Senior HR Specialist

We are looking for an experienced Senior HR Specialist who thrives in a fast-paced HR operations environment and takes full ownership of their assigned responsibilities. The ideal candidate will be proactive and confident in handling complex employee queries, payroll inputs and labor-law-driven processes. They will act as trusted advisors to employees and managers, demonstrating a proven sense of urgency. This role would suit someone with strong HR shared services experience, in-depth knowledge of Spanish labor law and HR practices in the Iberian region specifically, a passion for continuous improvement. Understanding and knowledge of other European labor jurisdictions would be an advantage.

Role Responsibilities

• Work with the HR ticketing system, resolving a wide range of employee queries in line with defined service level agreements (SLAs).
• Take full ownership of assigned countries (focus on Iberia Region), including resolving complex stakeholder queries and leading local process improvements.
• Prepare payroll inputs for assigned countries, ensuring high accuracy and compliance with time sensitive deadlines.
• Prepare and deliver training sessions and facilitate meetings on various HR topics for employees and managers.
• Create, maintain, and continuously improve HR standard operating procedures (SOPs) and related documentation. 
• Administer country-specific HR programs and processes, ensuring compliance with local labor laws and regulatory requirements (including workplace accommodations, reporting to local labor institutions).
• Provide support for migration related processes.
• Act as the first point of contact for stakeholders in assigned countries, partnering with HR Operations Tier 3 teams or Centers of Excellence (CoEs) to resolve complex employee matters.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to employees and managers by consulting on HR policies, processes, and topics covering employee lifecycle.
• Ensure adherence to HR service level agreements (SLAs) and quality standards.
• Maintain accurate and timely updates on Workday and other internal HR systems.

Role Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (degree in Business Administration or Human Resources is an advantage).
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in an HR shared services or HR operations environment.
• Good knowledge of regional HR practices, policies, and labor laws within Iberia and Europe region.
• Proven experience handling sensitive employee escalations and core HR operational processes, including time & absence management and payroll reporting.
• Strong process documentation and SOP development skills.
• Ability to work effectively with cross functional teams and manage multiple priorities in a ‑fast paced‑ environment.
• Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge of Portuguese would be an advantage. Spanish language is essential due to local documentation, labor law application, and communication with local regulatory institutions.
• Hands‑on experience working with HR systems, including Workday (experience with time tracking systems as Kerio, Cronos or Sage is considered an advantage).
• Strong problem-solving‑ skills with high attention to detail.
• Good communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.

Work Shift

HYBRID – Western Union values in-person collaboration, problem solving, and ideation whenever possible. We believe this fosters common ways of working and supports how we execute initiatives for our customers. The expectation is to work from the office a minimum of three days a week.