Head of Human Resources / People & Culture (m/f/d) in Quantum Computing Startup

Permanent employee, Full-time · Berlin

Your role

As Head of HR / People & Culture (m/f/d) at Kipu Quantum, you will lead and scale our HR function as a key member of the leadership team. With full accountability for the department's strategic direction and operational execution, you will shape and implement initiatives that have a direct and measurable impact on our company’s growth, culture, and success. This function will manage the entire People & Culture team, own and drive critical department objectives, and ensure alignment with company-wide goals.

This role requires expert-level understanding of Human Resources in fast-paced, tech-driven environments and the ability to guide complex decisions across talent, culture, and organizational development. Until the team grows further, you will also engage in administrative and operational HR tasks together with our existing People & Culture Lead. Activities range from daily recruiting to people operations, and reporting. This role is ideal for someone who combines visionary leadership with a hands-on startup mindset.

Your responsibilities

Own and drive the entire People & Culture function - strategically and operationally - with full accountability for team performance and department objectives
Work hands-on and side-by-side with your team on core HR tasks such as recruiting, onboarding, employee relations, and administration processes
Improve and implement impactful people initiatives across the employee lifecycle (Talent Attraction, Talent Acquisition, Development, Retention, Culture)
Act as a close sparring partner to the company leadership
Develop and analyse HR key figures and KPIs, as well as regular reporting to support data-driven strategic decisions
Ensure clear and transparent communication across the organization, especially during change, and represent HR in Steering Committees and leadership meetings
Continuously identify and solve high-impact, people-related challenges in a dynamic, fast-scaling environment

Your profile

Completed studies in Human Resources management, business administration, psychology, physics, IT or comparable qualifications
Several years of progressive HR experience, including senior leadership roles with full team and department accountability
Proven success in building HR functions in startup or scale-up environments (ideally tech or deep tech) as well as in scaling tech startups or highly specialized knowledge industries
Comfortable directly reporting to senior management and representing HR in executive and cross-functional forums
Expertise in HR reporting, KPIs, labor law, compensation, and people analytics
Excellent leadership, coaching, and stakeholder management skills
Experience in Personio, Jira/Confluence and MS Office Tools (PowerPoint, Excel, Word)
Strong strategic mindset combined with operational hands-on ability
True startup mindset; hands-on, driven, resilient. As we are a young venture, we all must wear different hats and contribute to different aspects of the business

Why join us?

At Kipu Quantum, you have a unique opportunity to shape the future of technology by contributing to one of the most exciting startups in quantum computing. Your work will have a lasting impact as we tackle groundbreaking challenges and redefine what is possible in this cutting-edge field
We pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative, international culture where openness, transparency, and innovation thrive. Here, you will be part of a team that genuinely cares about our work and each other
Your growth matters to us. With ample opportunities for individual development, you can sharpen your skills, advance your career, and explore new horizons within a fast-paced and supportive environment
Enjoy the flexibility to balance your professional and personal life with our adaptable working hours and hybrid onsite/remote options
We also believe in making work life enjoyable. From regular team events that foster connections to perks like contributions toward public transport or shopping vouchers, international remote work opportunities, 30 vacation days per year and more, we are committed to creating a workplace where you can thrive

Contact

Are you confident that our mission can’t succeed without YOU on board? Don’t hesitate - submit your application today using our online form! Be sure to include your CV (in English or German), your salary expectations, and your earliest possible start date. Have questions or want to discuss the role in more detail? Reach out to Svenja Anderer, our Lead People & Culture at Kipu Quantum. We’d love to hear from you!

WEB. https://kipu-quantum.com/career/
MAIL. hr@kipu-quantum.com
MOBILE. 0049 172 399 5868

KARLSRUHE OFFICE. Kipu Quantum GmbH, Roonstraße 23a, 76137 Karlsruhe
BERLIN OFFICE. Kipu Quantum GmbH, Greifswalder Str. 212, 10405 Berlin

Apply for this job

About us

Kipu Quantum is a German startup focused on quantum computing, with offices in Karlsruhe and Berlin. We specialize in developing quantum algorithms tailored for specific applications and hardware. Our solutions help various industries, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, logistics, and finance, to tackle complex problems using existing quantum hardware. We aim to make practical quantum computing accessible by significantly reducing the time needed to achieve quantum advantage for real-world applications.

In December 2023, Kipu Quantum secured €10.5 million in seed funding, led by HV Capital and DTCF (DeepTech & Climate Fonds), with participation from Entrada Ventures, Quantonation, and First Momentum Ventures. This funding will support the development of our hardware-specific quantum algorithms and accelerate the commercialization of our quantum solutions.

Apply for this job

Thank you for your interest in Kipu!

Kindly complete the short form below. If you encounter any issues uploading your data, please don't hesitate to contact Svenja Anderer, Lead People & Culture at Kipu: hr@kipu-quantum.com