Senior People and Culture Manager

ABOUT THE ROLE Build and run the people function for a fast-growing AI startup in Berlin. This senior individual contributor role supports company growth across recruiting, onboarding, culture, and HR operations. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Own recruiting operations, including hiring strategy, sourcing, screening, pipeline management, and hiring process design. - Design and deliver onboarding programs for new employees. - Build people processes, policies, and frameworks to support a rapidly growing team. - Develop employer branding and recruitment marketing to attract talent in a competitive market. - Support employee engagement, retention, and a high-performance culture. - Manage HR administration and address compliance with German labor law. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR - At least 5 years of experience in people or HR roles, including 3 or more years building or leading a people function at an early-stage startup or in a comparable high-growth environment. - Experience independently owning the people function as a senior individual contributor, without direct reports. - Strong end-to-end recruiting expertise, alongside experience building onboarding, HR operations, and people processes during rapid growth. - Experience with employer branding, recruitment marketing, employee engagement, and culture initiatives. - Knowledge of German labor law and employment practices, or willingness to rapidly build expertise with legal support. - Proficiency with HR information systems, applicant tracking systems, and HR administration tools. - Comfort working in a fast-paced startup environment with demanding expectations and ambiguity. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS Base salary: €60,000 to €70,000 annually. Visa sponsorship is not available. LOCATION Hybrid role based in Berlin, Germany, with at least four days per week in the office.