Founding Head of Talent

Hike-Medical; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Hike Medical in San Francisco is seeking a Head of Talent to lead the recruiting function as the company scales. You’ll partner with founders to set hiring priorities, design interview processes, and attract exceptional people across engineering, AI, product, and manufacturing.

You’ll own end-to-end recruiting, lead executive searches, build sourcing strategies, and implement analytics to raise the bar on talent density while shaping the company’s growth trajectory.

Qualifications

• Built recruiting in a fast-growing startup, scale from seed to growth stages.
• Experience sourcing senior AI engineers, manufacturing leaders, or enterprise sales executives.
• Thinks like an operator, not a recruiter.
• Cares deeply about talent density and scalable systems.

Responsibilities

• Own company-wide hiring across engineering, AI, product, GTM, operations, clinical, manufacturing, and leadership.
• Partner with founders on hiring priorities, org design, and milestone-based plans.
• Lead executive and difficult searches with diligence and speed.
• Build sourcing strategies and structured interview processes that signal quality.
• Develop recruiting infrastructure, operations, training, and analytics.
• Improve offer acceptance and candidate experience while maintaining a high talent bar.
• Make Hike a destination for exceptional people to join.

Skills

Recruiting leadership

Executive search

Sourcing strategy

Interview design

Talent analytics

Job description

About Hike Medical

Hike Medical is building the defining company in musculoskeletal care. We sit at the intersection of AI, robotics, and healthcare, operating across three product lines: a proprietary AI-vision platform that turns a 30-second, web-based foot scan into custom 3D-printed orthotics; an AI agent platform that automates the entire DME workflow from pre-visit processing through claims and revenue cycle; and SoleForge, our vertically integrated 3D-printing factory producing custom medical devices at a scale the industry has never seen.

Insoles today, full DME tomorrow, bionics by 2040. Custom insoles are just the wedge. Our long-term vision is bionics: AI-designed, robotically manufactured orthotic and prosthetic devices at scale, replacing a fragmented, manual industry that hasn't changed in decades. Read the full vision at bionics2040.com.

We've stealthily raised $22M through Seed and Series A, backed by top-tier investors who backed companies like OpenAI, Anduril, and Mercury early. We run a fast, results-first, high-ownership culture out of our new SF Rincon Hill office. If you want to work at the frontier of AI, manufacturing, and healthcare, this is the place.

About the Founding Head of Talent

Hiring is one of the most important things we do. We're looking for our first Head of Talent to build the function from the ground up. This is a company-building role, not an HR role. You'll work directly with founders to answer: What should we hire next? How do we attract exceptional people before everyone else? How do we maintain our talent bar while scaling? How do we build a recruiting engine that compounds?

You'll own recruiting end-to-end while helping shape org design, hiring philosophy, interview quality, and how we scale as a company.

What You'll Do

• Own company-wide hiring across engineering, AI, product, GTM, operations, clinical, manufacturing, and leadership

• Partner with founders on hiring priorities, org design, and hiring plans based on milestones

• Lead executive and difficult searches

• Build sourcing strategies and structured interview processes that prioritize signal

• Build recruiting infrastructure, operations, training, and analytics

• Improve offer acceptance and candidate experience while maintaining an exceptional talent bar

• Make Hike a company exceptional people want to join

Who You Are

• You've built recruiting inside a fast-growing startup, ideally from Seed through Series B/C

• You're equally comfortable sourcing a senior AI engineer, manufacturing leader, or enterprise sales executive

• You think like an operator, not a recruiter

• You care deeply about talent density

• You're resourceful, move quickly, and enjoy building systems from scratch

• You don't need excessive process to produce great outcomes

• You enjoy spending time with candidates and hiring managers