Founding Talent Lead (m/f/x) at Cortea AI (Berlin, Germany)
Cortea AI· Berlin, Germany·
Role details
Work type
Onsite
Employment
Full-Time
Job description
ABOUT CORTEA
We’re Cortea, a Berlin startup transforming audits with AI. Manual, document-heavy audits waste expert time while demand keeps rising. Our AI-powered software and specialized AI agents remove the repetitive work so auditors can focus on judgment.
Backed by top-tier VCs with >15m funding, with a working product and paying customers, we’re rapidly scaling.
We value first-principles thinking, speed, trust, and kindness. We build side by side 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
- Build 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
- Uncapped growth. Budget for tools, learning, and events you choose
INTERVIEW PROCESS
- Intro Call (25 min) with Liza linkedin.com/liza-shaban
- Expert interview (45 min): with Valentin linkedin.com/valentinneumann (Co-Founder) - deep dive into: sourcing strategy, process design, quality in decisions)
- Cultural interview (45 min): with Philipp linkedin.com/philipp-hoevelmann (Co-Founder) - collaboration, judgment, and culture add
- On-site day (Berlin): meet the team and work on a real life assignment
Why work at Cortea AI
- Culture: “Builders, not managers” – bias for action, ship this week, not next quarter. Small team (12 people), high ownership, direct feedback, low ego.
- Remote / Hybrid / Office: Roles are advertised as on‑site in Berlin (e.g., Marketing, Engineering). However, the company already has distributed presence (France, Netherlands), so some flexibility may be possible – confirm during application.
- Notable Perks / Engineering Culture:
- Everyone uses AI to multiply their own output – an “AI‑native” company, not just an AI product.
- Deep work environment: “We love going deep” – they look for people who have gone unusually deep on a problem, regardless of domain.
- High‑performance + warmth: Ambitious but not arrogant, human at heart.
- Build with rigor and care – the work directly shapes how trust is created in the global economy.