Founding People Lead- Series A Startup - Berlin

Cherry Ventures is supporting our portfolio with this hire

Founding People Lead (Generalist)

Location:

Berlin (in-office)

What we do at Plato

Plato is building the digital backbone of the global trade economy. Starting with the $53T wholesale industry, we empower modern wholesalers to connect their people and data in a single analytics + workflow hub. By combining data science and AI, we automate operational workflows and help SMB wholesalers stay competitive in a world with increasing complexity and labor shortages.

Why we do what we do

Wholesale is ready for software that actually fits how it works. Industrial SMEs want to become more proactive and data-driven - but most lack the tools to do it. Our founders come from a wholesale family, and we’re building the system we wish existed: demand forecasting, product recommendations, and intelligent workflow automation built for real-world operations.

We’re backed by top-tier EU & US investors, and we’re building category-defining software for a massive, underserved market.

The role: Founding People Lead (Generalist)

We’re a team of ~20, growing fast, and we’re looking for a Founding People Lead to build our People function from scratch.

This role is for someone who loves early-stage ambiguity and wants full ownership - but also understands how to build simple, scalable systems (not bureaucracy). You’ll work directly with the founders and leadership team to design the foundations that help Plato scale: hiring, onboarding, manager practices, performance, and culture.

Important context: You’ll partner with external payroll and labor counsel, but you will own the People function end-to-end internally.

What success looks like

In your first 90 days, you will:

• Audit what exists today (contracts, onboarding, tools, team needs) and define a clear People roadmap.
  
  
• Put a lightweight, repeatable hiring process in place (intake → sourcing → interviews → decision-making).
  
  
• Create a strong onboarding experience for new joiners (first week / first month plan, role clarity, manager check-ins).
  
  
• Establish People basics: documentation, policies, and “how we work” norms.
  
  

In your first 6 months, you will:

• Build a scalable hiring engine that supports our growth plan (quality + speed).
  
  
• Introduce simple performance and feedback foundations (goal setting, regular check-ins, calibration).
  
  
• Equip managers with the tools they need to lead well (expectations, coaching, conflict handling).
  
  
• Strengthen culture and engagement through practical rituals - not “fluffy HR.”
  
  

Your responsibilities

1) Hiring & Employer Brand

• Own end-to-end hiring: role scoping with leaders, process design, sourcing support, interview training, decision-making.
  
  
• Build an employer brand that makes top performers want to join Plato (content, narrative, candidate experience).
  
  
• Partner with founders and leaders to plan headcount and maintain a high bar as we scale.
  
  

2) People Operations Foundations

• Build the core People infrastructure: HRIS/tools, templates, onboarding/offboarding, policies, documentation.
  
  
• Own compensation basics and support equity administration in partnership with leadership and advisors.
  
  
• Ensure smooth and compliant operations in Germany by working with external payroll and labor counsel.
  
  

3) Culture, Engagement & Manager Enablement

• Reinforce Plato’s values through practical systems: how we hire, give feedback, promote, and collaborate.
  
  
• Run lightweight engagement loops (pulse checks, action plans, team rituals).
  
  
• Coach leaders and managers on people topics: performance, feedback, retention, and team dynamics.
  
  

4) Strategic Partner to Founders

• Be a trusted partner on org design, team structure, growth planning, and retention.
  
  
• Surface people risks early and propose solutions that balance empathy with high standards.
  
  

What you’ll bring

• 5+ years in People Operations / HR Generalist / People Partner roles, ideally in a fast-growing startup or scale-up.
  
  
• Proven experience building People foundations from scratch (processes, tools, manager systems).
  
  
• Strong judgment: you know when to build structure, when to keep it lightweight, and when to escalate.
  
  
• Comfort with ambiguity - you turn an empty canvas into clarity and momentum.
  
  
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; you build trust quickly across functions and seniority.
  
  
• Fluent in English (German is a strong plus - especially for navigating local context).
  
  

Why you’ll love it here

• Real ownership: you’ll define what “great People” looks like at Plato from day one.
  
  
• Seat at the table: direct partnership with founders and leadership on scaling decisions.
  
  
• High-standards, no-ego team: ambitious, kind, accountable.
  
  
• Build without bureaucracy: we care about speed and simplicity - and doing right by people.
  
  

Hiring process

Step 1: Intro call with a Founder (30 min)

Mutual intro, motivations, and context on Plato and the role.

Step 2: People case (45 min) with Founder / Leadership

A practical case: you’ll walk through how you would build a 6-month People plan for a team scaling from ~20 to ~35–40 (hiring + onboarding + lightweight performance foundations).

Step 3: Meet the team (45–60 min)

Meet 2–3 people you’ll work closely with to understand collaboration style and culture.

Step 4: References

2–3 reference checks.

Step 5: Offer

If it’s a match, we move quickly - including competitive compensation and meaningful equity.

Ready to build something that lasts?

If you want to create a people-first culture that drives performance — and build the foundations of a company from the inside out — we’d love to meet you.