Junior HR Officer

Job description

Wakuli. Impacting the world with exciting coffee.

While consumers are paying too much for low-quality coffee, farmers are earning below what they need to sustain their livelihoods.

That's why we are all about selling the best coffee – not just in taste, but also in fair pay for the farmers we work with. Our beans are traceable to the farm and poured by us in your cup or freshly delivered at home through your mailbox. We are a no-nonsense, ambitious start-up with a profound mission: impacting the world with exciting coffee.

We operate a European e-commerce and 20 retail bars (and counting) in 8 cities across the Netherlands.

Your role

As a Junior HR Officer at Wakuli, you’ll be the go-to person for HR operations and helping to keep everything running smoothly. You won’t be alone – you’ll work closely with our HR Business Partner, learning the ropes and gradually taking ownership of tasks. Your work will touch all areas of HR, from payroll to employee support to onboarding, while also helping us shape HR processes and contribute to our company culture.

This role is perfect for someone curious, eager to learn, organised, and proactive – someone who wants to grow into HR generalist or specialist in a dynamic rapidly expanding environment.

You'll be working from our roastery in Watergang, just outside Amsterdam Noord, with the possibility to sometimes work from home.

Job requirements

What You'll Do

Your main responsibilities include:

• Payroll & Contracts: Support the smooth running of payroll and contract administration for our flex workforce. You’ll help process monthly payroll, prepare and manage employment contracts, and keep track of working hours, sick leave, and holidays.

• HR Systems & Records: Help keep our HR systems and employee records accurate and up to date. You’ll learn how our HR tools work, support recruitment and onboarding administration, and assist with creating simple reports and maintaining digital personnel files.

• Employee Support: Be a welcoming first point of contact for day-to-day HR questions from our retail teams and HQ. You’ll support new starters with onboarding and training logistics, help keep HR documentation and policies up to date, and assist with rolling out new processes.

• Team & Office Support: Help keep our HQ running smoothly by supporting office logistics, supplies, and facilities coordination. You’ll also help organise team events, meetings, and celebrations, and be a helpful, approachable presence around the office.

Over time, you’ll grow into taking full ownership of these processes, gaining independence and building your skills across all HR areas.

What You Bring

We’re looking for someone curious, organised, and eager to grow in HR. You don’t need to know everything yet – what matters most is your mindset and willingness to learn.

• Fluent in Dutch & English

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, or a related field

• 1–2 years of HR, payroll, or administrative experience is a plus, but not required if you’re a fast learner

• Interest in Dutch labour law, flexible contracts, and payroll processes

• Comfortable using HR systems (Sympa, Nmbrs, Recruitee, or similar) and Excel

• Highly organised, detail-oriented, and able to juggle multiple tasks

• Friendly and service-minded, with patience and empathy when helping employees

• Curious, proactive, and ready to take ownership as you grow into the role

You’ll learn a lot on the job and gradually become independent in managing HR processes – this role is perfect for someone excited to develop their skills in a fast-growing company.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience in retail, hospitality, or high-volume flex workforce environments

• Familiarity with Recruitee or other ATS systems

• Experience with 360Learning or similar LMS platforms

• Office management experience

Why You’ll Love This Role

• Learn and Grow: Gain hands-on experience in all areas of HR while being supported by an experienced HRBP. Over time, you’ll become confident running processes independently.

• Shape Your Role: You’ll have the freedom to improve and create HR processes as we scale.

• Make an Impact: Help our team feel supported and happy, while contributing to our mission of fair pay for coffee farmers.

• Flexible & Fun: And yes – unlimited coffee included.

• Collaborative Culture: Join a friendly, international team, and work directly with baristas, managers, and colleagues across the company.

What We Offer

Professional Growth:

• A critical role supporting a fast-growing company (170 → 250+ people in 2026)

• Direct collaboration with HR Business Partner and team leads

• Opportunity to grow into HR Generalist or specialist roles as we scale

• Front-row seat to international expansion planning

Impact & Culture:

• The opportunity to make a difference in this world

• Work with talented international colleagues (170+ people from 25+ countries)

• Be part of building an alternative coffee industry that benefits farmers

• Direct connection to our farmer partners worldwide

Practical Benefits:

• Unlimited holidays + Pension (Pensioenfonds Detailhandel)

• The best coffee (obviously)