Your mission
Zellerfeld is seeking a Chief Human Resources Officer to lead the global People function. As a key member of the leadership team and direct report to the CPO, the CHRO will shape and execute a long-term People strategy aligned with Zellerfeld’s ambitious business objectives, while fostering a high-performing, outcome-driven, empathetic, and caring culture. This role is ideal for a seasoned People leader with experience in a global, fast-scaling startup environment. The right candidate is equally comfortable setting a clear long-term people vision and rolling up their sleeves to tackle hands-on, day-to-day challenges with a lean team of individual contributors and team leads. A builder mindset, comfort with ambiguity, and a bias to action are essential in our iterative, experiment-and-learn culture.
Responsibilities
* Strategic partnership to the Management Board, C-Suite, and Country Leaders: serve as strategic advisor and thought partner; provide HR insights, leadership and personal development advice; ensure effective leadership team dynamics.
* People vision and strategy: create a clear long-term People vision that supports Zellerfeld’s scale-up journey; align with business goals and future growth; design for agility and fast iteration; effectively build and manage a globally dispersed, cross-border workforce.
* Organization design: develop and partner on scalable structures that align with strategy and support future growth; move from zero-to-one and one-to-many with pragmatic, lightweight processes.
* Talent strategy: create and execute strategies to attract, retain, and develop top talent; build a robust pipeline for current and new markets; prioritize speed, candidate experience, and signal-rich assessments.
* Culture and inclusion: shape a diverse, inclusive, performance-driven culture that positions Zellerfeld as a great place to work; uphold ethical leadership standards; promote ownership, respectful candor, learning, and accountability.
* Total rewards and analytics: provide competitive, market-aligned total rewards; oversee people reporting, headcount tracking, and analytics; ensure transparency and fairness while staying outcomes-focused.
* Growth and performance: ensure continuous learning and career progression; build leadership capability and succession depth; ensure an effective performance management process that values impact over activity and feedback over formality.
* Compliance and risk: oversee compliance with employment laws and regulations; ensure People practices protect both the company and employees; balance compliance with startup speed.
* HR operations: provide efficient, reliable HR operations that enable scaling; implement simple, automated workflows and fit-for-purpose HR tech to keep the team lean and effective.
* Team building: build a best-in-class global HR team and operating model that fosters effective collaboration across time zones and functions.
Your profile
* High-growth experience in entrepreneurial environments characterized by rapid scaling.
* Stakeholder management: proven ability to communicate, influence, and gain buy-in across a broad range of internal and external stakeholders.
* International leadership: experience leading international team members, ideally including the US.
* Strategic and hands-on: strategic thinker who partners with the C-suite to drive organizational success through people strategies; comfortable switching between long-term design and day-to-day execution.
* People leadership: capable of leading and developing a diverse team across experience levels and skill sets.
* Language and presence: fluency in German and English required; regular presence in Hamburg required.
* Academic background: Business Administration with HR focus, Law, Psychology, or a comparable field.
Why us?
At Zellerfeld, we’re revolutionizing the footwear industry with cutting-edge 3D printing technology, and we want you to be part of this transformation. Our team is made up of engineers, designers, entrepreneurs, and innovators who thrive in a collaborative environment where every voice matters. We value contrarian thinking, humility, and continuous self-improvement, fostering a culture of innovation without rigid hierarchies. Diversity and inclusion are at our core—we focus on skills and passion, not labels.
By joining us, you’ll help shape the future of sustainable, ethical footwear and make a lasting impact on the industry. Let’s build the future together!
About us
Zellerfeld is revolutionizing the footwear industry with the world’s first 3D-printing technology for fully customizable shoes. Our goal is simple: printed shoes on every foot. We’re a passionate team of engineers, designers, and innovators, questioning the status quo and disrupting traditional manufacturing processes. Backed by founders, influencers, and celebrities who believe in our vision, we’re committed to making a lasting, positive impact—not just on the footwear industry, but on the world.
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