Senior People & Culture Lead

Location: Sweden or Malta | Full-time | Reports to CEO

Cherry Online is a Nordic group of online gaming companies with around 150 employees across several brands and locations. We have been in the industry for more than 13 years and operate in a number of regulated European markets. We like things straightforward, collaborative and close to the business. Good ideas matter more than titles, decisions don’t need endless layers, and if you see something that could be better, you’re encouraged to do something about it.

We are now looking for a Senior People & Culture Lead to take responsibility for our people agenda across the group.

This is a broad role for someone who knows HR well, enjoys working close to the business and is equally comfortable discussing organisational questions with the CEO as supporting a manager with a day-to-day people issue.

The role

We already have many of the basics in place. There is an existing People team, established HR processes and a new HR system that is being rolled out across the group.

At the same time, there is work to do.

Some processes need updating, others need to be used more consistently, and we want to create a clearer approach to areas such as leadership, performance, development, engagement and internal communication.

Your first job will not be to arrive with a ready-made HR model. We want you to get to know the organisation, understand what works and what people value, and then help us decide what needs to develop.

From there, you will set priorities and gradually build a People & Culture framework that works across different brands and locations – structured enough to give us consistency, but simple enough to fit an entrepreneurial business.

You will report to the CEO as a part of the leadership team, work closely with our leaders and have responsibility for the existing People/administrative team.

What you will work with

You will have overall responsibility for the employee lifecycle, from recruitment and onboarding through performance, development, compensation and employee relations to offboarding.

A large part of the role is about working through our managers. We want to strengthen how we lead, give feedback, develop people and handle performance across the organisation. This may include developing frameworks for salary reviews, coaching, mentoring and leadership development – and making sure they work in practice.

You will also be a trusted advisor on organisational and people matters, including situations that require good judgement, discretion and sometimes the confidence to challenge.

Internal communication is another part of the role. We see a close connection between how we lead people and how we communicate. You will help us make communication across the group clearer and more consistent, whether that means supporting leadership communication, preparing an all-hands or communicating change.

You will also make sure our HR policies and practices meet relevant employment law requirements. We operate across several jurisdictions and have access to external legal expertise when local support is needed.

And, like most organisations, we are looking at how AI can improve the way we work. We don't expect you to be an AI specialist, but we would like you to be curious about where it can make HR and communication simpler and better.

Who we think will do well here

You are an experienced HR generalist who has previously held broad, senior HR responsibility. You are used to being both strategic and hands-on and don't need a large corporate structure around you to get things done.

Experience from iGaming is important to us. Understanding the pace, culture and realities of the industry will make it much easier to succeed in the role. We may also consider someone from a fast-moving, entrepreneurial tech environment with a strong understanding of our industry.

You have good knowledge of Swedish employment law and are comfortable working in an international organisation. Experience from Malta or other European jurisdictions is useful, but not essential.

You also need to be a good communicator. Not in the sense of always having the perfect presentation, but in being able to explain things clearly, write well and adapt your communication to employees, managers and senior leaders.

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who is approachable and grounded. Someone who listens before changing things, builds trust easily and can handle sensitive situations with maturity and discretion.

You need to be comfortable working independently, taking decisions and moving between high and low. There will be days when you discuss organisational development with the leadership team and days when a practical employee issue needs your attention. Usually, there will be a bit of both.

Fluent English is required, and professional Swedish is strongly preferred.

Working with us

We are founder-led and have deliberately kept an entrepreneurial way of working as the business has grown. Decision paths are short, there is little interest in hierarchy for its own sake, and people are expected to take responsibility for their work.

We also care about being a people-focused organisation. We have an open-door culture and want people to feel that they can raise questions, challenge ideas and talk to each other without unnecessary formality.

The People & Culture function is still developing, which means there is considerable room to shape both the role and how we work. Over time, there is also potential for the position to develop into a broader Chief People/HR role.

The position can be based in Sweden or Malta. We work in a hybrid way, but this is a people-facing role, so we expect you to spend time in our offices and with the teams. Travel between our locations, including Malta, Sweden and Belgrade, is part of the role.

Interested?

We would like to hear about your experience and, just as importantly, how you think about People & Culture in an entrepreneurial organisation.

We look forward to your application!