Founding Talent Lead (m/f/x)
Cortea AI
Location
Berlin
Employment Type
Full time
Location Type
On-site
Department
People
Compensation
- Base salary €60K – €100K • 0.1% – 0.5%
About Cortea
We’re a small team with huge ambition. We build AI that takes the grunt work out of audits so humans can focus on what matters most. Backed by top-tier VCs. Real product. Real customers. Real problems to solve. Together, in our Berlin office.
The Role
You build talent foundations. You’ll design a process, that bring in exceptional talent across Tech and Non-Tech, and build a culture we’re proud of.
What you’ll do
Own the Talent end to end: job design → scope → JD → sourcing → structured interviews → offer → close
Buildt a Talent Engine: attract great people proactively; both inbound and outbound
Raise the hiring bar: scorecards, trained interviewers, consistent candidate experience
Shape our brand for Tech/AI talent with content, events, and a strong referral loop
Be culture-positive: partner with founders on rituals, onboarding handover, and feedback loops
You’ll be great at this if you
Have 5+ years of TA in a fast environment (startup/scale-up or agency)
Have hired top talent before and know the difference in how to assess them
Communicate clearly, leverage our founding team, and make data driven decisions fast
Can show early-stage track record you’re proud of
Think in systems and improve with data; bonus if you’ve built employer branding for engineers/AI
How we work
We value kindness + candor + execution, speed with care, and strong ownership
We’re fully in-office in Berlin because we like building side by side
We hire with structured interviews and clear scorecards to reduce bias
Non-linear paths welcome. Career breaks welcome. If you’re unsure, apply.
What we offer
High impact from day one and a path to Head of Talent/People as we grow
Competitive salary + meaningful equity (range shared on the first call)
In-office energy: shared lunches, whiteboard time, fast decisions, real teamwork
Budget for tools, learning, and events you choose
Interview process
Intro (20 min): with Peter (our Fractional Talent Partner) - early stage hiring track record
Expert interview (60 min): with Valentin (Co-Founder) - deep dive into: sourcing strategy, process design, quality in decisions)
Founders interview (60 min): with Philipp (Co-Founder) - collaboration, judgment, and culture add
On-site half-day (Berlin): meet the team and work on a real life assignment
Compensation Range: €60K - €100K