Head of People

erg group; Berlin; On-site; EUR 81,000 - 99,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Leadership exposure

Job summary

erg group in Berlin is seeking a Senior People & Culture Manager to build the function from scratch, owning HR, culture, compensation, and workforce planning as the company scales.

This is the first dedicated People hire with a clear path to Chief People Officer, offering autonomy to shape the strategy and accelerate hiring.

You’ll partner with leadership on German employment law, payroll, and HR systems to enable scalable growth and guide talent acquisition to meet ambitious hiring plans.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in People/HR or People Operations, preferably in startup/scaleup.
• Experience owning broad People responsibilities, not a single specialist area.
• Strong knowledge of German employment law, HR systems and payroll.
• Experience supporting hiring and talent acquisition in a growing business.
• Comfort working with senior leadership and building structure from little.

Responsibilities

• Build and own the People and Culture function across the business.
• Take an active role in talent acquisition and help deliver against hiring plans.
• Build the HR systems, processes and infrastructure needed for the next stage of growth.
• Own the employee lifecycle, performance management, career development and manager support.
• Shape company culture, employee experience, compensation and organisational development.
• Partner directly with leadership on workforce planning, payroll and future growth.

Skills

People Operations

HR Systems

Payroll

Talent Acquisition

Leadership

German & English

Tools

AI Tools

Job description

Senior People & Culture Manager | Series A Tech Startup | Berlin | Up to €90K + Equity | Build People & Talent from Scratch | Clear Path to Chief People Officer

We are partnering with one of Europe’s fastest growing technology companies. The business raised its Series A in and is now preparing for a major Series B, which they expect to be at least €50m.

The founders and investors believe the company has the potential to become a unicorn. They are already ahead of the market within their category, working with some of the largest organisations in Europe and pushing hard to maintain that position as they scale.

Things are moving incredibly quickly. The business needs someone who can bring structure to People and Talent without slowing down the pace, ambition or speed of decision making that has got them this far.

About the role

This is the company’s first dedicated People hire, with a clear progression path towards Chief People Officer as the business grows.

You will build the People and Culture function from the ground up, while also playing an active role in talent acquisition and helping the company deliver against ambitious hiring plans.

There is no established department or finished playbook to inherit. You will have real freedom and autonomy to decide how the function should operate and then build it.

You will own everything from HR systems, employee experience and performance through to culture, compensation, organisational development and workforce planning. You will also work closely with leadership on hiring strategy and making sure the business continues attracting the right people as it scales.

This is a role for someone who wants to build the function, shape the culture and grow with the company.

What you’ll do

• Build and own the People and Culture function across the business.
• Take an active role in talent acquisition and help deliver against hiring plans.
• Build the HR systems, processes and infrastructure needed for the next stage of growth.
• Own the employee lifecycle, performance management, career development and manager support.
• Shape company culture, employee experience, compensation and organisational development.
• Partner directly with leadership on workforce planning, German employment law, payroll and future growth.

What you’ll bring

• Around five years or more across People, HR or People Operations, ideally within a startup or scaleup.
• Experience owning broad People responsibilities rather than one specialist area.
• Strong practical knowledge of German employment law, HR systems and payroll.
• Experience supporting hiring and talent acquisition in a growing business.
• Confidence working directly with senior leadership and building structure from very little.
• Fluent German and English, with regular use of AI tools in your own work.

What’s on offer

• Up to €90,000 plus meaningful equity in the business.
• Equity with the potential to become a significant six figure or seven figure outcome if the company achieves its long term ambitions.
• A clear progression path towards Chief People Officer.
• Genuine ownership and autonomy to build the People and Talent function your way.
• Direct exposure to the leadership team at a business preparing for a major Series B.
• The opportunity to join early enough to have a real impact on how a potential future category leader is built.