Programs
Upskill
3-month training for career growth
Sprint
2-week practical training for business impact
3 months. You can combine the program with your job or studies
Mondays and Thursdays (6:00-9:00 pm). Start: Sept 28; End: Jan 7, 2027
6+ hrs/week plus self-prep time. 2 weeks of vacation
Lectures will be held online. Onsite networking events (optional)
Bulgarian
EUR 1,994.04 (VAT incl.)
BGN 3,900 (VAT incl.)
Book a free call with our experienced advisor (in Bulgarian)
HR is shifting fast. AI is transforming recruitment and workforce management, while new regulations and business demands are reshaping the role of HR. This program gives you the strategic mindset, practical tools, and AI skills to succeed in the future of HR.
In just 3 months you will be able to:
AI-Era Recruitment & Talent Strategies
Workforce Relations & Management
Employer Brand & Employee Experience
Onboarding & Offboarding
HR Business Partnering
Diversity, Еquity, Inclusion & Belonging
AI & People Analytics
Organizational Design & Culture
Stakeholder Management
Learning & Development
People Analytics
HR Leadership & Change Management
Workplace Mental Health
Employee Retention & Engagement
Secure your seat after being accepted into the program with a €250 reservation fee paid upfront. Program seats are limited and filled on a rolling basis.
After completing the program, you will learn practical job-ready skills to:
Learn from the best. You'll be trained by leading practitioners eager to share their know-how and experience.
Upon program graduation, you will receive a certificate by Telerik Academy. The certificate is widely recognized by employers in Bulgaria.
Simona has deep expertise in global talent acquisition, labor market analysis, and HR transformation. She leads recruitment optimization, data-driven hiring, and HR transformation. Her work spans talent strategy, EB, and digital process improvement, with a focus on labor market trends and workforce policy. She has collaborated with IT companies to shape the future of work in Bulgaria and Europe. A passionate mentor and speaker, she supports initiatives like Mentor the Young and shares insights on inclusive hiring, empathetic leadership, and evolving workplace dynamics.
Borislava is an HR leader with 17 years in IT, specializing in strategic HR, leadership development, and talent management. She has led HR functions in global tech firms, shaping key processes. As a career coach, speaker, and mentor, she founded HR#IT—Bulgaria’s first IT HR community with 2,200+ members. An MBA graduate and certified facilitator, she has earned multiple awards. Her expertise in HR strategy, career growth, and mental health makes her a vital guide for HR professionals.
Valentina is an HR professional with over 15 years of experience and the HR Manager of the Bulgarian software product company, SiteGround.
With a Master’s degree in "Labor and Organizational Psychology" and a PhD in "Economic Psychology" from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski," she has been part of the IT company for 10 years, taking care of more than 500 employees. She began her journey as an expert and has progressed through various roles and responsibilities related to recruitment and development, employee engagement and retention, benefits, internal events, and employer branding.
Stela is the project manager for Mercer’s initiatives in Bulgaria. She has been part of the team since 2007, developing her expertise in designing and implementing evaluation systems, performance management, and potential development within the framework of annual budgeting and benefits structuring processes in companies. Additionally, she has extensive experience in job analysis and structuring, compensation planning, and the development of both short-term and long-term incentive schemes.
Sashka is a data-driven talent development and DE&I leader with 12+ years of experience in global tech. At Noventiq, she drives leadership development, AI literacy, and engagement initiatives across the organization. She is also co-founder of Awakenomy, a conscious-tech platform helping organizations measure and develop culture. Previously, she led DE&I strategy at Atos and managed Hewlett Packard Enterprise's global ERG program across 46 countries and 700+ volunteer leaders. She holds a Cornell DE&I Certification and multiple DE&I awards.
Svetlozar is the CEO of JobTiger and a co-founder of JobTiger.bg, Bulgaria’s first professional job search platform. He is Chairman of the Rwandan-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and a member of the boards of trustees of the Open Society Institute – Sofia, the Business Foundation for Education, and Тhe Duke of Edinburgh International Award in Bulgaria.
Svetlozar served long years in the boards of trustees of the American University in Bulgaria, the St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Turnovo and the Bulgarian Donors Forum.
Irina has been exploring the HR field since 2012. At Telerik Academy, she is responsible for growing and developing the team, and for the career services, part of the company’s programs for IT career start.
She holds a MSc degree in Human Resource Studies from Tilburg University, the Netherlands, and is an Erickson-certified coach. Her background is in both corporate and start-up environments. She is a published author in the International Journal of Training and Development, and a guest lecturer in her first Alma Mater, Sofia University, since 2019.
Paolina is an HR leader with 12+ years of expertise in talent development and organizational design. In her current role, she drives HR strategy, talent management, and workforce initiatives.
She has led transformations in workplace culture and embedded Agile methodologies to enhance team dynamics.
Paolina holds a Master’s in HR Development, is a certified Agile Leader and Scrum Master, and has trained professionals in IT recruitment best practices.
Dan is an HR leader with 20+ years of experience in recruitment, operations, and people management, particularly in the tech industry.
He is the co-founder of BestInSkill, where he creates HR software solutions. With expertise in tech recruitment, HR operations, and business development, he’s also a trainer and lecturer, holding certifications in Project Management (PMP) and HR (GPHR).
Georgi is a tech executive with 20+ years in software development and digital transformation. As CEO of Anthill, he builds high-performing R&D teams for mid-sized and large enterprises.
Passionate about human-centered innovation, he applies design thinking to talent strategies and workplace transformation. He also co-founded ISTA Conference to foster tech industry collaboration. Georgi holds an Executive MBA from the University of Sheffield and a Master’s in Computer Science from the Technical University of Sofia.
Maria has more than 14 years of experience, with a focus on building the HR Business Partner discipline as a strategic function. She has a strong track record of advising executive leaders, shaping high-performing teams, and driving organizational design and transformation of products and teams.
Believing that “one size doesn’t fit all”, especially when it comes to people and organizations, Maria develops tailored programs to address diverse business needs. She brings deep expertise in M&A, having played a key role in 5 successful acquisitions.
Dr. Vihra Naydenova has 18+ years of experience as a strategic business partner in recruitment, development, and consulting for international organizations. She specializes in HR management and strategic consulting in the financial, retail, and IT sectors in Bulgaria, Germany, and Austria. A lecturer, consultant, and author of "Employee Engagement and Training", she is an associate professor at Sofia University and holds a coaching diploma from the Institute of Leadership and Management. She has also taught at universities in Germany and Austria.
Connect to the expert trainers for insights and information about the Strategic HR program.
*Illustrative installment payment method. Different terms may apply based on borrowers’ credit score and creditworthiness as well as the bank’s current offering.
Three months of strategic HR training to develop job-ready skills. By the end of the program you will learn to align HR with business goals, optimize workforce planning, execute data-driven hiring, navigate labor laws, implement DEIB initiatives, leverage AI tools, drive change management, and strengthen leadership and stakeholder management.
This training program is designed for early to mid career HR professionals, HR managers with up to 3 years of management experience and administrative professionals transitioning to HR.
To enroll, you must be 18 years or older.
The admission process includes the following steps:
We highly recommend having at least 1-2 years of prior experience in HR-related field.
The program will be held online. Please note that attendance is key to our students’ successful graduation. Participants must attend all classes. Up to 3 days of absence are allowed, plus the program has 2 vacations (1 week each).
The tuition fee for Telerik Academy Strategic HR Upskill is BGN 3,900/ EUR 1,994.04. This fee can be covered by you or your employer. Payment is due no later than one business day before the start of the program. If your employer is covering the tuition fee, payment is due within 5 business days after the contract is signed.
Alternatively, you can opt to pay in installments with a loan from a bank, partner of Telerik Academy. You can benefit from a deferred payment over a 12 - 24-month period.
We use a holistic review process when evaluating applicants for admission. We consider a variety of factors: application documents, CV and personal motivation for applying.
Some candidates might also be invited to attend an interview. Interviews focus on candidates’ motivation and aspirations and determine if the program is appropriate for each candidate based on their needs, expectations and experience.
You can certainly combine the Upskill Strategic HR Program with your job. To get the most out of the program, you’ll need to immerse yourself in it for 3 months. To recharge your batteries, you’ll have 2 weeks of vacation.
If you drop out of the program within the trial period, which is the first 2 weeks of the program, you will receive a refund of your tuition fee, excluding EUR 250 trial fee.
The skills and experience you gain will help you excel in your career and/or find a new job, just like it helped our alumni reach their career goals.
Candidates working in the NGO sector are eligible to apply for a 70% discount off the regular program pricing. There are two seats available per cohort. To apply, candidates must submit their application through our website and meet the specific requirements for selection, which may include an entrance test or an interview.
If selected, the candidate's employer will be required to sign a contract with Telerik Academy and cover 30% of the regular tuition fee. Please note that the selection process evaluates the candidate’s profile, not the NGO’s.
