Senior People and Culture Manager
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
Own end-to-end recruiting operations, pipeline management, and hiring strategy to support aggressive headcount growth.
Design and execute onboarding processes that set new hires up for success in a high-intensity environment.
Build core people processes, policies, and frameworks from scratch to support a rapidly scaling team.
Cultivate and steward company culture aligned with organizational values and work intensity.
Develop employer branding and recruitment marketing strategies to attract top talent in a competitive market.
Manage HR administration and ensure compliance with German labor law and Berlin employment practices.
What We're Looking For
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).
Proven experience owning end-to-end recruiting operations including sourcing, screening, pipeline management, and hiring process design.
Demonstrated expertise in German labor law and Berlin employment regulations, or a strong willingness to rapidly upskill with legal support.
Track record of building employer branding and recruitment marketing strategies in competitive talent markets.
Experience designing and executing onboarding programs and people processes during rapid growth phases.
Proficiency with HRIS, ATS, and HR admin tooling.
Ability to maintain a high hiring bar while scaling quickly, with strong talent assessment instincts.
Comfortable wearing multiple hats, moving fast, and thriving in ambiguity without direct reports.
Experience building high-performance culture in demanding, fast-paced startup environments.
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.