Peers Recruitment

EU Pay Transparency Act, News June 7, 2026 is the deadline by which the EU required all 27 member states to adopt a pay transparency law. Less than two weeks remain. As of mid-May, not a single country has fully completed implementation of the directive. Most have either published a draft law or published nothing at all. No country is fully ready. What the directive changes: employers must include salary ranges in job postings, are prohibited from asking candidates about their current salary, and must provide employees with data on average pay levels for comparable roles. Who is on track for the deadline: Malta, Slovakia, and Lithuania remain on schedule. Lithuania approved an updated bill at the government level in March 2026. Estonia has chosen to pay a fine and delay implementation — the Minister of Economy explicitly stated that the directive's requirements create excessive administrative burden on businesses. France is running late: the Minister of Labor announced that a bill will be submitted to parliament before summer. The Netherlands has also pushed adoption of the law to early 2027. Croatia and Romania are still at the draft preparation stage. The directive applies to all companies with employees in the EU, regardless of where the parent company is registered. This includes international teams hiring in Europe. How do you feel about this: is it long overdue, or excessive regulation?

Bolt CEO Ryan Breslow fired the entire HR department, and says the problems disappeared along with it. In 2022, Bolt was valued at $11 billion. By 2024, around $300 million. A drop of nearly 97%. Breslow returned to the company in 2025 and announced an austerity mode. He cut 30% of staff, cancelled the four-day work week and unlimited PTO. He replaced almost the entire leadership team. And disbanded HR completely. His explanation: "We had an HR department, and that HR department was creating problems that didn't exist. The problems disappeared when I let them go." A small people operations team took its place, focused on employee training and support. According to Breslow, during the growth years the company developed an entitlement culture: people felt they deserved a lot, but worked less and less. "That's the main thing I had to fight." Today at Bolt, quote: "the team is four times smaller, much younger, works much harder, and has a different energy." The story is resonating across LinkedIn because it touches on a long-standing debate: where is the line between HR as a bridge between business and employees, and HR as a bureaucratic layer that adds complexity where simplicity is needed? Breslow has clearly found his own answer. But the question remains open. What do you think: is HR a necessity, or an overhead that can be avoided? Join the conversation in the comments.

AI Development Lead for New Materials, the Leading Mining and Metallurgical Company Russia The person will lead the establishment and implementation of the AI function across the entire lifecycle of developing new inorganic materials and alloys — from analyzing scientific ideas and hypotheses to generating new compounds, modeling material properties, and planning experiments. Responsibilities: • Update and execute the long-term strategy for implementing AI tools across the full lifecycle of developing new inorganic materials and alloys. • Develop the annual roadmap and oversee the delivery of projects focused on creating and implementing advanced models based on: - large language models (for scientific publication analysis, project concept generation, synthesis planning and verification); - predictive and generative AI (for the development of an AI platform for modeling and generating new materials based on platinum group metals). • Actively participate in projects, manage the internal team. • Develop and align the department budget and KPI system. • Engage with external expert networks and represent the company at Russian and international industry events. Requirements: • Higher education in computer science, applied mathematics, computational modeling, machine learning, physics, chemistry, materials science, or related fields. • Proven hands-on experience in developing, adapting, or implementing solutions based on generative, predictive, and/or multimodal AI for applied business, scientific, or R&D use cases. • Experience bringing AI/ML solutions into real-world operation: from problem definition and data strategy development to achieving measurable outcomes and integration into business processes. • Strong understanding of modern AI approaches, including large language models, generative models for science and materials discovery, property prediction methods, materials candidate search, and AI-assisted scientific research. • Significant advantage: experience working at the intersection of AI and natural science/engineering domains such as materials science, chemistry, condensed matter physics, computational chemistry, computational materials science, or related areas. • Basic or advanced understanding of thermodynamics, kinetics, materials modeling, and the relationships between composition, structure, properties, and manufacturing technology. • Experience working with scientific data, publications, computational and experimental results, as well as understanding the specifics of dataset creation in research environments. • Ability to collaborate effectively with researchers, engineers, ML specialists, IT teams, and external partners simultaneously. Contact: d.ustimenko@peers.career Telegram: @dariaust For more job opportunities visit peers.career #jobopportunity #Metallurgy #AI

Updating our job channels! We've spent a lot of time thinking about how to make our job channels as useful as possible for you. We've already added direct contacts for hiring managers and recruiters to some listings. But that's not all! Our audience is made up of strategists, operational leaders, product directors, and AI and analytics experts. These are the roles you care about, and these are the companies that come to us. That's why we've stopped posting everything and have focused on what you actually need. From now on, the channels feature only C-level and executive positions in: — Strategy — Operational efficiency — Product and analytics — AI Roles are handpicked. We only post companies and positions we trust ourselves. Want to post a job? If you're a hiring manager or recruiter, message Sofa (@sophidjooooooo) with: the role title, terms, and a contact for applications. We review every submission and publish what fits our format. Act fast — posting is free for now! And don't forget to subscribe and share the channel with anyone in your network who might find it relevant. Links to the channel are located in the comments section.

Data Scientist, Top-tier Consulting Company, AI stream Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan (On-site) Responsibilities: - Solve real business challenges using Data Science and AI; - Build, develop, and deploy ML models; - Analyze complex datasets and uncover actionable insights; - Visualize results and communicate findings clearly to clients; - Work directly with clients and contribute to solution discussions; - Design and implement end-to-end solutions. Requirements: - 2+ years of experience in ML Engineer / Data Scientist / AI Engineer role; - Strong Python skills; - Fluent English; - Machine Learning expertise;  - Statistics and A/B testing; - Master’s degree; - Experience solving business problems with data-driven approaches; - Strong soft skills and ability to communicate with clients. Contact: s.butenko@peers.career Telegram: @SofiiButenko

Career development after 50 is one of the most underappreciated topics in the professional world. Our candidates ask us these questions every day: How do you build a network properly? Does personal branding matter when you're over 50? A few data points. According to AARP, 64% of workers over 50 have experienced age discrimination at work, an all-time high since tracking began. Job seekers aged 45–54 spend an average of 32 weeks searching for a role. Candidates under 35 find one roughly twice as fast. Bias hides behind neutral language: "cultural fit," "high energy," "digital native." No rejection letter will say "overqualified." But everyone knows what it means. In the tech sector, the share of workers over 40 has dropped from 56% to 52% over eight years, in an industry that prides itself on meritocracy. Age discrimination is a structural market problem. What actually works when building a career after 50: 1/ Make your network your primary search channel The open job market works against you after 50: algorithms, résumé screening, age-related filters. Most senior-level positions are filled before they're ever posted. What to do: Once a month, reconnect with 5–7 people from your past, former colleagues, clients, direct reports. Share something useful, ask a question, offer an introduction. 2/ Reframe your expertise, not just your résumé A résumé with 20 years of experience can be intimidating. A portfolio of ideas is not. What to do:  Identify 2–3 problems you've solved better than anyone else and package them as brief case studies: context → approach → measurable outcome. While you're at it, trim anything older than 15 years from your résumé, it's likely no longer relevant. 3/ Get serious about AI "I use ChatGPT" is not a differentiator. Understanding how AI is reshaping your function is. What to do: Take one task from your current work and automate it using an AI tool within two weeks, well enough to understand the logic and speak to it credibly. 4/ Find a reverse mentor Deep experience combined with a fresh perspective on tools is a powerful combination. Each on its own is weaker. What to do: Find a professional aged 25–32 in your field or an adjacent one and propose an exchange: you provide strategic and career context; they explain the current tool stack, social media dynamics, and how hiring actually works today. Once a month, one hour. You can find these people easily through LinkedIn or former direct reports. 5/ Build visibility before you need it A candidate people already know moves through screening faster. What to do:  Pick one platform — LinkedIn or a professional newsletter — and post one insight from your area of expertise each week: an observation, a case study breakdown, a take on an industry development. Have you ever encountered age-based bias in your career? Share your experience.

Will middle management disappear? Back in 2024, Gartner predicted that by 2026, one in five companies would cut a layer of middle management, and the main reason isn't another round of restructuring, but AI. Middle management didn't emerge by accident. Companies grew, information multiplied, and people were needed to translate strategy from the top into tasks at the bottom, and back again. These roles were primarily transition roles: keeping the team on track and syncing them up on a daily basis. That function, according to Gartner, is exactly what AI can perform more cheaply. Real progress on tasks is visible without a weekly status call. Priorities can be set without a meeting, and reports are generated automatically. If most of your workday is meetings, escalations, approvals, and passing information between teams, that's precisely the work that gets cut first. Under less pressure are those who stay close to the actual work: making decisions with real consequences, developing people, holding context that no system can see, and being able to get their hands dirty when needed. Questions worth asking yourself right now: If you took away all the meetings and coordination, what would be left? What decisions in the company are only made because you're part of the process? Who has grown on your team over the past year? The career logic here is simple: proximity to the product and genuine expertise are back in demand, while job titles and their names are fading into the background. Are you seeing these changes in your own companies, or does it still sound like a distant forecast?

Career Tracks After Consulting Daria Ustimenko, Team Leader of our Heavy Industries and Management Consulting practice, has mapped out the most common exit paths from consulting based on our clients' cases. Internal Strategy and Business Development  The most obvious path and one of the most competitive. Large companies are constantly looking for people who can view the business holistically, rather than through the lens of a single function. Consulting trains exactly that. Most common at the Consultant / Engagement Manager level. Operations and Transformation Roles  This track is typically chosen by those who, in consulting, were involved not just in strategy development but also in implementation. The ability to manage change in complex organizations, align cross-functional teams, and lead multiple workstreams simultaneously are highly valued skills particularly in manufacturing, banking, and large-scale retail. Startups and High-Growth Companies  Consultants know how to bring structure to chaos. At the junior level, they're often hired as the first strong analytical hire. At the EM level and above, they step into operational leadership roles. The combination of structured thinking, high execution speed, and strong communication skills proves to be a natural fit. Investment and Portfolio Management  One of the most prestigious exit tracks. Funds value consultants for their ability to quickly get up to speed on new markets and assess business models. At the junior level, entry points are typically investment or due diligence teams. At more senior levels, consultants with operational experience and broad industry exposure are especially sought after, often moving into portfolio operations roles, helping portfolio companies scale and improve performance. AI Strategy and Transformation  One of the fastest-growing areas right now. Companies are rolling out AI at scale and finding that while technology is abundant, people who can translate it into tangible business outcomes are not. Consultants are well-positioned here — they know how to diagnose processes, manage stakeholders, and turn complex technological change into clear business logic. Most of these roles are less about writing code and more about change management and embedding AI into real business operations. Independent Consulting and Building Your Own Practice  This path is more commonly chosen once someone has built a strong network, established market reputation, and a well-defined area of expertise. Some move into independent advisory work, some launch boutique firms, and others operate as interim leaders across multiple companies simultaneously. Demand for this model is growing particularly fast during periods of transformation, when companies need an experienced hand for a specific, time-bound challenge. Where did you go after consulting or where did your colleagues end up? Share in the comments and we'll build an even fuller picture.

Lenny Rachitsky, one of the top Substack authors in the world of careers, products, and growth, published a compensation negotiation guide by Jacob Warwick, a coach who has guided over 3,500 senior executives through deals. Here are the key takeaways. Most executives are underpaid by 20–40% because they negotiate incorrectly. Most people come to negotiations asking "what will you offer me?" Those who get the best offers come with an answer: "Here's how I'll solve your biggest problem." Once the company sees you as a solution rather than just a candidate for a role, compensation stops being a bargaining point. Real power in a company rarely matches the org chart. Before negotiations, find out: who actually influences decisions, what failures still haunt leadership, who shapes the CEO's opinion. One candidate in the article lost an $800K offer by skipping a meeting with the Chief of Staff, treating it as a formality. The Chief of Staff influenced every executive hire. Self-check: can you name three influential people in the company who aren't part of official leadership? If not, your research is superficial. Build alignment, don't just make an impression. Weak position: "I have 15 years of experience and consistent results..." Strong: "Your product-market fit problems remind me of a situation I've been through. What if the root cause isn't in the processes, but in the approach to understanding the customer?" Ask the questions others are afraid to ask. One candidate interviewing for a Director role asked the CEO directly: "What part of the responsibility for the failed growth do you take on yourself, and how can I help make sure it doesn't happen again?" The role was upgraded to VP, and compensation grew from $600K to $1.2M. Sell not your résumé, but a vision of the future. Not "I could help," but specifically: "In Q1 we'll implement a dual-track system. By month three, scope creep will drop by 30%, and a direct link between product and revenue will emerge." Build a network of advocates across the organization. The hiring manager isn't the only person who influences your compensation. You need people in different parts of the company who will fight for you when you're not in the room. At the Peers Recruitment team, we specialize in executive search and help companies find exactly those candidates. In our experience, here are a few questions worth keeping handy at any interview: — How are decisions typically made in the company, formally, or is there an unofficial process? — Who else, besides you, will influence this hiring decision? — What problem has your team been unable to solve for a long time? — What's preventing the company from growing faster than it could? — What failure in the last two years changed the way you work? If this was useful, let us know with a reaction. The full negotiation article by Lenny is available in the comments section.

Operations Product Manager, Major fintech company Southeast Asia 1st track - Operational (ALDI or Auto / Moto) ALDI, Indirect Channel Build Responsibilities: • Build and scale an indirect sales channel through partner store staff and field agents • Manage and develop field teams: hiring, onboarding, performance tracking, motivation systems • Design operational processes and SOPs for agent and partner management • Oversee rollouts across 2,500+ partner locations and ensure execution quality in the field Requirements: • 3–5 years in field operations, channel management, or retail execution • Strong people management: team building, coaching, conflict resolution • Experience working through indirect channels (agents, franchises, partner staff) • Background in telco, FMCG, delivery, or retail-tech is a strong advantage • Systematic thinker who can build processes that run without constant oversight Auto / Moto Responsibilities: • Coordinate supply availability for motorcycle and auto financing: inventory reservation, dealer and broker relationships • Build and maintain operational processes across the Auto/Moto segment • Work with field teams and external partners to ensure smooth execution • Track key metrics and surface blockers early through regular field engagement Requirements: • 1–3 years in operations, supply coordination, or process management • Process-oriented mindset with a love for making things run smoothly • Experience with dealer/broker networks or vehicle financing is a plus Contact: k.semenchenko@peers.career Telegram: @salutkristine 2nd track Analytical (RCL or Appliances) RCL Offline Responsibilities: • Own the Revolving Credit Line product across offline distribution channels — from hypothesis to launch to scale • Analyze funnel performance, unit economics (CAC, LTV, CIR), and conversion metrics to drive decisions • Run pilots for new offline segments, conduct field visits to validate data with ground reality Requirements: • 3–5 years in product management or growth, ideally in fintech / BNPL / lending • Strong analytical depth: unit economics, metrics trees, A/B testing, segmentation • Hands-on experience launching products end-to-end in fast-paced, resource-constrained environments Appliances / Electronics Responsibilities: • Own the Appliances segment as a standalone business unit: strategy, pilots, partner relationships • Run rapid pilots for new formats, products, and distribution approaches; iterate quickly based on field data • Work closely with complex B2B partners and negotiate terms for new channel formats Requirements: • 2–4 years in product, operations, or growth — startup or high-growth environment preferred • Comfortable in the field: store visits, partner meetings, hands-on problem solving • Ability to manage multiple pilots simultaneously with clear prioritization Contact: v.samieva@peers.career Telegram: @vladisslavvaaaa