Head of People & Culture (m/w/d)

We are convinced that padel is a magical sport – one that people are captivated by due to its unique combination of lightness, dynamics, and social interaction. Padel is for everyone: from young to old, from beginners to professionals – anyone can participate in this passion. It's more than just a game; it's an experience that connects, brings joy, and creates friendships.

mitte is a boutique padel club, offering top-notch playing conditions and a stylish setting for our dynamic, modern community. Our clubs combine high-quality facilities in central inner-city locations with digital innovation and human warmth to make padel a permanent part of everyday life – whether it's for a quick game or as a 'Third Place' for various experiences.

What makes us special:

• Our indoor clubs are located so that you can reach them in under 15 minutes – ideal for urban life
• Our vollautomatisierten systems ensure a seamless, modern playing experience
• Our community leaders live hospitality and provide excellent hosting and care, dedicating themselves fully to their task of being outstanding hosts
• Our interior design comes from a renowned boutique architect

Our ambition: to become the global brand for premium padel.

Aufgaben

Who works at mitte, grows with us – that's your playground.

As Head of People & Culture (m/w/d), you'll build the entire people function from scratch for mitte and become the central link between the founding team and the workforce. You'll start as a solo builder of the function (with support from two part-time people & HR admin staff) and gradually build your team with the growth of mitte. You're responsible for people strategy and operations for two very different worlds: a rapidly growing HQ in Berlin and a steadily expanding network of club teams – today in Germany, tomorrow in other European countries.

Your goal: to create a people function that enables mitte to grow quickly without losing culture, quality, or motivation.

Your tasks:

• People strategy & org design: You'll develop the people strategy for mitte and build the organizational structure further – both in HQ and on club level. You'll establish a scalable job architecture with clear roles, levels, and salary bands.
• Talent acquisition: You're responsible for end-to-end recruiting for HQ and clubs – two very different worlds: strategic senior hires for HQ and standardized hiring for club roles across more cities.
• Onboarding & development: You'll design onboarding journeys that turn new colleagues into quickly connected team members – and build development paths that work just as well for club employees as for HQ specialists.
• Compensation & benefits: You'll define the compensation philosophy of mitte – market-based, transparent, and consistent across countries and roles. You're responsible for salary benchmarks and bonus systems.
• HR operations & compliance: You'll ensure that HR processes (payroll, contracts, labor law, data protection) run smoothly and compliantly – in Germany today, in other European countries tomorrow. You'll select and implement the right HR tools.
• Culture & internal communications: You'll make mitte culture tangible and translatable – in HQ in Berlin just as well as in every club. You're responsible for internal communication, from all-hands meetings to newsletters to channels that keep HQ and clubs connected in everyday life.
• HQ-club bridge & founders' sparring: You'll be the ear of the team – punctually and geographically on site in the clubs, e.g., for larger training and development measures, paired with 1:1s across the organization. You'll sense where it's burning and bring these signals to the leadership team. With the founding team, you'll work as a sparring partner and critical instance at eye level.

Benefits:

• Become part of a success story: Our goal is clear: become Europe's leading padel operator. You're part of it from the start – with the chance to take on real responsibility and shape this vision actively.
• Zentral office in the heart of Berlin: A place for productive work and open exchange at eye level. Snacks & drinks are always available.
• Modern equipment: You'll work with a MacBook and everything you need to be productive.
• Work directly with the founders: You'll work closely with our founders, getting firsthand information on how decisions are made, structures are built, and strategies are developed and implemented.
• Remuneration: A competitive salary with long-term development prospects.
• Your uniform: We'll provide you with exclusive mitte teamwear from adidas.
• Sport & wellbeing: At mitte, you'll get regular padel matches on our courts – for your physical well-being and overall satisfaction alongside the working day.