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.