and business leaders across EMEA. The team works asynchronously across time zones, with a focus on building strong working relationships,  clear documentation and communication, reliable timelines, and practical guidance that reduces risk while enabling the business to move forward with organizational changes. For more on how we work, see [Link: Team Handbook Page].

How GitLab will support you

• Benefits to support your health, finances, and well-being
• Flexible Paid Time Off 
• Team Member Resource Groups
• Equity Compensation & Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Growth and Development Fund
• Parental leave 
• Home office support

Please note that we welcome interest from candidates with varying levels of experience; many successful candidates do not meet every single requirement. Additionally, studies have shown that people from underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to a job unless they meet every single qualification. If you're excited about this role, please apply and allow our recruiters to assess your application.