VP - People

Axelera AI seeks a VP of People in Zürich to lead people advisory, culture, and talent strategy. This senior role reports to the Chief People Officer and drives organizational development across hybrid teams.

The company is looking for a strategic leader to define and execute the people agenda at Axelera AI. Rather than merely implementing processes, this individual will set the direction for talent management and culture, reporting directly to the Chief People Officer while managing a team. The position focuses on shaping the employee experience and supporting the organization's scaling efforts through proactive cultural and operational initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Define and track people engagement metrics, establishing targets and leading the necessary actions to improve them.
• Manage the full performance management cycle, including goal setting, reviews, and calibration sessions.
• Select, implement, and evaluate the impact of the learning and development platform.
• Foster talent development and career progression for both individual contributors and managers.
• Act as a trusted advisor and coach to colleagues and teams across the organization.
• Provide expert guidance on employee relations and broader organizational development.
• Lead change management processes to support business transitions.
• Analyze people data and metrics to inform strategic decisions.
• Ensure compliance with local labor laws in all operational locations.
• Establish the operating model for prioritizing people advisory and culture work.
• Oversee the end-to-end delivery of the employee experience.
• Collaborate with the Office & Community team to ensure physical spaces and events promote cohesion.
• Proactively identify and resolve employee concerns before they escalate.
• Lead key culture and talent projects to support the company's growth.

Requirements

• Significant experience in a senior HR Business Partner role, preferably within a tech scaleup environment.
• Proven track record of building and running employee culture and engagement programs.
• Experience with organizational design, workforce planning, and succession planning.
• Ability to build strong connections across both in-office and remote/distributed teams.
• Demonstrated experience in managing and developing a team.
• Fluency in English is required.

Nice to have

• Hands-on experience delivering learning programs and team effectiveness initiatives.
• Knowledge of European labor law, particularly in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, UK, Italy, and Switzerland.
• Fluency in German is a strong plus.

What the company offers

• Attractive compensation package.
• Pension plan.
• Extensive employee insurances.
• Option to get company shares.

About the company

Axelera AI operates as a values-driven, people-first company that encourages curiosity and genuine collaboration. The organization fosters an open culture where ideas are heard regardless of title, and employees are given the freedom and responsibility to innovate. The company invests real time and energy in helping people grow, supporting creativity and continual innovation through collaborative ownership.

• Values-driven, people-first company where curiosity is encouraged.
• Ideas are genuinely heard regardless of title.
• Invest real time and energy in helping people grow.
• Collaborative ownership and freedom with responsibility.
• Open culture that supports creativity and continual innovation.