People Business Partner - Munich

WHO WE ARE Helsing is a defence AI company. Our mission is to protect our democracies. We aim to achieve technological leadership, so that open societies can continue to make sovereign decisions and control their ethical standards. As democracies, we believe we have a special responsibility to be thoughtful about the development and deployment of powerful technologies like AI. We take this responsibility seriously. We are a committed and mission-driven team of engineers, AI specialists and customer-facing programme managers. We are looking for mission-driven people to join our European teams and apply their skills to solve the most complex and impactful problems. We embrace an open and transparent culture that welcomes healthy debates on the use of technology in defence, its benefits, and its ethical implications. THE ROLE As a People Business Partner at Helsing, you will play a hands-on role in delivering the people programmes and partnerships that keep our teams performing and growing. Working closely within a cross-functional People function — spanning People Operations, Talent Acquisition and People Partnering — you will support the day-to-day execution of our performance and talent development frameworks, while building trusted relationships with managers and team members across our German offices and company domains. A defining feature of this role is the ability to network with depth and intention: cultivating relationships across engineering, research, policy and operations teams to stay close to the business, understand what is really happening on the ground, and act as a credible, well-informed partner rather than a distant function. Alongside this, you will actively develop your understanding of Helsing's technology, domain and commercial context — because the most effective people partnering at Helsing is rooted in genuine business acumen, not process alone. THE DAY-TO-DAY - Support the execution of Helsing's performance framework — including probation reviews, feedback cycles and calibration processes — ensuring local delivery in Germany is consistent with company-wide standards - Build manager and team capability by facilitating training sessions, curating resources and providing practical, evidence-based guidance on people topics - Serve as the primary point of contact for team members on people policies, German employment law questions and employee relations matters, escalating complex cases with clear framing and appropriate context - Guide managers through common people challenges — including team scaling, performance conversations and organisational change — providing structured, timely and legally compliant support - Actively cultivate a broad internal network across Helsing's German teams and wider European organisation, developing the relationships and domain fluency needed to anticipate people needs before they become problems - Invest continuously in understanding Helsing's business — its technology, its customers, its strategic priorities and its domain — translating that knowledge into people advice that is grounded in commercial and operational reality - Develop and refine playbooks, templates and tools that enable managers to operate with greater consistency and confidence across the employee lifecycle - Gather and analyse people data to surface early signals on team health, engagement and retention, contributing to regular reporting that informs People team priorities and leadership decisions YOU SHOULD APPLY IF YOU - Have worked in an HR business partnering or generalist HR role and have direct, practical experience supporting managers and employees through the full employee lifecycle - Have a solid working knowledge of German employment law and are confident applying it to real-world employee relations situations - Are a natural relationship-builder — you invest in knowing the people and teams you support, and use those relationships to partner with credibility and informed judgement - Have contributed to performance management or talent development processes and understand how to execute them consistently and fairly across a team or function - Bring genuine curiosity about the business context you operate in — actively seeking to understand organisational strategy, domain knowledge and commercial dynamics to inform your people work - Use people data and metrics to support decisions, identify trends and frame well-reasoned recommendations for more senior stakeholders > Note: We operate in an industry where women, as well as other minority groups, are systematically under-represented. We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the listed qualifications; ability and impact cannot be summarised in a few bullet points. NICE TO HAVE - Experience working within a high-growth technology, defence, deep-tech or similarly complex and regulated environment — bringing relevant domain familiarity to the role from day one - Exposure to organisational design, workforce planning or broader talent strategy work - Experience working across multiple European employment jurisdictions alongside Germany - A demonstrated track record of building wide internal networks and using those relationships to improve the quality and reach of people partnering - Proficiency in building or iterating on people systems and tooling (e.g. HRIS platforms, engagement survey tools) JOIN HELSING AND WORK WITH WORLD-LEADING EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELDS At Helsing, you will work alongside some of the most accomplished engineers, AI researchers and mission-driven operators in Europe. We are a company where the quality of your thinking and the impact of your work matter more than hierarchy or tenure. We move carefully and with purpose — because the problems we are working on demand it. WHAT WE OFFER - Competitive salary and stock options (ESOP) - Relocation support: up to €2,500 and four weeks of temporary accommodation - Learning: €500 yearly allowance to invest in your professional development - Health & wellness: gym membership and mental health support via Nilo.health - Social: regular company events and monthly social allowances - Enhanced parental leave: 22 weeks fully paid for primary caregivers and six weeks for secondary caregivers - Family support: five days of paid family emergency leave, 100% remote work option during pregnancy and a phased return to work These are the core benefits across all locations; there may be additional benefits at specific sites.   Helsing is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability or gender identity. Please do not submit personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, data concerning your health, or data concerning your sexual orientation.