We are hiring: People Lead

We are looking for an experienced HR professional who is passionate about people to join our team!

About us

Demos Helsinki is a globally operating, non-profit and independent think tank. We are a community of motivated experts working for a more fair, sustainable and joyful future, and we believe that change can only happen together. That is why we carry out consultative and research projects together with hundreds of partners, such as UN organisations, the European Commission and international foundations. Unlike many other think tanks, we are predominantly project-funded and fully independent, without any political affiliations. Over the past 20 years, we have grown into a 70-person organisation working on over 100 projects per year with a forecasted revenue of over 5 M€. 

Your role at Demos Helsinki

First and foremost, we are looking for someone with strong experience and motivation for people matters to take ownership of our People Function. We have grown from 50 to 70 people over the past two years, and our People function is still looking for its best operational mode. You will have an important role in figuring out the best way for us to operate as Demos Helsinki now and in the future.

Our culture is very community-based, and matters such as wellbeing, fairness, and transparent operational models are important to all Demosians. Currently, our People Function has one person working full-time. In addition, a few more people are actively involved: the Managing Director, the CFO, five team (or function) leads acting as supervisors, employee representatives, the finance & legal team, and the Demos ry association board. Our People function has ownership over statutory HR matters, recruitments, talent management and development, organisational development, including diversity and inclusion matters, support for individual development and wellbeing among others. 

Your primary role will be leading our people matters at the organisational level in close collaboration with others; you would also have hands-on responsibilities in executing them. However, we believe in individual motivation and competencies instead of strict roles, so there are possibilities to broaden the scope of the role by taking on other responsibilities related to, e.g. legal, sales or communications. In brief, the exact role and responsibilities will be tailored to your expertise, experience and motivation.

What do we expect from you?

• You have professional proficiency in both Finnish and English. 
• You have several years of experience in a similar role being accountable for HR/people matters.  
• You have insights for leading the organisation through people matters but you are no stranger to statutory HR responsibilities either.
• You truly enjoy supporting people and developing organisational processes.
• You are motivated by the ethos and goals of Demos Helsinki.
• You are curious and enjoy learning and trying new things.
• You are comfortable with both getting tasks done yourself and delegating them.
• A proven track record in supporting a growing organisation is a bonus.

Please be brave and apply even if you do not meet each and every requirement listed below. The role can be fitted to suit the candidate. However, due to the nature of the work, Finnish and English proficiency are a must.

Practicalities for the position

• We offer a permanent full-time position with flexible working hours. We are also open to part-time work. 
• The salary is either 4160 or 4760 euros per month for a full-time position, based on your level of responsibility. 
• The start date is preferably in April or May 2025, but other options can be negotiated.
• Our office is located in central Helsinki. We have flexible remote working policies with no mandatory office days. However, in this role we expect you to maintain a regular presence at the office.

How to apply?

We have an anonymous application process in the first phase of the candidate selection. You can apply by filling out the application form, but the details irrelevant to the preliminary selection (e.g., your name and city) are temporarily hidden when we go through the applications. The anonymous application process ensures that the preliminary selection is influenced only by information that is relevant to the role. 

You can find the application form here.

The application period is open until Sunday 12.1.2025, 23.59 (EET). All applicants will be informed of their status in the application process during the following week. We aim to start the interviews mid-January and conclude this process by mid-February.

For more information, please be in touch with:

• Managing Director Katri Sarkia, katri.sarkia@demoshelsinki.fi (on holiday 23.12.2024 – 1.1.2025). You can reach Katri by phone at +358 50 528 1070 on Thursday 19th December at 16–17 (EET) or Friday 3rd January 14–15.
• People Lead Ifeoma Kulmala, ifeoma.kulmala@demoshelsinki.fi or +358 50 365 8993 (on holiday 23.12.2024 – 6.1.2025).