HR Operations & Payroll Specialist

About Hitachi Energy Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader committed to tackling some of the world's greatest challenges by advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We deliver on this promise because our people innovate and collaborate every day across the globe. As an employer, we operate in 90 countries with 45,000 colleagues who are empowered to do their best work as part of our Diversity 360 vision.

Embrace Diversity and Innovation Hitachi Energy's Grid & Power Quality Solutions and Service global product group is a world‑leading provider of grid connections and power quality solutions that help customers build a more sustainable, flexible, and secure energy system. We leverage long‑standing technology leadership, deep integration expertise, a large installed base, and a global footprint to deliver life‑cycle value with minimal risk. Our customers span utilities, renewables, industry, transportation, data centers, and infrastructure.

In Europe, more than 1,000 skilled professionals across 16 countries focus on critical domains that drive the energy transition. Within Grid & Power Quality Solutions and Service in Europe (HBUEU), diversity fuels our culture of innovation and collaboration. Our leading technology and strong market position enable us to meet ambitious growth targets across established and emerging segments such as hydrogen, data centers, and e‑mobility.

Join Our Team

The opportunity

HR Operations & Payroll Specialist (Belgium or Netherlands, remote-friendly)

Are you passionate about delivering exceptional HR services and driving continuous improvement? Join our dynamic HR Operations team as an HR Operations & Payroll Specialist. You'll support our employees and managers and ensure accurate, timely HR and payroll service delivery across Belgium and the Netherlands. While the team is based in Zaventem (Belgium), this role primarily supports our Netherlands population, with flexibility to assist Belgium operations when needed. You can work remotely from anywhere in Belgium or the Netherlands, with access to our offices in Zaventem and Rotterdam.
You'll bring strong expertise in Dutch employment legislation and payroll processes, helping us stay compliant and deliver a great employee experience across the region.

How you'll make an impact

• Own the end-to-end employee lifecycle in our HR systems (onboarding, job changes, terminations), including compensation and benefits and payroll-related activities in Workday, our time/attendance tool, and other HR platforms.
• Partner with our external payroll provider to ensure accurate and timely payroll processing for the Netherlands (and support Belgium when needed).
• Manage employee queries and transactional requests through our HR ticketing system, meeting defined SLAs and delivering a great customer experience.
• Communicate clearly with stakeholders (country HR, managers, employees), keeping them informed on process status and outcomes.
• Maintain high data quality and ensure compliance with local labor laws, company policies, and GDPR.
• Support audits, HR projects, and process improvements across the Benelux region, identifying opportunities to simplify and standardize ways of working.

• 3-5 years of experience in HR Operations and Payroll, ideally with outsourced payroll services.
• Solid knowledge of Dutch employment legislation and payroll processes; familiarity with Belgian legislation is a plus.
• Hands-on experience with HR systems such as Workday and ServiceNow (or similar ticketing tools); time and attendance system knowledge is an advantage.
• Meticulous attention to detail, strong problem-solving skills, and a passion for service excellence.
• Ability to work effectively with colleagues and vendors across borders and time zones.
• Fluent in Dutch and English; French is a plus.

• Remote-friendly work from anywhere in Belgium or the Netherlands, with offices in Zaventem and Rotterdam for hybrid collaboration.
• A collaborative, growth-minded team that values quality, initiative, and continuous improvement.
• Opportunities to lead and contribute to HR transformation and process optimization projects.
• Competitive compensation and benefits aligned with local markets.

• Location: Belgium or the Netherlands (remote or hybrid).