Head of HR

In short

We're looking for a Head of People to take full ownership of everything people-related at intent: recruitment, HR operations, team development, policies, and working directly with founders on how this company grows. This isn't a "set up the perks page and run engagement surveys" kind of role. You'll manage a team of three (two recruiters and an office manager), drive around 50 hires a year, build compensation systems, handle difficult conversations, and be the person leaders turn to when things get complicated. It's a B2B contract with a fixed monthly rate. If you like building people functions that actually work, not just look good on paper, this is for you.

Why intent?

We've been designing and co-creating connected devices since 2008. Wearables, smart audio, health-tech hardware for clients like Oura and BOSE, backed by investors like a16z and Founders Fund. We're 60+ people, fully remote, and AI-native in how we actually work, not just in how we talk about it. The company is at a stage where the people function needs someone who can own it end-to-end: from hiring plans tied to the sales pipeline, through performance frameworks, to vendor negotiations and ISO audits. It's a broad, strategic role with real decision-making power, and you'll report directly to the CEO.

What you'll do

• Lead the People team: manage two recruiters and an office manager, run weekly 1:1s, quarterly evaluations, and develop their skills

• Own the full recruitment cycle: plan hiring in sync with the sales pipeline, set priorities, run or oversee ~50 hires per year across specialist, leadership, and back-office roles

• Design and optimize recruitment processes, train hiring managers (PMs, tech leads), and manage relationships with recruitment agencies and outsourcing partners

• Run onboarding, workshadowing, and offboarding programs

• Partner with team leads on quarterly performance reviews, competency matrices, development plans, and corrective processes

• Step in when things get hard: burnout, conflicts, terminations, difficult conversations. You're the person leaders lean on

• Advise C-level on hiring decisions, compensation structures, team rotation, org design, and succession planning

• Own HR operations: contracts (B2B, UoP, UZ, NDAs), leave management, overtime calculations, invoice approvals, compensation reports

• Build and maintain all people policies: leave, equipment, remote work, recruitment, bonuses, offboarding, benefits

• Manage vendor relationships: Saltus (medical), legal counsel, payroll/accounting partner, training providers

• Drive HR reporting: recruitment pipeline metrics, retention, headcount efficiency, and translate data into recommendations for leadership

• Lead people initiatives: wellbeing programs, mentoring, feedback frameworks, strategic projects

• Handle compliance: ISO 27001 audits, labor inspection requirements, access management across tools (Google, Slack, Jira, Recruitee, Calamari, and more)

• Use AI tools as part of your daily workflow, not as a party trick

How we work

Fully remote. We have an office in Warsaw and a coworking space in Gdansk if you like having a place to go, but nobody will ask why you're not there. Working hours are flexible: most of the team operates between 10:00 and 18:00 CET, and that's when most meetings happen. This role sits at the intersection of operations and strategy, so expect your calendar to reflect that.

What you'll get

• 16,000–24,000 PLN/month net B2B, depending on your experience

• 26 days paid leave (B2B), because the person running the wellbeing programs should probably not be burned out

• 10 days paid sick leave

• Saltus medical care (private health insurance)

• Training budget (2,000 PLN+): courses, conferences, books, whatever makes you better at what you do

• Mentoring budget: access to external mentors and coaching sessions to support your growth

• Fully remote, with a pet-friendly office in Warsaw and a coworking space in Gdansk if you want them

Your first weeks

You'll start by getting the lay of the land: meeting the team, understanding active recruitment processes, learning how projects and people are allocated, and getting introduced to the leaders you'll be partnering with. Within the first few weeks, you'll start taking ownership of day-to-day operations, and by the end of your first month, you'll have a clear picture of what's working, what needs fixing, and where you want to take things.

Who this role is NOT for

If you see HR as a support function that mostly reacts to requests from "the business", this isn't the right fit. We need someone who sees themselves as part of the business: someone who sits at the table with founders, challenges decisions when needed, and builds systems that actually shape how the company operates. If you're looking for a role where you can focus on one thing, like just recruitment or just policies, this will overwhelm you. We're also AI-native: if AI tools feel like a gimmick to you rather than a daily multiplier, we're probably not your people.

Recruitment process

The entire process is in English. All interviews are recorded for internal evaluation purposes.

1. Application with a few screening questions

2. Initial call (~45 min): getting to know each other, your experience, what you're looking for

3. A short take-home task (~60 min): a practical exercise related to the role

4. In-depth meeting (~90 min): with CEO and COO, diving into how you think about people, operations, and strategy

5. Final feedback within a few days

intent is an equal opportunity employer. We care about what you can do, not where you come from.

What we're looking for

• 5+ years in a senior HR/People role, with at least 2 years managing a team

• Hands-on recruitment experience at scale: you can run a hiring process yourself, not just delegate it. Tech/software services industry strongly preferred

• Solid understanding of Polish labor law and contract types (B2B, UoP, UZ), enough to draft documents and make sound decisions without calling a lawyer every time

• Experience building HR systems from scratch or significantly rebuilding them: compensation frameworks, performance reviews, onboarding programs, policies

• Commercial awareness: you understand how hiring plans connect to revenue, and you can have a real conversation with a CEO about headcount vs. pipeline

• Strong with data: you define metrics, build reports, and turn numbers into recommendations, not just dashboards

• English at C1+ (written and spoken), because our clients and part of our team are international

• Direct, honest communication: you say what needs to be said, especially when it's uncomfortable

• The ability to switch between strategic thinking and hands-on execution within the same day

• Initiative and ownership: if a process is broken, you fix it. If a policy is missing, you write it. You don't wait for permission

Nice to have

• Experience in a software house, consultancy, or tech company with a mix of freelance and permanent staff

• Familiarity with ISO 27001 or similar compliance frameworks from the HR side

• Experience managing budgets: training, mentoring, team events, compensation

• Knowledge of tools like Recruitee, Calamari, Primetric, OfficeVibe, or similar

• A genuine interest in how teams work, not just how they're organized on paper