Who is Understory?

Understory is a vertical-focused software solution built for experience businesses - from kayak tours to cooking classes. With our operating system, experience creators manage their operations, grow their bookings, accept payments and run their business with more clarity and less stress.

We move fast, change course when needed, and expect everyone to bring proactive solutions on a daily basis. You will learn faster here than almost anywhere else, because the challenges are real and the pace is high.

This is not about clocking in and out. The right candidate will receive a lot of trust and flexibility - and it's all about building something that matters to creators around the world, and shaping a company that can redefine an industry. If that excites you, you will feel at home. If it does not, this will not be the right place for you.

We have recently raised a €12m Series-A funding round, and are scaling fast.
With customers in 10+ countries and a growing presence in the US, our focus is global, our ambition is high, and our team is all in on building the go-to solution for experience creators worldwide.

About the role

We are looking for a VP of People & Culture to help shape how our team grows during this next chapter of scale. You will play a central role not only in building the team and supporting people, but also in designing the systems, processes, and AI-enabled infrastructure that allow us to scale effectively. This is about creating the conditions where people and technology work in harmony - where culture, data, and process reinforce each other to make growth sustainable.

If you are passionate about people, culture, and leveraging modern tools and AI to make work more meaningful and efficient, this is your chance to have a real impact.

What you'll do

• Lead hiring and onboarding with precision and accountability, ensuring every new teammate is set up for success from day one.
• Strengthen and evolve our culture with intention, keeping it authentic and aligned as we scale.
• Be a trusted point of accountability for people topics, supporting both individuals and leadership with clarity and consistency.
• Design efficient systems and processes - from hiring pipelines and feedback loops to AI-assisted rituals that actually work for people and scale with the business.
• Anticipate and solve people challenges early, maintaining a high-trust, high-performance environment where efficiency and growth go hand in hand.

We think you'll thrive if you…

• Have experience building or supporting teams in a scaling company.
• Love working in fast-paced, startup-style environments.
• Are excited by ownership and figuring things out as you go.
• Care about people and culture, not as buzzwords, but as the real engine of a company.
• Can balance empathy with practicality - knowing when to listen, and when to drive decisions.

What it’s like to work at Understory

We are building the leading platform for experience businesses - and we approach that with the same energy and ambition as the people we serve.

At Understory, you’ll join a team that moves fast, thinks long-term, and takes pride in doing work that matters. We are product-minded, mission-driven, and serious about quality - whether that is in the product, the strategy, or how we work together.

We care deeply about outcomes, not hours. We trust each other to lead, take action, and keep evolving - as individuals and as a company. There is room to grow here, and the chance to help shape something truly category-defining.

Start date

We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis and will hire as soon as we find the right person - so don’t wait to apply. 

If you have any questions about the role or the process, feel free to reach out to us at Lasse@understory.io.