People Operations Specialist EMEA

About this role

Blockstream https://blockstream.com/ was founded in 2014 by Dr. Adam Back https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Back and a group of fellow cryptographers and engineers who are passionate about Bitcoin and its potential to change the world. Today, Blockstream is the leading Bitcoin company, providing cutting-edge infrastructure solutions for enterprises, institutions, and individual Bitcoin users. We develop industry-leading Bitcoin self-custody solutions, Bitcoin-based financial products, second-layer scaling technologies, and enterprise-grade blockchain infrastructure.

We're looking for a People Operations Specialist, EMEA, to join our People team, reporting to the Head of HR EMEA. This is a hands-on, full-spectrum HR role spanning administrative excellence, employee experience, compliance, and HR business partnering across a fast-paced, multi-country environment.

You'll bring structure, attention to detail, and strong execution to everything from day-to-day HR operations to process improvement and automation. Comfort with AI tools and a curiosity for modernizing how HR is delivered are a big plus.

If you thrive in a collaborative, fast-moving, and build-phase environment and want to be part of a mission-driven company at the forefront of Bitcoin innovation, we'd love to hear from you.

What You’ll Be Doing (Responsibilities)

EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE & HR SUPPORT

- Be a trusted and responsive point of contact for employees across the EMEA region

- Support employees and managers with HR-related questions, policies, processes, and documentation

- Lead onboarding activities and create a seamless and welcoming employee experience

- Support employee relations topics with professionalism, care, and consistency

- Coordinate engagement initiatives, wellness activities, and internal people programs across multiple countries

HR OPERATIONS & ADMINISTRATION

- Maintain highly accurate and confidential HRIS records and employee documentation

- Coordinate payroll, benefits administration, and vendor communication across EMEA countries

- Support HR compliance activities across multiple jurisdictions, with strong focus on Swiss and broader EMEA HR operations

- Manage contracts, letters, employment documentation, and HR administrative workflows

- Support the development and maintenance of HR policies, handbooks, and internal procedures

- Ensure strong operational accuracy and attention to detail across all HR activities

HR PROCESS IMPROVEMENT & AUTOMATION

- Support modernization and automation of HR processes and workflows

- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency through technology and AI-driven tools

- Assist with the implementation and optimization of HR systems and operational processes

- Bring curiosity and interest in how technology can improve employee experience and HR delivery

TALENT & DEVELOPMENT

- Support recruiting activities including job postings, candidate communication, interview coordination, and screening

- Assist with performance review cycles, goal setting, and employee development initiatives

- Coordinate training and learning opportunities across teams

- Gradually grow into broader HR business partnering exposure and responsibilities over time

What We Look For In You (Required Qualifications)

- 5+ years of experience in People Operations,

- Strong familiarity with HR operations, HR administration, HR processes, Learning and Development and employee lifecycle management

- Experience supporting payroll, contracts, HR systems, and operational HR workflows

- Experience working across multiple countries and jurisdictions within EMEA

- Knowledge of Swiss and broader EMEA employment law and HR practices

- Excellent organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail

- Strong work ethic and ability to manage both strategic exposure and highly administrative tasks with equal professionalism

- Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to build trust across the organization

- Curiosity and familiarity with technology, AI tools, and HR process automation

- Proficiency in HRIS systems and Google Workspace (Ashby experience is a plus)

- Excellent English and Italian verbal and written communication skills

Nice To Haves (Preferred Qualifications)

- Experience in tech, fintech, SaaS, or blockchain/cryptocurrency environments

- Strong multi-country HR experience across EMEA

- German and/or French language skills are highly preferred

- Experience improving or automating HR operational processes

- Exposure to scaling organizations or fast-growth environments

This position requires regular interaction with employees, managers, candidates, and external partners across multiple countries and time zones. The People Operations Specialist EMEA will play a key role in ensuring smooth HR operations, operational excellence, compliance, and a positive employee experience across the region.

Schedule: Monday-Friday, office-based in the centre of Lugano and hybrid 2 days per week.