Sven Bunkus

I turn hiring into a repeatable system & career chaos into clarity I Senior Talent Partner @ pplwise

Berlin, Berlin, Germany

About

You want clarity, momentum, and leverage in your career (or in how you hire). I help you get all three. Iโ€™m a Senior Talent Partner at pplwise and a career growth expert whoโ€™s coached 100+ professionals and partnered with 500+ founders and hiring managers to build teams that scale. My approach blends positioning, systems-thinking, and evidence-based hiring, so you (or your company) stop reacting and start leading. ๐—™๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜€ ย ย โ€ข Turn a messy CV into a positioned narrative that gets replies. ย ย โ€ข Build a target list that actually matches your ambition. ย ย โ€ข Interview and negotiate with confidence (and numbers). ย ย โ€ข Make better career bets using decision frameworks, not vibes. ๐—™๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜€ โ€ข Design structured, bias-aware hiring processes. โ€ข Craft scorecards that predict success, not just likeability. โ€ข Close top talent with clear, honest value propositions. โ€ข Coach teams on better interviewing & selection. ๐‘€๐‘ฆ ๐‘“๐‘Ž๐‘ฃ๐‘œ๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ๐‘–๐‘ก๐‘’ ๐‘ก๐‘œ๐‘œ๐‘™๐‘ : โ€ข Metaview, an AI built for recruiting: https://www.metaview.ai/gift/4pmmv โ€ข Google Workspace: https://referworkspace.app.goo.gl/aBg1 Yes, I do get referral bonuses, aren't we here to earn money? I use all tools every day. How I work โ€ข Practical, not theoretical: frameworks, scripts, templates. โ€ข Direct, respectful feedback: Iโ€™ll tell you what moves the needle. โ€ข Measurable outcomes: response rates, comp deltas, time-to-hire. If youโ€™re optimizing for clarity, acceleration, and defensible decisions in your career or hiring, letโ€™s connect.

Experience

  • Senior Talent Partner at pplwise
    Apr 2025 - Present ยท 1 yr 3 mos

    pplwise is redefining the way organizations approach talent acquisition. By implementing a scientific and pragmatic approach, we solve problems at its roots. Our approach is designed to drive results customized on your business strategy, company stage and culture. Some of our customers include: - Enterprise: Natuvion, Uber, Wolt, Docplanner, JustEat, Paysafe - Established: Enpal, Thermondo, Gropyus, TIER, Taxfix, IDNow, Clark - Start-up & Scale-up: Waterdrop, Satispay, CarOnSale, limehome, enmacc, Gastromatic As a Senior Talent Partner I am involved in โ€ข Building and developing strategic client partnerships, identify challenges early on, and solve them through communication and critical thinking. โ€ข Overseeing roles end-to-end in areas such as Go-To-Market, TECH & Product while prioritizing an excellent candidate experience. โ€ข Developing and implementing recruiting forecasts, select suitable channels and strategies, with a strong focus on urgency and backward planning. โ€ข Leveraging recruiting systems to gain valuable insights from data collected before and during the recruitment process. Clients I worked with: - ADCELL - CarOnSale - EGYM - Just Eat Takeaway - MALOUM - Synatix - Vestigas

  • Sven Bunkus (8 yrs 6 mos)
    • Career Growth Expert - Coach / Mentor / Consultant
      Jan 2024 - Present ยท 2 yrs 6 mos

      With over a decade of expertise in recruiting, I want to empower You on your career journey. My background in recruiting has provided me with a deep understanding of job markets, hiring processes, salary negotiations and what employers seek in potential candidates. I am dedicated to assist You in navigating Your career, achieving Your professional goals and unlock Your full potential. What I Offer You: Personalised Coaching: I'm here to provide you with one-on-one coaching sessions that are tailored specifically to your career goals, challenges, and aspirations. Together, we'll carve out a path that not only addresses where you are now but also leads you to where you want to be. Resume and LinkedIn Optimisation: With my extensive background in recruiting, I'll guide you in crafting resumes and LinkedIn profiles that truly stand out to employers. Let's make sure your first impression is both impactful and memorable. Interview Preparation: I offer comprehensive interview preparation sessions that include mock interviews, personalised feedback, and effective strategies to showcase your skills and experience. Let me help you communicate your worth confidently and clearly. Career Strategy: From identifying the right opportunities to negotiating your offers, I'm here to assist you in developing and implementing a career strategy that aligns with your personal and professional goals. Let's create a roadmap that leads to your success. Networking Strategies: I'll teach you effective networking techniques to not only build but also nurture professional relationships. Unlock new opportunities and expand your career horizons with the right connections. Market Insights: Stay ahead of the curve with valuable insights into job market trends, employer expectations, and emerging career opportunities. I'm here to guide you towards making informed decisions that propel your career forward.

    • Interim / Freelance Recruiter I Interim Head of Talent Acquisition
      Jan 2018 - Apr 2025 ยท 7 yrs 4 mos

      Profiles and Levels: Customer Service, Controlling, Consultants, Engineering, Finance, HR, Legal, Logistics, Marketing, Product, Production, Project Management, Sales, SAP, Software Engineering / Tech / IT Individual Contributor, Teamlead, Head of and C-Level Industries: E-Commerce, Energy Provider, Food and Grocery Delivery Services, SaaS & Tech, Industrial Machinery Manufacturing, Software Development, Mobility Solutions, Chemical Production and Energy Services, Management & Contracting Clients: Contorion, Felyx, Foodpanda & Foodora (Delivery Hero), Gea Group, Getec, Just Eat Takeaway, KW-Commerce (SellerX), Mobimeo (Deutsche Bahn), Montblanc, Serrala, Solvay, Zenloop In addition to end-to-end recruiting, I led change management initiatives related to the introduction of global recruiting standards and their integration into local structures. This included stakeholder alignment across HR and leadership teams, process redesign, and the successful implementation and optimisation of Applicant Tracking Systems. I supported organisations in building scalable hiring frameworks, improving data quality, defining KPIs, and increasing transparency across the entire talent acquisition funnel. My focus was always on creating sustainable recruiting structures that enable growth rather than short-term hiring fixes. Beyond operational recruiting, I also built entire teams from scratch and supported the establishment of new business units and German branches of international companies. This included defining hiring roadmaps, setting up local recruiting processes, advising on employer positioning in the German market, and partnering closely with founders and leadership to ensure fast yet sustainable growth.

    • Talent Acquisition Consultant & Headhunter
      Jan 2018 - Apr 2025 ยท 7 yrs 4 mos

  • Angel Investor at LivingPackets
    Dec 2019 - Present ยท 6 yrs 7 mos

    Your smart, secured and reusable shipments.

  • Founder & CEO at Book a Freelancer
    Jul 2019 - Nov 2023 ยท 4 yrs 5 mos

    As Founder and Managing Director of Book a Freelander, I established and led a specialist service connecting businesses in Germany with top HR and recruitment freelancers. Overseeing all aspects of the business, I built and managed a robust network of over 1,000 freelancers, ensuring our clients could quickly and efficiently grow their teams with the right talent. My hands-on leadership, together with our small but dedicated team, enabled us to deliver exceptional service and results to organisations across a range of industries.

  • Senior Recruiter at Tesla
    Mar 2017 - Mar 2018 ยท 1 yr 1 mo

    Key Responsibilities and Achievements: Full-Cycle Recruitment Expertise: Managed the end-to-end recruitment process, including sourcing candidates via CV databases and social media platforms (LinkedIn, Xing), conducting phone and in-person interviews, and presenting tailored offers to top talent. Consultative Hiring Approach: Acted as a trusted recruitment consultant for hiring managers, aligning talent acquisition strategies with business needs and delivering exceptional results. Diversity and Inclusion Leadership: Spearheaded initiatives to improve diversity at Tesla, focusing on increasing female (mechanics) representation in Service Centers. Strategic Workforce Scaling: Designed and executed a hiring strategy in 2018 to scale Service Center recruitment across the DACH region by 5x, meeting ambitious growth targets. Candidate Experience Focus: Maintained strong relationships with candidates and internal stakeholders, ensuring a seamless and professional recruitment journey. Talent Sourcing Proficiency: Proactively sourced high-caliber candidates through headhunting, networking, and advanced search techniques, delivering quality hires in a competitive market. Operational Excellence: Ensured compliance with Teslaโ€™s global recruitment management system, maintaining accurate records and producing actionable recruitment insights through regular reporting. Vendor Management: Coordinated with third-party suppliers to support recruitment processes and manage external partnerships effectively.