About the Role
This is a full-ownership, individual contributor role building the people function from the ground up at a fast-growing AI/ML startup. You will work directly alongside founding leadership, taking end-to-end responsibility for recruiting, onboarding, culture, employer branding, and HR operations as the team scales rapidly.
What You'll Do
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Own end-to-end recruiting operations, pipeline management, and hiring strategy to support aggressive headcount growth.
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Design and execute onboarding processes that set new hires up for success in a high-intensity environment.
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Build core people processes, policies, and frameworks from scratch to support a rapidly scaling team.
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Cultivate and steward company culture aligned with organizational values and work intensity.
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Develop employer branding and recruitment marketing strategies to attract top talent in a competitive market.
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Manage HR administration and ensure compliance with German labor law and Berlin employment practices.
What We're Looking For
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5+ years in people or HR roles, with at least 3 years building or leading a people function at an early-stage or high-growth startup (Series A/B stage or equivalent).
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Proven experience owning end-to-end recruiting operations including sourcing, screening, pipeline management, and hiring process design.
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Demonstrated expertise in German labor law and Berlin employment regulations, or a strong willingness to rapidly upskill with legal support.
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Track record of building employer branding and recruitment marketing strategies in competitive talent markets.
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Experience designing and executing onboarding programs and people processes during rapid growth phases.
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Proficiency with HRIS, ATS, and HR admin tooling.
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Ability to maintain a high hiring bar while scaling quickly, with strong talent assessment instincts.
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Comfortable wearing multiple hats, moving fast, and thriving in ambiguity without direct reports.
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Experience building high-performance culture in demanding, fast-paced startup environments.
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Familiarity with venture-backed tech startup ecosystems is a plus, as is experience with international or multi-location team compliance.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary range: 60,000 to 70,000 EUR annually. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.
Location
Berlin, Germany. Hybrid, with a minimum of four days per week on-site. The target start date is by end of 2025, with earlier availability strongly preferred.