Founding People Operations Lead

About the Role

As the first dedicated People and Recruiting hire at an early-stage AI procurement software startup, you will build the foundations for hiring and people operations. You will own the candidate experience from first outreach through onboarding and help create a welcoming, effective workplace as the team grows.

What You'll Do

• Own recruiting end to end, including sourcing, pipeline management, candidate experience, offers, and closing.

• Manage onboarding, employment contracts, compensation, benefits, and HR compliance.

• Help build high-performing teams through hands-on people operations and thoughtful processes.

• Run daily office operations and welcome new team members and visitors.

• Set up AI agents to support sourcing, screening, and recurring workflows.

What We're Looking For

• At least 2 years of experience in recruiting or people operations, including hands-on ownership of hiring from sourcing through offers and closing.

• Experience with onboarding, employment contracts, or HR compliance.

• Experience at an early-stage startup, ideally during a zero-to-one phase.

• Fluent in English and German, with strong organization, discretion, and a warm, people-first approach.

• Excited to work with AI tools and build agent-supported workflows.

Compensation & Benefits

Competitive salary and meaningful equity. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Location

On-site in Berlin, Germany.