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. Sitting directly alongside senior leadership, you will own everything from recruiting and onboarding to culture, employer branding, and HR operations as the team scales aggressively over the next six months.

What You'll Do

• Own end-to-end recruiting operations, including pipeline management, sourcing, screening, and hiring process design to support rapid headcount growth.

• Design and execute onboarding programs that set new hires up for success in a high-intensity environment.

• Build core people processes, policies, and frameworks from scratch to support a scaling team.

• Cultivate and steward company culture aligned with shared 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 or more years of experience in people or HR roles, ideally at a high-growth startup.

• 3 or more years of experience building or independently running a people function at an early-stage or hypergrowth startup (Series A/B stage or equivalent).

• Proven track record as a senior individual contributor, comfortable owning a people function without direct reports.

• Demonstrated expertise in German labor law and Berlin employment regulations, or a strong ability to upskill quickly with legal support.

• Experience designing onboarding programs and people processes during rapid growth phases.

• Experience building employer branding and recruitment marketing strategies.

• Proficiency with HRIS, ATS, and HR admin tooling.

• Comfort with talent assessment methodologies and maintaining a high hiring bar at pace.

• Thrives in fast-moving, ambiguous, high-intensity environments and is energized by wearing multiple hats.

• Familiarity with tech startup and venture-backed company dynamics is a plus.

• Experience with international or multi-location team compliance is a plus.

Compensation & Benefits

Base salary: €60,000 to €70,000 per year. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Location

Berlin, Germany. Hybrid, with at least four days per week in the office. Candidates must be based in Berlin.