People and Talent Manager New

SpAItial is building world models that understand and generate 3D environments. Our work brings together generative AI, computer vision and graphics, with potential applications across robotics, entertainment and spatial computing.

We’re looking for a People & Talent Manager to help us build an exceptional team and a company where that team can do its best work. Recruiting will be your first priority. You’ll personally lead searches for researchers and engineers, including people with PhDs and postdoctoral experience, and help our founders make excellent hiring decisions. You’ll also own and develop our people, HR and culture processes as we grow across London and Munich.

This is a hands-on role with considerable scope. You’ll join the Operations team and have the opportunity to shape the people function from an early stage.

RESPONSIBILITIES

- Own hiring from role definition to accepted offer, initially focusing on research, machine learning, engineering and other highly technical roles.

- Find and engage researchers and engineers through direct sourcing, referrals, academic networks, research conferences and industry communities.

- Partner with founders and hiring managers to understand specialist work, define what success looks like and assess candidates consistently.

- Give candidates clear communication and a thoughtful experience throughout the process.

- Own the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, offboarding, people records and the processes that support employees day to day.

- Develop practical approaches to performance, feedback, development and manager support as the team grows.

- Help build a strong culture across our London and Munich teams.

- Maintain clear people policies and processes, working with Operations and local advisers where specialist employment guidance is needed.

- Use hiring and people data to identify problems, improve processes and help the leadership team plan ahead.

KEY QUALIFICATIONS

- 4+ years of experience in talent acquisition, people operations or a related role, with a strong record of personally recruiting for tech teams.

- Demonstrated experience sourcing and hiring PhD level researchers, postdoctoral researchers or research scientists, alongside highly specialised engineers.

- The ability to understand research profiles, publications and technical career paths well enough to engage credible candidates and earn hiring managers’ trust.

- Experience owning or building people processes beyond hiring, such as onboarding, performance, employee development or HR operations.

- Sound judgment, discretion and empathy when handling sensitive people matters.

- Strong organisation and follow-through: you can manage several searches and people priorities without losing detail.

- A practical, proactive approach to building processes that work for a growing company.

NICE TO HAVE

- Experience hiring in machine learning, computer vision, graphics, robotics or related fields.

- Relationships with relevant universities, research labs or deep tech communities.

- Experience in an early-stage or rapidly growing technology company.

- Experience supporting teams across both the UK and Germany.

At SpAItial, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We are an equal opportunity employer and ensure all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process.