Founding Tech Recruiter for Cleared Talent

Socket.dev; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Socket.dev is seeking a Founding Technical Recruiter in Arlington, VA, onsite, to build the recruiting function from the ground up alongside the founding team. You will own everything from first touch to signed offer, with leadership handling executive search and interview loops.

You will drive full-cycle recruiting across engineering, GTM, product, design, operations, and security, building a repeatable outbound approach to reach cleared talent.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of full-cycle or full-desk recruiting, with meaningful technical hiring.
• Proven ability to close candidates personally, including navigating competing offers
• Sourcing passive candidates and building pipeline from nothing
• Comfort engaging substantively with engineers about what they build and why
• Operate autonomously with minimal direction
• U.S. citizenship
• Based in the National Capital Region

Responsibilities

• Full-cycle recruiting across every function and level: sourcing, screening, scheduling, candidate management, and offers to close.
• Develop the cleared TS/SCI and polygraph pipeline; adapt strategies for this market.
• Outbound sourcing as the default; LinkedIn, referrals, and events.
• Demonstrate technical credibility in candidate conversations with engineers.
• Construct offers and close candidates, including equity discussions.
• Maintain pipeline hygiene, accurate stages, and scheduling.
• Support employer brand and candidate-facing presence with marketing and leadership.
• Leverage networks from CIA, Special Operations veterans, and frontier-lab engineers for referrals.
• Identify and call out process improvements and blockers.

Skills

Full-cycle recruiting

Sourcing passive candidates

Closing candidates personally

Engaging engineers

Autonomous work

US citizenship

National Capital Region resident

Tools

Ashby ATS

LinkedIn Recruiter

Gem

SeekOut

Job description

Socket.dev is seeking a Founding Technical Recruiter in Arlington, VA, onsite, to build the recruiting function from the ground up alongside the founding team. You will own everything from first touch to signed offer, with leadership handling executive search and interview loops.

You will drive full-cycle recruiting across engineering, GTM, product, design, operations, and security, building a repeatable outbound approach to reach cleared talent.