Talent Acquisition Specialist

NestAI; Helsinki; On-site; EUR 50,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP

Healthcare

Flex benefits (Epassi)

Holiday pay

Phone plan

Mac or PC choice

Team lunches & events

Job summary

NestAI is seeking a Talent Acquisition Specialist to own the recruitment funnel for our core technical and non-technical roles. This individual contributor role focuses on high-velocity, structured growth in a startup environment with ownership of day-to-day pipeline management.

You will engage with hiring managers, leverage AI-assisted tools to boost productivity, and maintain a positive candidate experience, all while operating in a security-conscious defence-tech context.

Qualifications

• Experience with full-lifecycle recruitment, ideally in fast-paced startup or scaleup environments.
• Track record of hiring across technical and non-technical roles; curiosity for niche profiles is a plus.
• Comfort adapting priorities as roles and timelines shift, even with multiple hires.

Responsibilities

• Own the recruitment funnel for core technical and non-technical roles.
• End-to-end lifecycle management from role definition to onboarding.
• Take initiative in a fast-scaling environment and bring ideas forward.
• Collaborate with hiring managers and TA team to ensure a smooth candidate experience.

Skills

Full lifecycle recruitment

Startup environment

Hiring across roles

AI-assisted tools

Stakeholder management

Ownership mindset

Multi-country recruitment

Job description

NestAI builds the adaptive operating system for modern battlefield operations. Most AI systems are built once, validated at deployment, and expected to stay sufficient after that. That assumption holds until conditions change, and in defence, they always do. Our team develops adaptive intelligence for unmanned and command systems: AI that continuously learns from operational data and adapts to changing conditions, deployed in environments where there is no internet, no GPS, and failure is not an option. NestOS, our open, modular, and interoperable platform, enables this at scale and keeps capability evolution under sovereign European control.

Founded in 2025 by Peter Sarlin, whose previous company Silo AI became Europe's largest AI acquisition, NestAI has grown to over 200 engineers and scientists and partners with leading European defence forces and industry. We're ambitious about what we're building and honest with each other. The bar is high, and so are the standards we hold ourselves to. But this is also a place built on humility, trust, and looking after each other. If that sounds like the kind of work you want to do, keep reading.

Join us as a Talent Acquisition Specialist

We're looking for a capable, execution-oriented Talent Acquisition Specialist to join our growing recruitment team. NestAI is scaling rapidly, moving from early-stage hiring into a phase of high-velocity, structured growth, and you'll contribute to the talent acquisition work needed to meet our scaling milestones. Your focus will be running the recruitment funnel for our core technical and non-technical roles, learning the ropes of a fast-moving startup environment, and owning your day-to-day pipeline with support from the wider team. We apply the same builder's mindset to our internal workflows as we do to our product, so we're looking for someone eager to use AI and agentic tools to work smarter and streamline recruitment.

This is an individual contributor role with no formal reports. You won't own a budget or approve spend. You'll handle candidate and employee data gathered during hiring under preset company procedures. No travel or significant irregular hours are expected; this is a steady-state, candidate-facing recruitment role.

We believe in shared success and continuous growth, lifting each other up through challenges rather than placing blame. Join us in shaping the company and the team

What you'll work on

As Talent Acquisition Specialist, you'll own the recruitment funnel for our core technical roles as NestAI moves from early-stage hiring into high-velocity, structured growth. In this role, you will:

• Identify and engage top-tier technical talent across AI, software, and embedded engineering, using modern sourcing methods to build strong pipelines.
• Own the end-to-end recruitment lifecycle, from role definition and kickoff discussions with hiring managers through screening, assessments, and offers, to a smooth onboarding experience.
• Take initiative when things don't go to plan in a fast-scaling environment, bringing ideas forward and leaning on your team when you need a steer. As a team, we choose initiative over inaction, turning challenges into opportunities to build.
• Partner closely with hiring managers and the TA team to understand hiring requirements and deliver a smooth, respectful candidate experience.

What we're looking for

If your background doesn't match every requirement but the work resonates with you, we'd encourage you to apply. How you think, learn, and take ownership matters more to us than ticking every box. Here is what we are looking for:

• Some experience with full-lifecycle recruitment, ideally gained in a startup, scaleup, or another fast-paced environment such as consulting
• A track record of hiring across technical and non-technical roles, with curiosity about specialist or niche profiles as a bonus rather than a requirement.
• Comfortable adapting priorities as new roles open and timelines shift, even while juggling a few hires at once.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to stay on top of several open roles at the same time.
• Strong interest in and some experience using AI-assisted tools to improve recruitment productivity.
• A self-starter mindset: someone who takes responsibility for their outcomes, is comfortable getting hands-on, and thrives without rigid corporate structure.
• Clear, authentic communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to discuss complex technical opportunities naturally with engineers.
• Work with real ownership. You identify what needs building, talk to the right people, and ship. Ownership here is the expectation, not a talking point.
• Get a close-up view of how senior leadership and engineering leads shape team structures and our growth across Europe, and see how your work feeds directly into it.
• Work at a pace where Monday's idea can be Friday's deployment. The problems we're solving are urgent, so the culture reflects it.
• Work at a company where the platform, the practices, and the standards are all being built right now. The people here get to define how things work and how they scale.
• We win as a team. We operate in a high-trust environment where we support each other through peak hiring volumes and celebrate shared wins.
• Be part of building a multi-country recruitment footprint as we scale our presence across Europe.
• Take ownership of your pipeline from day one, and bring your own ideas for how we can keep improving the way we hire.

What we offer

We offer practical benefits to support your work and wellbeing:

• The chance to participate in the NestAI Employee Stock Option Program (ESOP)
• Occupational healthcare (currently provided by Mehiläinen)
• Epassi Flex benefit for sports, culture, commuting, and wellbeing
• Holiday allowance (50% of holiday salary)
• Phone benefit (subscription and device per company policy)
• Your choice of Mac or PC
• Regular team lunches and company events

We are continuously developing our benefits offering as we grow.

Good to know

This role requires a security clearance, which is standard for defence industry positions in Finland. The process is handled by the relevant authority and typically takes two to three months. You can start working at NestAI before the clearance is finalised. We are happy to answer any questions about the process during the recruitment.

Relocation support is considered on a case-by-case basis.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate all applicants on their skills, experience, and potential, regardless of background, identity, or personal characteristics. We believe the best teams are built from diverse perspectives, and are committed to creating an environment where everyone can do meaningful work.