Founding Talent Lead (m/f/x)

About Cortea

Cortea is an innovative Berlin-based startup revolutionizing the auditing process through artificial intelligence. Traditional audits often involve excessive manual labor and extensive document handling, draining expert time while demand increases. Our AI-driven software and specialized agents automate repetitive tasks to allow auditors to concentrate on critical judgement. Supported by leading venture capital firms with over €15 million raised, we have a functional product and active paying clients, and are rapidly expanding our team.

Role Overview

As the Founding Talent Lead, you will establish the foundational talent acquisition framework. You will create and oversee the entire hiring lifecycle focused on attracting exceptional candidates both in technical and non-technical domains, while nurturing a workplace culture that reflects our values.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the full talent acquisition process: designing roles, defining scope, crafting job descriptions, sourcing candidates, conducting structured interviews, extending offers, and closing hires.
• Develop a proactive recruiting engine by attracting high-quality talent via inbound and outbound strategies.
• Elevate hiring standards by implementing scorecards, training interviewers, and ensuring consistent positive candidate experiences.
• Enhance the company’s employer brand for technology and AI experts through content creation, event organization, and fostering strong referral programs.
• Promote and maintain a positive company culture by collaborating closely with founding members on onboarding processes, rituals, and feedback mechanisms.

Candidate Profile

• At least five years of experience in talent acquisition within fast-paced environments such as startups, scale-ups, or recruitment agencies.
• Proven track record of successfully hiring top-tier talent with a refined ability to evaluate candidates effectively.
• Exceptional communication skills, utilizing leadership support and making fast, data-informed hiring decisions.
• Demonstrable early-stage accomplishments you can be proud of.
• A systems thinker capable of data-driven process improvement; prior experience in building employer branding targeted at engineers and AI specialists is advantageous.

Work Culture and Values

• We cherish kindness, candor, effective execution, rapid progress balanced with care, and strong ownership.
• Our team is fully office-based in Berlin to foster close collaboration.
• We employ structured interviews and clear scorecards to minimize hiring bias.
• We welcome diverse career trajectories and breaks; if interested, we encourage you to apply regardless of uncertainties.

What We Offer

• High immediate impact and a career path towards Head of Talent/People as we scale.
• Competitive compensation with significant equity opportunities (details disclosed in initial discussions).
• An energetic office environment featuring communal lunches, collaborative whiteboard sessions, swift decision-making, and strong teamwork.
• Unlimited growth potential along with budgets for tools, professional development, and events chosen by you.

Interview Process

• An introductory 25-minute call with Liza.
• A 45-minute expert interview with Valentin, Co-Founder, focusing on sourcing strategies, process design, and decision quality.
• A 45-minute cultural interview with Philipp, Co-Founder, exploring collaboration, judgement, and cultural fit.
• An on-site day in Berlin to meet the team and complete a practical assignment.