Head of People & Operations [f/m/x] (32-38.5h/week) | SaaS | remote-first within reach of our Vienna office

extra holidays
Work set-up: 
Full Remote
Contract: 
Full time
Experience: 
Senior (5-10 years)
Work from: 
Austria

Offer summary

Qualifications:

Minimum 5+ years of experience in a generalist People & Culture role within a tech startup or scale-up., At least two years of hands-on leadership experience managing teams., Fluent in English and German, with strong communication skills., Strategic thinker with a comprehensive understanding of modern People & Culture practices and operational processes..

Key responsibilities:

  • Lead and unify the People & Culture and Operations teams, ensuring strategic alignment.
  • Oversee and improve internal HR processes, employee experience, and company culture.
  • Manage daily operational activities, including office management and remote setup support.
  • Collaborate with leadership to drive organizational development and support company growth.

Swat.io logo
Swat.io SME https://swat.io/
11 - 50 Employees
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Job description

Who we are:
Swat.io is a Software-as-a-Service product that supports marketers in Social Media Publishing and Community Management. We are proud to be an independent, self-financed, product-led SaaS company focused on building a product that users actually love.

Today, our goal is to continue growing sustainably and join the top 1% of SaaS companies with over €10 million in ARR. We want to create a meaningful impact for our customers, team, and company, becoming an integral part of our customers’ daily workflow. Guided by our core values—we add value, we drive progress, we own it, we thrive together — we prioritize quality over quantity. We focus on exceptional talent and a collaborative, supportive culture, believing that revenue follows quality, not the other way around.

At Swat.io, we're a team of almost 50 people with diverse backgrounds. We focus on staying lean and agile, and we’re looking for makers who thrive in this kind of environment.
Who you are:

You are a passionate people person who thrives on enhancing existing structures and processes, bringing energy and drive to challenge the status quo, and ensuring that projects are constantly moving forward across the board. You possess an entrepreneurial spirit, a strategic mindset, and a comprehensive understanding of modern People & Culture practices, coupled with a strong motivation to dive into and lead operational topics. We are looking for someone with German and English fluency, with a hands-on mentality who likes being involved in the day-to-day.  

You strive to provide clear direction while being the central person ensuring that our team of 50 thrives in our remote-first work environment, fostering a highly collaborative environment and engagement.

You're adept at managing complexity, leading two distinct teams, and navigating a matrix reporting structure for the two Operations team members, who will continue to work closely with the CFO/COO, Verena.

Purpose of the role
You'll join Swat.io as our Head of People & Operations, a crucial part of the leadership team, where you will unify and lead both our People & Culture and Operations teams. While these teams will remain distinct, you'll be the common leader ensuring seamless collaboration and strategic alignment. You will report directly to our COO/CFO, Verena.

Your primary purpose is to integrate and elevate all internal People and Operations processes under a unified vision and leadership, while fostering a people- and performance-oriented work culture with high-quality interactions. A key mission of this role will be to support the organizational change needed in a time of rapid transformation – within our company, in the market, and in the way we work. As AI and other external forces reshape our industry, we’re looking for someone who can help us proactively adapt our structures, culture, and ways of collaborating. 

You will develop and execute a comprehensive strategy to enhance both our People & Culture and Operations functions, aligning them with Swat.io’s goals. 

That will also include:
  • Leading People & Culture:
    • Overseeing and advancing the full candidate and employee journey, fostering a positive and productive environment and an excellent employee experience.
    • Ensuring compliant and efficient HR administration and payroll processes, collaborating closely with our external partners.
    • Continuously evolving and nurturing Swat.io's unique company culture and core values.
    • Significantly contributing to strategic organizational development, leadership training, and coaching in close partnership with our CFO/COO.

  • Leading Operations:
    • Supervising administration and daily operational processes and activities of the company, including office management for our Vienna office and support for our remote setup.
    • Optimizing internal operational processes and tools to enhance overall efficiency and scalability.
    • Ensuring smooth cross-functional collaboration on operational matters, particularly with Legal and Strategic Finance topics, which remain with the CFO/COO.

  • Cross-Functional Leadership:
    • Providing disciplinary leadership and development for the People & Culture and Operations team members, guiding their daily operations and professional growth.
    • Fostering strong communication and collaboration between the People & Culture and Operations teams, and with all other Swat.io departments.
    • Being a sparring partner on People topics for the leadership team.
    • Actively participating in the leadership team, contributing to the company's strategic development, and ensuring that People and Operations initiatives directly support overall business objectives.
Are you ready for this?
We define ready as 
  • You have at least 5+ years of experience in a generalist People & Culture role, within a tech startup or scale-up.
  • You have a minimum of two years of demonstrated hands-on leadership experience.
  • You thrive in agile environments, ideally within a SaaS or bootstrapped company, and understand the nuances of flexible working models like remote and hybrid setups.
  • You possess strong organizational skills and a proven ability to structure and lead daily processes across multiple functions, using AI to enhance your daily workflows and work results.
  • While in-depth operational knowledge is not a prerequisite, you bring a strong motivation to dive into and lead the Operations area, embracing its complexities and opportunities for optimization.
  • You are a strategic and performance-oriented thinker with strong business acumen, capable of translating people and operational strategies into tangible business impact.
  • You are self-led and not afraid to take initiative and responsibility, while also being a role model of a healthy feedback and failure culture, knowing what it takes to develop, motivate, and guide a team. 
  • You have led and successfully managed high-impact projects within People & Culture and/or Operations in the past, and have good knowledge of Austrian labor law.
  • You possess strong critical-thinking skills and dare to express your own opinions while remaining open to better arguments.
  • You are a team player with hands-on qualities, ready to roll up your sleeves and step in wherever needed.
  • You are an outgoing person – approachable, communicative, engaging, and someone others instinctively turn to for advice and support.
  • You speak fluent English, as this is our company language, and fluent German is mandatory due to local legal and operational responsibilities related to our Austrian entity. If your German isn’t fluent, we unfortunately can’t move forward with your application.
Don’t worry if you don't meet all qualifications. If this opportunity catches your eye and you are passionate about the field of work, we are happy to receive your application. If we both think we are a good match, as team fit is as important to us as a technical fit, we will find a solution and grow together.
Our stack/How we work:
  • The People & Culture team utilizes Personio as our overall HR tool for all disciplines within the field. 
  • Guided by the People & Culture team, our payroll is managed by an external firm, which also consults us on labor law topics. 
  • Deel is our provider for compliant international employment.
  • In the operations team, we rely on tools like Chargebee, Stripe, Adam, and BMD.
  • The entire Swat.io team uses state-of-the-art tools like Google Suite, Linear, Notion, and communicates extensively via Slack, Google Meet & Co., reflecting our remote-first culture. We prioritize efficiency and clear communication to get things done effectively.
  • At Swat.io, we see AI as an essential part of our future – it's already embedded in our daily work, and we're actively expanding its use across the company.
What you’ll find:
  • Personal development: An exciting opportunity to shape People & Operations at Swat.io, co-create best practices, and drive the company's future as part of the leadership team.
  • Annual learning & development budget: €1,000 per year and 4 extra days off for professional or personal growth.
  • Professional equipment: We provide everything you need (MacBook, smartphone, headset, etc.).
  • Salary: Permanent contract with a gross annual salary between EUR 77.000 - and 90.500 (38.5-hour week), based on experience. Overtime is compensated as time off. For leadership positions, an additional performance-based bonus is agreed on yearly and has already been fixed for 2025.
  • Flexibility: We work with a flexible hours model with no core working hours, allowing you to shape your workdays around your needs and those of your team/customers. 
  • Remote-friendly model: Work from anywhere in Austria regularly, as we believe in the power of remote work. For the initial onboarding, we'd love to welcome you to our office near Längenfeldgasse (U4/U6) subway station in Vienna (first day/a few times first weeks). Travel costs are covered by us! 
  • Remote work abroad: Work from anywhere in the world for up to 3 months per year - just consider time zones and our monthly in-person Leadership Team Meetings.
  • In-office collaboration: Your office presence is required for certain meetings or occasions. Our Leadership team meets 1-2 times per month in the office to align on strategic and team-specific topics. The whole company meets twice a year in Vienna. Travel costs are supported for those outside Vienna.
  • Family-friendly: We guarantee your job after parental leave and offer truly flexible working hours/models. Around 40% of our team members are parents, showing how seriously we take work-life balance.
  • Team spirit: At Swat.io, we are makers who excel at what we do while caring for each other’s well-being and creating a supportive environment. We have regular team activities and company events that bring all Swaties together to connect and celebrate.
  • Public transport support: If you’re based in Austria, we support you with a yearly public transport ticket (Wiener Linien pass or a portion of the KlimaTicket).
We are proud to have an inclusive workplace environment that will foster your development no matter your gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, education level, or race.
What you won’t find at Swat.io:

  • Annoying micro-management

  • Office politics

  • Lengthy coordination and approval processes

  • Monotonous tasks and boring work

  • Egos and bullshit before real results

Our process:
Your contact person is Ellie, our trusted recruiting partner.
  1. Intro Interview with Ellie in English
  2. Functional interview with Verena in German
  3. Leadership screening with Tanja, our current Head of People & Culture
  4. On-site or remote assessment round with the Management Board (Verena, Jolli, Manuel)
  5. On-site or remote meeting with the leadership team (other heads of) and your future team members
  6. Offer & open questions
The preferred starting date is as soon as possible, but we are ready to wait for our perfect candidate.

Our job posting got your attention – great! We are looking forward to getting to know you better. Show us who you are – we are interested in your personality and how you fit into our team. Don’t forget to leave a short pitch to let us know why we should get to know each other.
Meet Your Team

Jane (P&C Manager) is our go-to for recruiting and talent development, ensuring we hire the right people and support them to grow at Swat.io. Jane keeps a pulse on the team's needs by running surveys and gathering insights, always with an eye on how we can improve. On top of that, she brings our employer brand to life with authenticity. Outside work, she’s into sports, travel, and recharges best when she’s out in nature with friends.

Gerald (P&C Manager) is the heart and soul of all things behind & in front of the scenes when it comes to People operations. He handles employee needs and makes Swat.io a great place to work. His passion for creating memorable experiences extends to organizing our legendary company events that everyone looks forward to. When off duty, he’s in the mountains, skiing, hiking, or simply enjoying nature and traveling. Gerald is also a proud dog dad to his beloved dachshund, Benji.

Lisa (Senior P&C Manager) is currently enjoying her baby break until 2026. Lisa is a true expert in simplifying the complex. As the first People person at Swat.io, she played a huge role in shaping our People & Culture approach. Lisa is a devoted mom of two and an avid wordsmith, enjoying writing, reading, and always up for a deep conversation. 

Suzana (Office & Invoicing Manager) handles all things admin, invoicing, including getting our books prepped, and makes sure our office runs smoothly. A true optimist, always seeing the glass as half full and spreading good vibes. Suzana loves getting lost in a good book, always open for a good cup of tea and a chat, and finds joy in cooking for friends and family. 

Judit (Senior Operations Manager) is the steady hand behind all things Legal and Data Security at Swat.io. She’s also stepping in to cover Admin & Office topics while Suzana is away, and brings structure and clarity to our Finance & Ops work. With structure, care, and curiosity, she drives internal projects and ensures our data stays safe. She’s known for her big smile, her passion for learning languages, and her love of dancing.

Verena (COO/CFO) is your future leader and just as enthusiastic about numbers as she is fascinated by people. At Swat.io, she leads the Operations unit, overseeing Finance, Operations, People & Culture, and Customer Support. With her analytical mind, a healthy dose of pragmatism, and a passion for organizational development, she keeps Swat.io evolving. Outside of work, she is always up for an adventure with her kids, loves to dive into building Legos, solving riddles, or lighting up the stage in a musical.

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Experience

Level of experience: Senior (5-10 years)
Spoken language(s):
GermanEnglish
Check out the description to know which languages are mandatory.

Hard Skills

Business OperationsProcess OptimizationOrganizational DevelopmentPayroll ProcessingProject ManagementJust Culture MethodologyLabor LawHR OperationsAgile Software DevelopmentGame AiSpeech Fluency

Other Skills

  • People Management
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Leadership
  • Critical Thinking
  • Collaboration
  • Adaptability
  • Communication
  • Teamwork
  • Problem Solving
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