Senior People Operations Partner - Fixed Term Contract
Niantic
People & HR, Operations
Barcelona, Spain
Scopely is looking for a Senior People Operations Partner/ Manager, People Operations to join our People team in Barcelona on a hybrid basis working 2 days a week from the hub. This is a fixed term contract of 6 months, maternity cover assignment.
At Scopely, we care deeply about what we do and want to inspire play, every day - whether in our work environments alongside our talented colleagues, or through our deep connections with our communities of players. We are a global team of game lovers who are developing, publishing and innovating the mobile games industry, connecting millions of people around the world daily.
We make sure our teams have everything they need to create amazing games. The People team manages everything from benefits & employee engagement to professional development opportunities and more!
What You Will Do
The Manager, People Operations, EMEA will lead and evolve People Operations across multiple countries within the EMEA region, with a strong focus on Spain, the UK, and Portugal. This role is responsible for driving operational excellence, regional compliance, scalable process design, and a best-in-class employee experience across the employee lifecycle.
This role combines strategic ownership with operational leadership and requires strong expertise in EMEA employment practices, process optimization, stakeholder management, and team leadership within a fast-paced global environment.
Regional People Operations Leadership
- Own and drive People Operations delivery across assigned EMEA countries, ensuring scalable, compliant, and employee-centric processes
- Act as the regional subject matter expert for employee lifecycle operations, partnering closely with People Business Partners, Payroll, Legal, Finance, HR Tech, and Global Mobility
- Lead operational governance and consistency across onboarding, lifecycle changes, offboarding, documentation management, and leave administration
- Provide strategic guidance and operational leadership on complex employee matters, escalations, and regional process challenges
- Support organizational growth and transformation initiatives, ensuring operational readiness and process scalability
- Influence and help shape global People Operations standards, frameworks, and service delivery models
Employee Lifecycle & Operational Excellence
- Oversee end-to-end onboarding processes across EMEA countries, ensuring seamless employee experience, compliance, and operational efficiency
- Lead execution and quality control of employee lifecycle events including hires, transfers, promotions, compensation changes, restructures, and terminations
- Oversee offboarding processes in partnership with PBPs, Legal, Payroll, and IT, ensuring compliance with local labor legislation and internal policies
- Manage and optimize Leave of Absence (LOA) processes, including medical leaves, parental leave, accommodations, and statutory leaves across multiple jurisdictions
- Ensure employee documentation, contracts, right-to-work records, and HRIS data are maintained accurately and in compliance with local regulations
- Partner with Global Mobility and external vendors to support immigration, relocation, and cross-border employment matters
Compliance, Risk & Governance
- Lead compliance initiatives across EMEA People Operations processes, particularly within Spain, the UK, and Portugal
- Maintain deep awareness of legislative updates and proactively assess operational impact, risks, and required process changes
- Partner with Legal and Payroll teams to ensure compliant implementation of employment policies, labor law requirements, and operational procedures
- Lead internal audits and compliance reviews related to employee data, documentation, and HR processes
- Drive HRIS data governance and establish controls to ensure data integrity, accuracy, and operational compliance
- Support business continuity planning and risk mitigation efforts related to People Operations Processes
Systems, Analytics & Process Optimization
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on scalability, automation, operational efficiency, and employee experience
- Partner cross-functionally with HR Tech and Operations stakeholders to optimize Workday workflows, integrations, reporting, and case management processes
- Establish and maintain SOPs, operational playbooks, documentation standards, and service-level expectations
- Analyze operational metrics and trends to identify opportunities for improvement and inform strategic decision-making
- Leverage Workday, JIRA, reporting tools, and dashboards to manage operations, measure performance, and improve service delivery
- Lead or contribute to regional and global People Operations projects, implementations, and transformation initiatives
Leadership & Stakeholder Partnership
- Act as a trusted advisor and operational partner to employees, managers, People Business Partners, and cross-functional stakeholders across the EMEA region
- Build strong partnerships across global teams to drive alignment, operational consistency, and high-quality service delivery
- Support and mentor junior People Operations team members, helping elevate operational capability and process excellence
- Provide guidance and escalation support on sensitive employee lifecycle matters with professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, operational rigor, and continuous improvement within the People Operations function
What We’re Looking For
- 6–8+ years of experience in People Operations, HR Operations, or HR Generalist roles within fast-paced, international environments
- Demonstrated experience operating at a senior specialist, lead, or manager level with ownership of regional HR operations processes and initiatives
- Strong operational expertise across the full employee lifecycle, including onboarding, offboarding, HRIS administration, compliance, and leave management
- Experience supporting multiple countries within EMEA, with strong expertise in Spain and familiarity with employment practices in the UK and Portugal
- Strong working knowledge of Spanish labor law, HR compliance requirements, and employment practices
- Proven ability to manage complex operational processes, prioritize competing demands, and drive process improvements at scale
- Experience partnering cross-functionally with Payroll, Legal, Finance, HR Tech, Global Mobility, and People Business Partners
- Advanced experience with Workday and ticketing/case management systems such as JIRA
- Strong analytical and reporting capabilities, including advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUPs/XLOOKUPs, data analysis, reporting)
- Experience leveraging metrics and operational insights to improve processes and inform decision-making
- Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to navigate ambiguity and drive solutions independently
- Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills across multicultural and globally distributed teams
- Demonstrated ability to lead initiatives, influence without authority, and drive operational excellence in a matrixed organization
- High level of accuracy, discretion, organization, and attention to detail
- Fluent in English and Spanish
Bonus Points
- Experience supporting global or multinational organizations within technology, gaming, or high-growth environments
- Experience participating in HR transformation, process redesign, or systems implementation projects
- Familiarity with shared services or global People Operations service delivery models
- Experience mentoring or leading junior team members or regional operational initiatives
- Knowledge of additional EMEA labor legislation frameworks is a plus
Please submit your CV in English.
At Scopely, we create games for everyone - and want to ensure that the people behind our games reflect that! We are committed to creating a diverse, supportive work environment where everyone is treated with respect. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities and welcome individuals from all backgrounds to join us & embrace the adventure!
Employment at Scopely is based solely on a person's merit and qualifications. Scopely does not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), or any other basis protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.
This role will have access to sensitive and/or confidential employee or customer personally identifiable information (PII) and/or Company financial information, and therefore will be subject to background checks upon receiving a conditional offer of employment.
About Scopely
Scopely is a leading video game and global interactive entertainment company, home to many of the world’s most beloved and enduring experiences, including two of the most successful mobile games of all-time “MONOPOLY GO!” and “Pokémon GO,” along with “Stumble Guys,” “Star Trek™ Fleet Command,” “MARVEL Strike Force,” “WWE Champions,” the Scrabble® franchise, “Yahtzee® With Buddies,” and many others. Across mobile, web, PC, and console, Scopely creates, develops, publishes, and live-operates one of the most diversified and award-winning portfolios in the games industry — bringing hundreds of millions of players together through a shared love of play.
Founded in 2011, Scopely is powered by its exceptional team — including thousands of world-class gamemakers around the globe, a distinctive tenet-driven culture, and its proprietary technology platform, Playgami. Together, these strengths have fueled Scopely’s position as the #1 mobile games company in the U.S. and #2 globally, generating more than $10 billion in lifetime revenue. Whether building global sensations like “MONOPOLY GO!” from the ground up, or expanding through strategic acquisitions, including the FoxNext, GSN, and Niantic games businesses — Scopely consistently delivers experiences players love today and return to for years to come.
Recognized multiple times as one of the "100 Most Influential Companies in the World" by TIME magazine and one of Fast Company's "World's Most Innovative Companies" and “Best Workplaces for Innovators,” Scopely believes that video games can be a force for good — creating meaningful connections, vibrant communities, and making life better through play.
Scopely has global operations and partners across four continents in more than a dozen countries worldwide. For more information, visit: https://www.scopely.com/.
Notice to Candidates: Scopely will never request payment or financial information during the application or hiring process. Please apply only through our official website and verify that all Talent Partner communications come from an email address ending in @scopely.com.
Should you have any questions or encounter any fraudulent requests/emails/websites, please immediately contact recruiting@scopely.com. Our job applicant privacy policies are available here: California Privacy Notice and EEA/UK Privacy Notice.
Employment at Scopely is based solely on a person's merit and qualifications. Scopely does not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), or any other basis protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.