Senior People Generalist

Job description

ROLE HIGHLIGHTS: - Senior People Generalist - Location: Portugal, Lisbon - Department: Local subsidiary - Reports to: CEO, ICEYE Portugal & indirect line to Global Head of People Operations - Employment type: Permanent, full-time - Workplace model: hybrid (office-first) Employment is subject to applicable security screening (incl. SUPO, where required) WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS:   You are the face of People Operations for ICEYE in Portugal and the first line of defence for all country-specific people matters. ICEYE's Global HR Operations team (the second line) designs the global frameworks, tools and data standards; you own their local tailoring and practical execution — while ICEYE Portugal builds two very different organisations at once: a Lisbon Center of Excellence hiring software, AI and space engineers, and a satellite production facility ramping manufacturing, integration and test teams through 2027. Your mission: ICEYErs in Portugal are engaged and supported so they can deliver better business results.   WHO WE ARE ICEYE is the world leader in sovereign intelligence from space. We deliver persistent monitoring capabilities to detect and respond to changes in any location on Earth.   ICEYE owns the world's largest and most advanced SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellite constellation. To our customers we provide intelligence with unmatched quality, latency and revisit times, in any weather, day or night. To governments who choose to operate their own constellation we provide this proven capability as a sovereign system.   ICEYE-built constellations serve customers in defence and intelligence, environmental monitoring, insurance and emergency management. We enable fast decisions that contribute to a safer future.   Founded and headquartered in Finland, ICEYE operates globally with over 1000 employees across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. YOUR DAY-TO-DAY RESPONSIBILITIES Employee experience & local HR operations - Serve as the primary point of contact for local employees on benefits, policies and employee lifecycle events, providing timely and accurate responses in line with global standards. - Handle individual cases for relocation and onboarding, including preparation of local employment contracts and country-specific documentation. - Manage local third-party HR providers (payroll vendor, benefit brokers) and the local practicalities of off-boarding, meeting all legal requirements and exit procedures. - Act as the first point of contact for standard employee relations cases, handling practicalities locally and consulting Global HR Operations on complex issues. Payroll, data & compliance - Audit payroll data in the HRIS and ensure accurate local processing in collaboration with the in-house team and the local payroll vendor. - Maintain accurate employee records in the HRIS and related systems: data integrity, confidentiality and compliance with local and global data privacy regulations. - Stay on top of Portuguese employment law — including the specifics of an industrial site (shifts, safety-adjacent policies, collective frameworks where applicable) — and keep all HR activity compliant, with clear documentation of local processes and policies. - Coordinate the personnel security clearance process with the local security officer for roles that require it. Global alignment & people programmes - Act as the go-to person for the CEO on HR matters, escalating complex issues to the Global HR team when necessary. - Tailor and execute global frameworks locally — levels, salary bands, performance management, wellbeing, L&D — so they work for both the Center of Excellence and the factory population. - Identify opportunities to automate local HR tasks with Global HR Operations, adapting global ways of working to local legal standards while preserving ICEYE's culture. - Assist managers and leads as the organisation adds its first layers of management. Talent Attraction - Act as the bridge between the global Talent Attraction team and local hiring needs in Portugal: oversee local TA processes, keep hiring moving at the right speed and step in with hands-on support when needed. - Support local employer brand building and the channels that feed it, including university partnerships and the local tech and industrial talent networks.   WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR Must haves: - 8+ years of progressive HR experience covering both talent acquisition and HR generalist/business partner work — this role needs real depth in both. - Strong working knowledge of Portuguese labour law, local benefits and market HR practice, with a track record of creating compliant HR policy documentation. - A hands-on approach with high attention to detail in contract management, local onboarding and the management of local third-party providers. - Track record hiring technical/engineering profiles and industrial or manufacturing profiles; you