Open to opportunities

Maria Rocha

@mariarocha

People & Culture advisor supporting organizational development and career transitions; designed HR Reset, Career Journey and Career Support.

Portugal

Message

As an Independent People & Culture Advisor, I provide advisory, mentoring and career transition support. I designed three structured programmes: HR Reset, Career Journey and Career Support.

At BRIDGE IN, I served as the sole People & Culture lead during organizational growth, managing recruitment, onboarding and HR operations for hybrid and remote teams. I built performance management processes and implemented Objectives and Key Results.

Earlier, I built foundational HR structures at Faurecia Aptoide Automotive and managed HR operations at Impossible and Unbabel. My work has included employee relations, organizational change, workplace wellbeing and HR compliance.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Fractional Organizational Development & Projects Advisor

Current

Associação Bengala Mágica

Mar 2026 - Present (7 months)

Support organizational development and internal structuring for a nonprofit focused on visual impairment inclusion. Contribute to project development, partnerships and operational organization.

Organizational Development Project Development Partnerships Organizational Operations Documentation Website Planning Funding Initiatives

Current

Independent People & Culture Advisor

Current

Self Employed

Jun 2025 - Present (1 year 4 months)

Provide People & Culture advisory, mentoring and career transition support. Designed three structured support programmes: HR Reset, Career Journey and Career Support.

HR Advisory Mentorship Career Transition Thought Leadership Workplace Wellbeing

Head of People & Culture

BRIDGE IN

Aug 2024 - Jun 2025 (10 months)

Served as the sole People & Culture lead during a period of organizational growth. Managed recruitment, onboarding and HR operations for hybrid and remote teams.

Recruitment Onboarding HR Operations Performance Management OKRs Employee Relations Conflict Resolution Diversity And Inclusion Employee Handbook HR Policy Compliance

HR Manager

Faurecia Aptoide Automotive

Feb 2024 - Jun 2024 (4 months)

Joined as the first dedicated HR professional in a high-growth joint venture environment. Built foundational HR structures and supported recruitment and onboarding.

HR Frameworks Recruitment Onboarding HR Platforms Employee Contracts Compliance Organizational Change Post Merger Integration Due Diligence Online Learning Platforms Training

HR Manager / People Specialist

Impossible

Jun 2020 - Sep 2023 (3 years 3 months)

Managed HR operations and the employee lifecycle in a creative technology company. Led recruitment, onboarding, payroll coordination and employee documentation.

HR Operations Employee Lifecycle Recruitment Onboarding Payroll Coordination Employee Documentation HR Platforms Compliance Employee Engagement Wellbeing Retention Mental Health Awareness

People Operations

Unbabel

Feb 2019 - Apr 2020 (1 year 2 months)

Managed employee relations, HR systems, employee records and compliance. Coordinated onboarding, benefits administration and employee support.

Employee Relations HR systems Employee Records Compliance Onboarding Benefits Administration Employee Support HR Policy Development Employee Communication Exit Wellbeing

HR Administration & Payroll Officer

Webhelp

Sep 2017 - Feb 2019 (1 year 5 months)

Managed HR administration, payroll processes, employee data and employee services. Supported attendance, leave management, policy adherence and payroll queries.

HR Administration Payroll Employee Data Employee Services Attendance Leave Management Policy Adherence Payroll Query Handling

Various HR Roles

SELLBYTEL Group

Sep 2011 - Aug 2017 (5 years 11 months)

Progressed through roles including Human Resources Generalist Assistant, Human Resources Administrator, Human Resources Working Team Leader, Senior Human Resources Administrator and Workforce Management Administrator. Supported recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, HR administration and workforce management.

Recruitment Onboarding Employee Relations HR Administration Workforce Management Employee Records Benefits Attendance Leaves HR systems Mentorship Workforce reporting

HR Consultant

GRUPO NETT

Jul 2010 - Apr 2011 (9 months)

Delivered recruitment and HR consulting support to clients across multiple sectors. Managed candidate sourcing, screening, interviews and client coordination.

Recruitment HR Consulting Candidate Sourcing Screening Interviewing Client Coordination