Bauer Media Group
Chief of Staff to SVP People (m/f/d)
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JOB PURPOSE
The Chief of Staff combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution and acts as a trusted sparring partner to the SVP People. The role serves as a central connector across the organisation, driving alignment, governance, and delivery of key People priorities while enabling leadership focus on the highest-impact areas. Success in this position requires intellectual curiosity, sound judgement, a strong delivery mindset, and the willingness to move seamlessly between shaping strategic initiatives and solving day-to-day operational challenges. This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the heart of the People agenda, partnering closely with the SVP People on some of the organisation's most strategic priorities.
KEY DUTIES/ RESPONSIBILITIES
- Act as thought partner to the SVP People, challenging ideas constructively, identifying risks and opportunities, and helping shape decision-making on key People and business topics.
- Shape and maintain the key priorities, translating ambition into clear, actionable plans.
- Anticipate issues before they arise, proactively removing obstacles and ensuring momentum on critical People priorities.
- Act as the central point of contact and connector between the People function and other functions and decision bodies across the group.
- Own the planning, coordination, and delivery of leadership interactions and team formats, including agenda-setting, preparation of high-quality pre-reads, stakeholder alignment, and follow-up tracking.
- Lead the People budget planning, including regular tracking, projections, and forecasts, in close collaboration with FP&A.
- Steer internal People communications, including Town Halls and key function-wide updates, in close collaboration with Corporate Communications.
- Represent the People function in selected cross-functional forums and governance bodies.
- Develop and deliver high-quality presentations, decision papers, analyses, and executive materials for senior audiences.
- Establish and maintain robust governance frameworks and tools (e.g. Monday.com, SharePoint, Teams channels) to enable transparency, coordination, and execution discipline.
- Balance strategic responsibilities with operational execution, recognising that exceptional outcomes often require attention to both high-level priorities and practical details.
- Lead selected initiatives and projects where it adds value to business priorities and personal development.
- Build strong working relationships across the People function and the wider group to enable alignment and execution.
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JOB REQUIREMENTS
Personal skills
- Mandatory requirement of a high level of discretion and confidentiality
- Excellent judgement and ability to navigate complex and sensitive situations
- Very analytical and data-oriented working style
- Ability to translate ideas into execution
- Proactive, hands-on, and results-oriented working style
- Anticipates needs and opportunities rather than waiting for direction
- Strong ownership mentality and willingness to go beyond formal responsibilities when needed
- Comfortable operating with limited guidance and high levels of ambiguity
Social skills
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder management skills
- Ability to simplify complexity
- Collaborative working style
- Negotiation skills
- Intercultural competencies
Leadership skills
- Ability to influence and challenge constructively
- Ability to motivate team members and lead to results in a virtual international environment
Work experience
- Significant experience in large international, decentralised organisations, ideally with exposure to senior leadership and complex organisational settings.
- Operational HR experience is highly beneficial but not essential. Candidates from other backgrounds should demonstrate willingness to rapidly build expertise in People-related matters.
- (Commercial) experience outside of the People function is a plus.
- Work experience abroad is a plus.
Methodical competencies (incl. IT/Language skills)
- Fluent English verbal and written communication skills. Fluent German is a highly beneficial but not essential.
- Project and Programme management skills.
- Strong attention to detail without losing sight of the bigger picture.
- Organisational and time-management skills.
- Exceptional written communication and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex topics into clear and compelling narratives.
- Advanced proficiency in PowerPoint, Excel, and collaboration tools such as Monday.com.
Education
- A university degree in Business Administration, Law, Finance, or related fields.
LOCATION
Hamburg (GER) preferred, or London (UK) with regular travel to Hamburg
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START DATE
As soon as possible
About Bauer Media Group
We are a media business focused on creating content that matters to millions of people across Europe. Our offering extends from print and online publishing to audio broadcasting and entertainment, alongside investments in other media-related sectors. With more than 500 million copies sold each year, we are one of Europe’s largest Publishers. From women’s and celebrities’ magazines to TV listings to food and special interest, we own some of the most popular publishing brands in Germany, UK, Poland, and France – both digital and print. But not only that. Reaching over 61 million listeners weekly, we operate over 150 radio and podcast brands in nine countries, spanning the UK, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Portugal. Family-owned in the 5th generation, Bauer Media focuses on the long-term, with a consumer-first mindset that guides us across our diverse portfolio. Our workforce of 12,000 shares a common purpose: to deliver content and services that enrich people’s everyday lives.
What’s in it for you (please note: depending on country these benefits may vary)
- You’ll have 28 days holiday, bank holidays & 2 volunteer days to use.
- Your development matters, so access to our internal training provider – Bauer Academy, is a huge win.
- We have enhanced Maternity/Adoption, Paternity, and Shared Parental Leave Pay.
- You’ll have the opportunity for flexible working.
- And much more! Find the full details of our benefits here.
We are an international employer and equal opportunities are important to us.
That's why we welcome everyone in their uniqueness, regardless of e.g. religion, gender, skin color, disability in our house.
We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. If you have a disability or a long-term health condition, and need us to make any reasonable adjustments or do anything differently during any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know by emailing careershub@bauermedia.co.uk.
We are actively recruiting for this position, so the job advert may close earlier than expected.
If you have any feedback regarding our UK recruitment process, please email careershub@bauermedia.co.uk; we would love to hear from you.
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