Job description
HR Business Partner
As our HR Business Partner, you will be the primary HR contact for our crew members working onboard our inland shipping vessels across the Rhein. This role requires a unique blend of empathy, cultural sensitivity, and hands on pragmatism. You will support a blue collar, multicultural workforce, ensuring they feel heard, supported, and well-guided throughout their employment journey.
You will join a small, supportive HR team in continuous evolution—with plenty of room for autonomy, improvement initiatives, and cross-functional collaboration, and where colleagues take the time to guide you and share their knowledge. Expect variety, ownership, teamwork, humor, and moments that require seriousness and discretion. If you thrive in a dynamic environment and enjoy being close to the people you support, this role is for you.
Key job responsibilities:
• Act as the main HR point of contact for crew members across various vessels.
• Build strong relationships with crew members from diverse cultural backgrounds, fostering trust, open communication, and engagement.
• Provide day-to-day HR support on topics such as contracts, working conditions, well-being, and conflict resolution.
• Drive the recruitment of new crew members by translating business needs into effective candidate screening and selection.
• Facilitate interview processes, contract preparation, and onboarding logistics.
• Contribute to crew rotation strategies to ensure optimal staffing levels and operational continuity.
• Coordinate onboarding and offboarding processes, ensuring smooth transitions and a positive crew experience.
• Support the development and implementation of training initiatives to enhance crew skills, compliance, and long-term development.
• Provide day-to-day HR guidance on performance, development opportunities, and career pathways within the organization.
• Apply and interpret relevant HR policies and employment regulations, with a focus on compliance with Swiss labour law.
• Contribute to the creation, implementation, and continuous improvement of HR policies and procedures.
• Participate in HR transformation initiatives and process improvement projects across the department.
• Propose and implement creative solutions to enhance the crew experience and HR operational efficiency.
• Contribute to organizational culture-building and engagement initiatives.
What We Offer
• A varied and impactful HR role in a dynamic, international environment.
• Autonomy and freedom to shape your work and contribute ideas.
• Opportunity to work on strategic and operational HR topics.
• Supportive team culture with a balance of humor, teamwork, and professionalism.
• The chance to make a real difference for the people who keep our vessels running.
Profile required
Your profile:
• You hold a Bachelor degree and can demonstrate experience as an HR Business Partner, HR Officer, or similar generalist HR role.
• Having experience with supporting blue-collar or operational populations is considered a plus
• Having knowledge of Swiss labour law or willingness to learn quickly.
• You possess strong interpersonal, communication, and conflict resolution skills.
• You are able to adapt to diverse cultural backgrounds.
• You are able to manage performance and build trust on board.
• You are able to build trust, remain approachable, and act with fairness and empathy.
• You have a hands on mentality: comfortable working in a fast-evolving, high-volume HR environment.
• You are able and willing to travel frequently to operational sites.
• You are fluent in English and have minimum a good level of German (written and spoken).
Company description
Plouvier operates a fleet of state-of-the-art vessels, offering cutting-edge equipment and optimal working conditions for its teams. We primarily sail on the Rhine and provide professional support through experienced management and technical teams. Our motto, “ONE TEAM, ONE ENERGY” reflects our values of solidarity, dynamism, and collaboration.
On 6/19/2026