Head of People & Culture (all genders)
We contribute to education, culture and environmental protection
The Hasso Plattner Foundation aims to strengthen Europe's digital sovereignty through science and education, improve access to art and culture, and support environmental conservation. Hasso Plattner is one of the founders of SAP, an enterprise software company, and has been Chairman of its Supervisory Board until 2024.
In 1998, Hasso Plattner founded the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering (HPI), marking his first significant philanthropic contribution. After signing the Giving Pledge (initiated by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet), he established the foundation in 2015.
The Hasso Plattner Foundation’s main office is in Potsdam, Germany.
A career at the Hasso Plattner Foundation can offer you
Purpose – You will be working for one of the worlds largest foundations (by endowment) and will have the opportunity to actively shape our philanthropic activities and operations
Personal growth – We are a fast growing organization looking for excellent talent. You will be working directly with high level executives and senior stakeholders at our projects and the Foundation’s organs and you will have plenty of opportunities to grow into more senior roles
Agility – Our organization is characterized by flat hierarchies, motivated and driven teams and a non-bureaucratic environment
The Role
Join us as Head of People & Culture (all genders) and shape the Foundation and our charitable ecosystem for the next chapter ahead. In this role, you drive the People Agenda from strategic leadership to talent acquisition, employee experience, performance management, total rewards, and People analytics, all the way to learning and development. We are looking for a leader who delivers scalable, people-centric solutions that are smartly AI-enabled and automated where it makes sense. If you love switching between strategic advisory on an Executive level and hands‑on implementation that makes everyday life better for our teams, this role gives you the platform for exactly that.
Your Responsibilities
- Lead the People & Culture team and set the People Agenda for the Foundation and our charitable ecosystem.
- Act as a sparring partner to our Executive Management on organizational design, leadership, and all people-related topics, including executive hiring and management for our charitable ecosystem.
- Elevate the employer brand, ensuring a consistent narrative internally and externally.
- Drive strategic workforce planning to ensure the right capabilities and capacity are in place to support current and future business priorities.
- Own our set of HR policies and compliance, integrating practical processes that uphold standards while enabling teams to work efficiently.
- Further develop our compensation strategy and frameworks to ensure competitiveness, fairness, and reasonableness.
- Push HR process automation and AI enhancements in partnership with our technology team, ensuring data quality and efficiency.
- Develop strategies on how to share best practices across our ecosystem and establish Centers of Expertise.
Required Background & Competencies for Success in this Role
- 15+ years of progressive experience in a similar role.
- A strong track record in developing and implementing HR strategy in high-performing and fast-paced environments, such as technology scale-ups.
- Solid understanding of German employment law and compliance.
- Experience with SAP SuccessFactors is a plus.
- University degree in HR, economics, business administration, humanities, or comparable qualifications.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with fluency in German and English.
- A genuine passion for people: you build trust across different backgrounds, get things done, and never lose sight of the human side of every decision.
What else do we offer
- Competitive compensation package
- Professional training and AI upskilling
- Multi-day team events
- Public transport ticket
- State-of-the-art IT equipment
- Working in a beautiful office in Potsdam with a lake view
- Free lunch, fruits, drinks, excellent coffee, and opportunities for outdoor sports activities
To Apply
We look forward to receiving your application (CV, diplomas, references) compiled as one PDF document with your salary expectations and earliest entry date.