Talent Acquisition Operations Specialist

CuspAI; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in CuspAI

28 days holiday (UK) + public holidays

Professional development budget

Hybrid office flexibility

Time off to stay fresh

Job summary

CuspAI is seeking an experienced Talent Acquisition Operations Specialist to own recruitment infrastructure, optimize Ashby ATS, and lead high‑touch interview coordination across global hiring pipelines.

You will build analytics dashboards, streamline candidate onboarding, and scale recruiting tech while partnering with a 4‑person Talent team and executive stakeholders. This role emphasizes data‑driven improvements, cross‑functional collaboration, and a candidate‑first experience.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of experience combining talent operations, recruitment reporting, and end‑to‑end recruitment coordination within a fast‑paced technology or startup environment.
• Hands‑on expertise with Ashby as an Applicant Tracking System, including advanced workflow setup and reporting.
• Experience supporting full‑lifecycle Talent Partners and Sourcers across technical, scientific, and non‑technical roles.
• Ability to design scalable processes, automation, and reliable operational systems for recruiting.
• Strong analytical capability with data‑driven hiring workflow optimization.

Responsibilities

• Support strategy, provide data, and refine recruiting workflows across multiple roles.
• Administer and optimize Ashby to ensure data integrity and efficient throughput.
• Manage vendor relationships for recruiting tools and sourcing tech.
• Create SOPs for job postings, interview loops, candidate communications, and offer approvals.
• Design and maintain recruiting dashboards to track key metrics.

Skills

Talent operations

Interview coordination

Recruiting analytics

Stakeholder management

Process automation

Tools

Ashby ATS

Zapier

Workato

Job description

About CuspAI

CuspAI is the frontier AI company on a mission to solve the breakthrough materials needed to power human progress. While nature took billions of years to perfect molecules, we are harnessing AI to unlock trillion-dollar materials breakthroughs in months, not millennia. Our founding team is the most cited in the world, comprised of world‑class researchers in AI, chemistry and engineering. We are working on some of the hardest and most important challenges including energy, clean water, the future of compute, and carbon capture, and this is just the start of what our 'search engine' for next‑generation materials will unlock. We invite you to be part of a diverse, innovative team at the intersection of AI and materials science, working to create impactful partnerships that drive innovation, scalability, and industry collaboration. This work matters. Your work matters. We’re on the cusp of the on‑demand materials era. Join us.

The Role

Due to rapid company growth across our research, engineering, and operational functions, we are seeking an experienced Talent Acquisition Operations Specialist to own our recruitment infrastructure and deliver high‑touch interview coordination across all hiring pipelines.

Your Impact

In this role, you will be building the recruitment operations and coordination engine that accelerates our global talent acquisition efforts, which is critical for scaling our world‑class team to solve humanity's hardest materials science challenges.

Your main focus initially will be auditing and optimizing our Ashby ATS environment, establishing recruitment analytics dashboards, and taking hands‑on ownership of complex interview coordination across our full suite of roles. Over time, you will scale our recruiting tech stack, establish interviewer training frameworks, and streamline candidate onboarding handoffs to ensure a world‑class candidate experience.

What You Will Do

Recruitment Operations & Systems Optimization

• Support strategy, provide data, and execute hands‑on tasks to continuously refine our recruiting workflows across technical, research, operational, and go‑to‑market roles.

• Administer, configure, and optimize Ashby as our core Applicant Tracking System to ensure pristine data integrity, clean pipeline hygiene, and efficient candidate throughput.

• Evaluate, implement, and manage vendor relationships for recruiting tools, candidate assessment platforms, and sourcing technology.

• Create standard operating procedures for job postings, interview loops, candidate communications, and offer approval processes.

Talent Analytics & Reporting

• Design, build, and maintain recruiting performance dashboards in Ashby to track essential talent metrics (e.g. time‑to‑hire, pipeline velocity, offer acceptance rates, and stage conversion).

• Deliver actionable data insights to Talent Partners, Hiring Managers, and Executive Leadership to resolve pipeline bottlenecks.

• Conduct periodic audits of ATS data integrity and ensure compliance with global data privacy regulations (e.g. GDPR).

Recruitment Coordination & Candidate Experience Execution

• Serve as the core operational engine supporting a high‑performing Talent Acquisition team of 4 Talent Partners and 1 Sourcer across the full spectrum of company roles.

• Manage complex multi‑stage, multi‑timezone interview loops for AI Researchers, Computational Chemists, Engineers, and Business leads.

• Serve as the primary, empathetic point of contact for candidates throughout the interview loop, maintaining clear communication and high‑touch candidate care.

• Coordinate candidate travel logistics, expense reimbursements, and virtual or onsite interview setups.

Interdisciplinary & Stakeholder Collaboration

• Work closely with People Operations, IT, and Hiring Managers to guarantee smooth transitions from offer acceptance to employee onboarding.

• Partner with AI Researchers and Experimental Lab Leads to establish interviewer calibration schedules and structured feedback kits in Ashby.

• Facilitate interviewer training sessions to upskill team members on structured interviewing, Ashby usage, and inclusive hiring practices.

Must Have Skills and Qualifications:

• A proven track record of experience combining talent operations, recruitment reporting, and end‑to‑end recruitment coordination within a fast‑paced technology or startup environment.

• Deep hands‑on expertise and proficiency with Ashby as an Applicant Tracking System, including advanced workflow setup, interview plan creation, and custom reporting.

• Proven track record of supporting full‑lifecycle Talent Partners and Sourcers across a full suite of technical, scientific, and non‑technical roles.

• A builder mindset who enjoys creating scalable processes, automation, and reliable operational systems that simplify the recruiting lifecycle for candidates and internal teams.

• Strong analytical capability with experience building talent reporting dashboards and utilizing data to optimize hiring workflows.

• Exceptional organizational skills, acute attention to detail, and a candidate‑first mindset.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to engage professionally with candidates and executive stakeholders.

• You are genuinely motivated by CuspAI's mission to harness AI for sustainable materials discovery and positive global impact.

Bonus Points (But Not Critical):

• Prior experience working within an AI, deep‑tech, computational biology, or scientific research startup.

• Experience building recruiting automation workflows using tools like Zapier, Workato, or custom webhooks with Ashby.

• Exposure to international hiring logistics, visa sponsorship procedures, and global mobility across the UK and EU.

• An eye for design to assist in creating candidate preparation guides and employer branding materials.

Additional Considerations

This role could be based in our Cambridge, London, Amsterdam, or Berlin offices, with the expectation of being in the office three days per week. Additionally, there may be regular travel required to other locations for collaboration and project work.

What We Offer

• A competitive salary: We value and reward impact and growth

• Equity in CuspAI: You have a stake in the success of the company

• Time off to stay fresh: 28 days holiday (DE, NL, UK) or 21 days holiday (JP, SG, US), in addition to local public holidays

• ‘Gold Standard’ parental leave: 26 weeks (primary caregiver) and 12 weeks (secondary caregiver) at full pay - we look after you and your family while we work on the most important materials discovery problems together

• Professional development budget: We invest in your career development so you can stay up to date with the latest industry knowledge or add to your skills to increase impact and growth

• Solve meaningful problems: See how your work has a direct impact on advancing materials science and solving sustainability and climate‑related problems through the creation and application of bleeding‑edge SOTA technology and revolutionary techniques

• True interdisciplinary teamwork: Be part of a deeply collaborative environment bridging AI research, computational chemistry, and experimental science - work with world‑class researchers and engineers who enjoy sharing knowledge and supporting each other

Join us in shaping the future of materials with AI. Together, we can create groundbreaking solutions for a more sustainable world. CuspAI is an equal opportunities employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law. We actively encourage applications from all backgrounds and value the unique perspectives and contributions that diversity brings to our team. Please let us know if you require any specific adjustments during or after the interview process. We will do everything we can within reason to accommodate.