Founding People & Talent Lead, MUNICH
Build the People & Talent function from the ground up
We are looking for a Founding People & Talent Lead to join a fast-growing, venture-backed technology company in Munich and take full ownership of its People & Talent function.
This is a unique opportunity for an experienced recruiter or talent professional who wants to move beyond traditional hiring and play a key role in building the organisation, culture, and people processes of a rapidly scaling company.
You will work closely with the founders and leadership team, shape the hiring strategy from day one, and eventually build your own People & Talent team.
What you'll do
- Own the end-to-end recruitment process, from role definition and sourcing through interviews, offers, and closing
- Build and continuously improve a scalable hiring engine as the company grows
- Develop creative employer branding and talent attraction strategies across Germany and international markets
- Partner closely with founders and leadership on talent planning, organisational design, and hiring decisions
- Introduce structured recruiting processes, scorecards, workflows, and recruitment analytics
- Help shape performance management, feedback, career development, and compensation processes
- Build strong talent networks through universities, events, communities, and industry partnerships
- Monitor key recruitment KPIs and continuously improve the candidate experience
- Use modern AI recruiting and workflow tools to make the People & Talent function more efficient
- As the company grows, build and lead a dedicated People & Talent team
What we're looking for
- 2–5 years of experience in Talent Acquisition, Recruiting, People Operations, or a similar field
- Experience working in a high-growth startup or scale-up environment
- Strong hands-on experience across the full recruitment lifecycle
- Proven ability to build or improve recruiting processes in a scaling organisation
- Experience contributing to performance management, organisational development, or people processes
- Strong analytical and structured approach to recruitment and talent decisions
- Comfortable using AI tools and modern recruiting technologies
- Excellent English communication skills
- Willingness to relocate to Munich and work 5 days per week from the office
- German language skills are a plus
You'll thrive in this role if you are
- Highly proactive with a strong ownership mindset
- Comfortable operating with significant autonomy and responsibility
- Analytical, structured, and data-driven
- A strong communicator, storyteller, and relationship builder
- Curious about new technologies and constantly looking for better ways to work
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment
- Motivated by building something from scratch rather than simply maintaining existing processes
Why join?
- Founding-level ownership of the People & Talent function
- Direct collaboration with the founders and leadership team
- Opportunity to build and eventually lead your own People & Talent team
- Competitive salary of €65,000–€90,000 gross per year
- Equity with voting rights
- Relocation and visa support
- Subsidised nearby accommodation options may be available
- Company-paid team dinners several times per week
- Sports membership
- Company offsite opportunities, including an upcoming San Francisco offsite
- Close mentorship from experienced founders and industry advisors
- A highly collaborative, ambitious, and low-hierarchy working environment
Working Model
This is a fully on-site position in Munich. You will work from the office 5 days per week, collaborating closely with the founders and wider team.
Hiring Process
- 30-minute introductory conversation with a founder
- Practical exercise and role-play focused on recruiting strategy and stakeholder interaction
- Paid half-day on-site session with the team in Munich
- Reference checks and offer
Ready to build something from the ground up?
If you are an ambitious Talent or People professional looking for a role where you can have real ownership, direct founder exposure, and significant impact on a rapidly growing company, we would love to hear from you.
Apply now and take the next step in building a People & Talent function from the ground up.