Heads of HR in Germany
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Meet FRATCH Heads of HR in Germany
Klaus Zwingel
Last position:
Head of HR, Machinery and Plant Engineering at Interim Management (freelance)
- Acting as a professional sparring partner for management and leaders on HR topics
- Advising employees on HR matters
- Maintaining department capability during transition
- Analyzing weaknesses in the performance appraisal process
- Integrating the SAP appraisal tool
- Negotiating and organizing short-time work
- Analyzing and consolidating employment contracts
- Preparing references and recruiting
- Advising on organizational development
Marina Malkowski
Last position:
Independent Interim HR Manager & HR Consultant at Freelance
- Available for interim assignments as Interim HR Director, Interim Head of HR, Interim CHRO, as well as HR transformation and project assignments; nationwide and pan-European, open to all industries.
- Focus: HR Strategy, organizational development, post-merger integration from Day 1, HR digitalization, performance management, building and scaling HR organizations.
Alma Andresen
Last position:
HR Digitalization Project Lead at Ayvens / Société Generale Group
Negotiation and conclusion of company agreements on Workday & other topics I Consulting and implementation of labor law projects in the HR context I Translating complex labor and co-determination law issues into practical solutions I Workday
Frank Tautermann
Last position:
HR Director Germany and Calibration & Testing Nordics ad interim at Element Materials Technologies
Filled the managing director position for the German branch
Revised and optimized collaboration between Finance and HR for Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Germany
Greta Dirzyte
Last position:
HR Director of Group / Interim Head of HR at Rodopi Group
- Optimization of HR processes
- Designing HR IT system and implementing
- Managing HR teams in Greece, Bulgaria and Portugal
- Responsible for global mobility
- Developing HR department
- HR controlling
- Working on performance management system
- Optimization of HR IT system and creating new features
- Coordination of the HR implementation project
- Responsible for a team of 8 direct reports and 4 countries: Germany, Portugal, Greece and Bulgaria
- Integrate new strategies and policies across the regions and support headquarter and local managers in people related matters
- Establish and develop HR departments in all regions
- Responsible for internal communication
- Develop strategy for talent acquisition and development
- Ensure compliance with all applicable local and in country regulations
- Develop job descriptions and recruitment requirements to align with expectations
- Drive change management across the group
- Design HR strategy
- Optimize HR processes and services
- Work with CEOs on new business strategies
- Analyze business and its needs
- Design and integrate trainings for management
- Sector: Renewable energy
- Staff: 900 employees
- Revenue: 55 Mio. Eur
- IT: Internal developed HR system
Antje Maier
Last position:
Director HR at CT IT Consulting
- HR consulting for the 'Digitization of the German Federal Financial Administration' project
- Conducting a project-based personnel requirements analysis
- Designing the introduction of agile project management & SCRUM in HR
- Recruiting for required positions
Sebastian Krammer
Last position:
Group Head of HR Operations at Universal Investment
- Built and led global HR operations including payroll across EU & Singapore (team of 21 across three countries), supporting a workforce of 1,800 employees
- Reduced operational costs by EUR 5M through redesigning HR IT landscape (one group-wide HRIS, Workday implementation)
- Acted as trusted HR advisor for executive team on data driven decision making
- Transformed operations from legal entity focused to scalable group procedures to reduce headcount and transfer positions to best-cost country Poland
- Standardised end-to-end lifecycle processes (employees & external workers), enabling scalable international delivery and sustainable compliant operations
- Led HR programs and projects, including M&A initiatives enabling further international growth
- Defined strategy for payroll services including provider management, integrations built to Workday to ensure sustainable high-quality and compliant delivery
- Created structures to ensure global alignment and continuous improvement of various teams and stakeholder processes and IT tool management
Nina Hellmann
Last position:
HRIS implementation at manufacturing company
data management: importing historical data during system migrations (20–230 employees), Personio, Recruitee, Softgarden, etc.
Martin Fiedler
Last position:
Head of People & Culture (ad interim) at ALLPLAN GmbH
- Restructuring project (AI and offshoring driven)
- Leading the function in the absence of the CHRO
- Transformation
- Driving the change
Aleksandar Sibilia
Last position:
Director Business Partner, People Operations & Talent Acquisition, Deputy CPO at Native Instruments GmbH
- Leading and managing of three team leads and their respective teams
- Overseeing Global People Operations for 600 EEs in 9 locations on 4 continents
- Deliver consulting and coaching to all leaders and employees with my HR Business Partner team
- Responsible for all hiring activities including employer branding to the business in all locations
- HR Tech and innovation
- Project creation and delivery across the entire organization
- Policy making and labor law
- Sparring partner to C-Level and senior leaders
- Liaison person and employer representation to the Works Council
- Member of the Global HR Leadership team
Claudia Maurer
Last position:
Interim HR Director DACH at Essity Group
- One of the market leaders in hygiene and health products (including ZEWA, Tempo, TENA and Tork) with around 34,000 employees worldwide and about 5,400 in the DACH region.
- Bridging the vacancy, as the previous role holder moved internally to another position in October 2024 and the new role holder will only return from the US in July 2025.
- Leading the team of 35 employees (HR Business Partner / Talent Acquisition and Compensation & Benefits).
- Continuing the trusted cooperation with the various employee representatives.
- Local implementation of company-wide HR projects (Pay Transparency, Employer Branding Plan, DEI Policy, etc.) in cooperation with headquarters in Stockholm.
Lucia Papa
Last position:
Head of HR at M-A-U-S Seminare gGmbH
- Building, developing, and leading the HR department
- Advising the management and introducing new role models
- Employee development and introduction of internal HR processes
René König
Last position:
TRiANDO people & culture
HR process consulting, GDPR, direct sourcing, performance recruiting, social media recruiting, effective job postings, employer marketing, HR training, HR processes
Jörg Hensel
Last position:
ad interim – Head of HR Operations at Constructor University Bremen
- Optimization of payroll
- Structuring the HR budget process
- Further integration of Workday and payroll interface
- Realignment of the HR team
- Substitution for the HR VP
Martina Kostro
Last position:
Head of Human Resources; Chief Human Resources Officer & Authorized Signatory at Clarius Group
- Established and led the Human Resources department for Clarius Group and its subsidiaries
- Supported the founding and development of Clarius Services GmbH (Managed Services Provider in Legal Tech, Compliance and Finance Operations), coached the team and provided strategic guidance
- Led change processes, set up new structures and standards, and integrated company acquisitions including cultural integration and team onboarding
- Built the HR team and took responsibility for HR strategy, recruiting, employee retention, employer branding and performance management
- Supported negotiations with large works council bodies
- Guided the digital transformation and implemented AI solutions in Legal Tech
- Developed and executed growth and scaling strategies, conducted market analysis and aligned the organization for sustainable growth
- Coached teams and leaders, promoted talent and established a new corporate culture
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Heads of HR statistics
Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.
Experience
23 years
Position duration
3 years
Positions per freelancer
11
Top business areas
Human Resources, Project Management, Operations
Top industries
Professional Services, Manufacturing, Information Technology
Certification focus areas
Human Resources, Legal, Project Management
Bachelor's degree or higher
85%
Master's degree or higher
58%
Doctorate
5%
Certifications per freelancer
2
Most common languages
German, English, French
Speak two or more languages
98%
Based on our profile pool as of 26 Aug 2026.
Daily rate distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this role in Germany are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge within that range.
Average rates for Heads of HR in Germany
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 26 Aug 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
About the role
What they lead
A Head of HR sets the people agenda and turns business goals into clear HR action. They define policies, steer day-to-day HR operations, and align leaders on hiring, development, retention, and workforce planning. In many companies, this role also acts as HR Director or Head of People, depending on the structure.
Typical deliverables
- HR strategy and annual people priorities
- Org design and role clarity across teams
- Recruitment process improvement and hiring support
- Employee relations guidance and manager coaching
- Performance, compensation, and development frameworks
- Change support during growth, restructuring, or integration
Skills that matter
Strong Heads of HR combine business judgment with calm execution. They need a solid grasp of labor relations, leadership coaching, HR operations, and communication. They should be confident with HRIS, ATS, performance tools, and common collaboration stacks, while knowing when to step into sensitive conversations and when to build scalable process.
- Strategic thinking with hands-on delivery
- Clear communication with executives and line managers
- Practical knowledge of talent, payroll coordination, and compliance topics
- Experience working with HR teams, Finance, Legal, and Operations
- Ability to shape policy without creating unnecessary complexity
When companies bring them in
Companies often hire a freelance Head of HR when they need senior support without a long internal search. This is common during rapid growth, leadership change, restructuring, international expansion, or when an existing HR team needs direction. In Germany, clients also look for local HR leadership that can work well with German-language employee communication and local stakeholder expectations.
What strong professionals do
A strong HR Director does more than keep processes running. They spot people risks early, improve manager quality, and make HR decisions that support the business instead of slowing it down. They can work as an interim leader, steady an overloaded team, and bring structure to messy HR topics without losing trust.
Fit for the role
The best freelancers in this role know how to enter fast, assess the situation quickly, and set priorities without creating noise. They are credible with executives and practical with employees. For complex environments, look for people who have led HR through transformation, handled sensitive employee relations, and built clear operating rhythms for the HR function.
Frequently asked questions
Curious about Heads of HR? Here are the answers that come up again and again.
A Head of HR sets direction for the people function and helps leadership turn business needs into HR actions. That usually includes workforce planning, hiring priorities, employee relations, manager support, and the shape of HR processes. In many companies, the role also covers policy work, org changes, and coordination with Finance and Legal.
A freelance HR Director is a strong choice when you need senior leadership fast, but the role is not yet stable enough for a long internal search. It also works well for interim cover, restructuring, growth phases, or a stalled HR setup that needs structure before a permanent appointment. Companies often use this option to keep momentum while they define the long-term shape of the function.
A strong Head of People combines strategic thinking with hands-on HR execution. Look for experience in employee relations, leadership coaching, org design, performance processes, and change support. They should also communicate clearly with executives and be comfortable working across HR systems and core operational topics.
An HR Manager usually focuses more on day-to-day HR delivery and team coordination, while this role owns the broader people agenda. A People Operations lead is often more process and tooling oriented, with less scope for executive-level decision-making. The Head of HR sits closer to business leadership and is expected to shape priorities, not just run processes.
Yes, a Head of HR can work in all three setups, but the right mix depends on the topic. Sensitive employee relations, leadership alignment, and restructuring often benefit from on-site presence, while policy work, planning, and process design can be handled remotely. In Germany, many clients prefer some in-person time for trust-building with managers and works councils where relevant.
If managers handle people issues differently, hiring feels reactive, or HR work is spread across too many people, you likely need a Head of HR. Other signs are weak role clarity, unclear policies, poor onboarding, or a change program that has no clear people owner. The role is especially useful when the business is growing faster than its HR structure.
Look at how a Head of HR thinks, not just the list of tasks they have done. Good signs are structured priorities, clear stakeholder management, and examples of improving team performance or solving sensitive issues without conflict. Strong professionals can explain what they changed, why they changed it, and how the business benefited.
For a Head of HR assignment in Germany, clarity on scope, decision rights, and key stakeholders matters from day one. You should also check whether the company expects local language support, works council interaction, or support for cross-border HR topics. The best assignments give you enough authority to move the function forward, not just keep it afloat.
The average hourly rate for Heads of HR in Germany is 129 €, which corresponds to a daily rate of about 1,032 € based on an 8-hour working day.
Of the freelancers working as Heads of HR in Germany, 85% hold at least a Bachelor's degree, 58% hold at least a Master's degree, and 5% hold a doctorate.
On average, freelancers working as Heads of HR in Germany have 23 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 3 years.
The most common languages among freelancers working as Heads of HR in Germany are German (100%), English (96%), and French (33%).
The most common industries among freelancers working as Heads of HR in Germany are Professional Services (86%), Manufacturing (59%), and Information Technology (53%).
The most common business areas among freelancers working as Heads of HR in Germany are Human Resources (100%), Project Management (67%), and Operations (51%).
FRATCH Heads of HR main locations
Our freelancers and interim experts are at home across the DACH region — available on-site in the major business hubs or fully remote. Choose a location to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.
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Philipp Thomaschewski
FRATCH CEO
