Claudia Alfonso

Hey, I'm Claudia 👋

happy you're here.

I've been a tech geek since I was a kid, obsessed with building things that look beautiful and actually work. Stuff people enjoy using.

This is my portfolio: a collection of projects I've built. I'm always up for a chat, and happiest when I'm building things with a-player founders.

Reach out if something sparks an idea.

Freelance

YC S23

HappyRobot

Silicon Valley

Contributing to a Y Combinator-backed startup that builds AI-powered automation for logistics and supply chain operations.

2M Raised

Enera

Early Stage Startup

Designing and developing the web presence for this early-stage AI startup backed by $2M in funding.

Experience

Jun 2026 - Present

People & Talent Lead

Xata

Leading People and Talent across hiring, people operations, and team foundations in my current role.

Oct 2025 - Apr 2026

Head of Talent and Culture

Zynap

Built the People function from scratch during a 2x scaling phase, implementing systems, success profiles, leveling frameworks, performance cycles, and org design in close partnership with the founders.

More ->

Joined shortly after Zynap's Seed round to build the People foundation during a rapid scaling phase. After contributing across hiring, structure, and people operations, I decided to move on when it became clear the environment was not the right long-term fit.

Worked directly with founders to design the hiring strategy, org structure, and internal systems required to scale a high-performance team in a VC-backed environment.

Key accomplishments

  • Defined the company's hiring strategy through a 2x growth phase, building the TA function from scratch and partnering closely with leadership on headcount planning and prioritization.
  • Installed the company's hiring infrastructure: success profiles, structured interviews, scorecards, and HM training to improve decision quality and consistency.
  • Built the TA operating layer, defining agency partnerships, recruiting tooling budget, pipeline instrumentation, and candidate communication SLAs.
  • Implemented Rippling as HRIS and ATS, creating automated workflows for onboarding, offboarding, device management, and internal approvals.
  • Designed key People architecture: comp and leveling frameworks, performance review cycles, and early career progression structures.
  • Partnered with leadership on org design, defining roles, team structures, and reporting lines during the scaling phase.
  • Helped establish the People and compliance foundations required for enterprise readiness, including GDPR processes and SOC 2 support via Vanta.
  • Contributed to employer branding by shaping how Zynap presents itself to attract top talent in AI and cybersecurity.

Apr 2024 - Sep 2025

Talent Acquisition Lead

Amenitiz

Led talent acquisition through 2.5x company growth, including C-suite hiring, launching the Medellin hub, designing local onboarding flows, and integrating systems with HQ.

More ->

Drove Amenitiz's global talent strategy and growth, helping build a culture of excellence in a fast-paced, high-growth environment while recruiting senior talent across markets.

I also built the employer brand from the ground up and worked to position Amenitiz as one of the top employers in Europe.

As Founding People Lead for the LATAM launch, I led the hiring, opening, and early setup of the company's newest office hub.

Key accomplishments

  • Led a high-performing team of Talent Acquisition Partners, consistently attracting and securing top-tier talent across all levels during a 2.5x growth phase.
  • Spearheaded executive recruitment, successfully hiring C-suite leaders and department heads.
  • Built and launched Amenitiz's employer branding strategy from scratch, increasing market presence and candidate engagement.
  • Oversaw the opening of the LATAM office and market launch, expanding the company's global footprint and diversifying the talent pool.
  • Implemented a new ATS (Greenhouse) and NPS tool (Starred), streamlining recruiting operations and improving candidate experience.
  • Pioneered multiple cross-functional initiatives that delivered measurable business impact and operational efficiency.

Aug 2022 - Apr 2024

TA and Employer Branding

Amenitiz

Managed full-cycle hiring across tech and commercial roles while creating the process documentation that later became the Greenhouse migration blueprint.

Nov 2021 - Aug 2022

Tech TA Specialist

Jobandtalent

Handled high-volume engineering hiring in a fast-scaling, high-pressure environment.

Jun 2021 - Nov 2021

HRBP, Global IT Hub

Nestle

Served as HRBP supporting cross-border stakeholders at enterprise scale on a fixed-term contract.

Apr 2020 - Apr 2021

Partner Ops and Comms

Glovo

Developed marketing and operational foundations that shaped my systems-first approach to adoption and change management.

Stack

  • Rippling
  • Greenhouse
  • Teamtailor
  • Vanta
  • Starred
  • Vercel
  • Claude
  • Codex
  • Okta
  • Notion
  • Google Workspace
  • Looker

Core Domains

  • HRIS / ATS Architecture
  • Integrations and APIs
  • MDM / RBAC
  • SOC 2 and GDPR
  • Data Migration
  • Workflow Automation
  • Reporting and Analytics
  • Change Management
  • Org Design
  • Comp and Leveling
  • Hiring Manager Enablement

Languages

  • Spanish (Native)
  • Catalan (Native)
  • English (Fluent)
  • Italian (Professional)

Education

Ramon Llull University (Barcelona, Spain)

2019 - 2020

Double Master, Marketing and Sales

University College Cork (Cork, Ireland)

2017 - 2018

Erasmus, Marketing

University of Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain)

2015 - 2019

Communication and Cultural Industry

Claudia in Silicon Valley

Always building. Always learning. Always up for a good challenge.

People person for early-stage startups, and for the moments when they're not so early anymore.

Over the last few years, I've helped startups build and scale their People & Talent functions from the ground up, without losing speed or quality.