Senior People & Culture lead

You want to help protect western values? You want to protect people and critical infrastructure – ultimately saving the lives of thousands.You want to work at the frontier of high‑performance autonomous systems.Join us at CDDS to build CDDS into an elite organization capable of solving some of the hardest technical and operational challenges. You will build further the systems, processes, and culture that allow extraordinary people to do their best work.We move at an extreme tempo and priorities are within EU and US. You should be comfortable operating in ambiguity, making decisions with imperfect information, and continuously evolving how we recruit, onboard, and develop talent as the company grows.TasksPartnering directly with the CEO and leadership team on organizational design and hiring strategyBuilding and scaling world-class recruiting processes for engineering, robotics, autonomy, operations, and commercial functionsIdentifying and personally engaging exceptional candidates across US and EuropeDesigning interview systems that consistently raise the talent barCreating onboarding experiences that enable new hires to become highly productive quicklyDeveloping performance management, feedback, and career development frameworksBuilding leadership capabilities across the organisationShaping and protecting company culture during periods of rapid growthDesigning compensation, retention, and talent development strategiesSupporting managers in hiring, team building, performance, and organisational challengesEstablishing people operations that scale without creating unnecessary bureaucracyHelping the company navigate rapid growth while maintaining speed, accountability, and excellenceRequirementsYour Profile5+ years of experience in talent acquisition, people leadership, organisational development, executive search, or related fieldsProven track record of hiring exceptional talent in high-performance environmentsStrong ability to assess talent, potential, and cultural fitExperience partnering closely with founders, executives, or senior leadership teamsExcellent communication and relationship-building skillsHigh ownership and willingness to operate hands-onStrong judgment and ability to make decisions independentlyComfortable working in a fast-moving startup environment where priorities evolve rapidlyRequirementsNice to haveExperience scaling technical organisations from early-stage to growth-stageBackground in recruiting for software, robotics, AI, autonomy, aerospace, or defence sectorsExperience building people systems and organisational processes from scratchExecutive search or headhunting experienceKnowledge of compensation design and performance managementExperience hiring internationallyUnderstanding of startup scaling challenges and organisational designBenefitsWhy CDDSDirect impact on a mission-critical technology shaping US and Europe's security landscapeOpportunity to work directly with the CEO and leadership teamHigh ownership and influence on the future of the companyBuild and shape an organisation in hyper growth phaseWork with highly ambitious, technical, and mission-driven peopleFast-moving environment with significant personal growth opportunitiesAttractive compensationDetailsLocation: Hardbrucke (Zürich), on‑siteStart date: ASAPEnvironment: High‑impact deep‑tech startup working on real deploymentsFind more English Speaking Jobs in Switzerland on Arbeitnow