Head of People & Culture
IDM's first people hire. Build HR from zero. Focus: tech recruiting.
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Applications go through our recruiting portal. We review every application personally.
Tech stack
| Location | Hamburg, Germany (Hybrid) |
| Employment Type | Full-Time |
| Reports To | CEO / Managing Directors |
| Start Date | As soon as possible |
About IDM
IDM gGmbH is a nonprofit health-tech company developing AI-powered products for clinical environments. Our technology is deployed at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) and additional hospitals across Germany.
We are growing rapidly and facing our biggest challenge: finding and retaining the exceptional talent we need in AI/ML, software engineering, product management, and sales. We need someone to own this challenge end to end.
The Role
As Head of People & Culture, you will be IDM's first dedicated people hire. You will build the entire HR function from zero: recruiting strategy, employer branding, onboarding, culture development, and eventually performance management and L&D.
This is not an administrative role. You will be a strategic partner to the leadership team, directly responsible for ensuring IDM can attract and retain the talent needed to scale. Your primary focus will be tech recruiting — hiring AI engineers, full stack developers, and product leaders in a highly competitive market.
What You Will Do
- Talent acquisition strategy: Design and execute a comprehensive recruiting strategy to attract top talent in AI, software engineering, product, and sales.
- Active sourcing and scouting: Proactively identify and engage candidates through LinkedIn, GitHub, tech platforms, meetups, and community events.
- Employer branding: Position IDM as an attractive employer in the Hamburg tech scene and beyond through content, events, and community presence.
- End-to-end recruiting: Own the full recruiting cycle from job posting to offer negotiation, ensuring an excellent candidate experience throughout.
- Network building: Build and maintain relationships with universities (UHH, HAW, TU Hamburg), industry experts, and the local tech community.
- Onboarding and culture: Design a structured onboarding process and actively shape a positive, innovative company culture.
- HR foundations: Over time, build out additional HR functions including performance management, professional development, and people analytics.
What We Are Looking For
Must Have
- Proven track record in recruiting, especially for technical roles (software engineers, ML/AI, product)
- 4+ years of experience in talent acquisition, HR, or people operations
- Experience from a recruitment agency, startup/scaleup, or innovative consulting firm is a strong plus
- Active network in the tech community, ideally with a focus on Hamburg
- Ability to inspire and convince top talent to join a growing organization
- Strategic thinking combined with pragmatic, hands-on execution
- Excellent communication skills in German and English
Strong Plus
- Experience building an HR function from scratch
- Knowledge of employer branding strategies and tools
- Familiarity with ATS/recruiting tools (LinkedIn Recruiter, Personio, or similar)
- Experience in healthcare, health-tech, or AI companies
- Understanding of the specific challenges of recruiting in the AI/ML talent market
What We Offer
- Build the entire people function from zero — maximum ownership and impact
- Direct report to the CEO with real strategic influence
- Work at a mission-driven nonprofit that improves healthcare with AI
- Hybrid work model with office in Hamburg-Eppendorf
- Flexible working hours and a collaborative, open culture
- The chance to shape IDM's culture during its most formative growth phase
Sounds like you?
Send us your CV and anything else you want to show. We'll get back to you.