Founding Talent & People Lead

This is a high-ownership role for our first dedicated TA. You will build telli's hiring function from the ground up and own our ability to get A-players through the door across every team.

What you'll do

• Build the hiring function from scratch: partner closely with leaders to define hiring strategy, workflows, sourcing playbooks
• Own hiring end-to-end: source, screen, run debriefs, and drive the process toward the close
• Build a steady top-of-funnel of A-players across roles through outbound, referrals, founder-network activation, communities, and events, all running in parallel
• Keep a high offer-accept rate and a short, predictable time-to-offer without dropping the bar
• Build real depth in technical hiring: calibrate with our engineering leads, screen credibly on technical signal, and pre-qualify before hiring managers see candidates
• Own the external agency and recruiter channel actively: set a sharp brief, review candidate quality closely, give fast feedback, and cut what isn't working
• Represent telli externally: for most candidates, you are their first impression of the company. Treat every interaction as an opportunity and make the experience something they rave about

What you'll need

• 3+ years TA experience in a fast-moving startup or scale-up
• You've built a function from zero
• A track record hiring strong candidates in competitive markets across engineering and commercial roles
• An active, warm network across the Berlin and EU startup and VC ecosystem that you can activate immediately
• Hands-on with a modern ATS (Ashby a plus) and AI sourcing tools
• High agency: you move fast, take ownership, and spot role gaps before anyone asks
• High craft in communication: every candidate touchpoint reads like a founder wrote it
• Data-driven: you track the funnel and use the data to fix what leaks

Nice to have

• Experience with Ashby ATS
• Familiarity with AI sourcing tools

What they offer

• Competitive pay and equity
• Access to any (AI) tool that makes you more productive
• Gym / urban sports subscription
• Relocation support if you don't live in Berlin