Head of Talent

Subcritical Systems; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 170,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Job summary

Subcritical Systems, an Austin-based startup, is seeking a Head of Talent to lead recruitment, retention, and a culture of excellence. You will own hiring priorities, engage exceptional candidates directly, and leverage founder and investor networks to attract elite talent.

In this hands-on role you will drive all recruiting channels and partnerships, build an impactful employer brand, and develop early‑career pipelines while partnering with executives on compensation and rewards.

Qualifications

• Outgoing, tech-savvy relationship builder who finds the right person for the job.
• Experience sourcing and recruiting talent in high-growth startups or as a founder.
• Hands-on approach with drive to deliver and willingness to tackle tasks at all levels.
• Ability to receive feedback, stay composed under pressure, and turn challenges into solutions.
• Proficiency with LinkedIn Recruiter, AI tools, and social media for sourcing and branding.
• Strong financial and analytical skills, including budgeting and presenting results.

Responsibilities

• Own recruitment across the company and align with hiring plans.
• Drive direct engagement with candidates and maintain momentum to offers.
• Build strategic talent relationships through founder, investor, and industry networks.
• Develop SSI’s employer brand using social media and stories.
• Lead events, tours, workshops, and conferences with measurable outcomes.
• Build early‑career pipelines with universities and student bodies.
• Support retention, engagement, and quarterly reporting to leadership.
• Partner with executives on compensation, benefits, and recognition programs.
• Own onboarding and strengthen team connection with leadership and operations.
• Measure results with clear metrics and use AI for reporting and insights.

Skills

Relationship builder

Talent sourcing

Startup recruiting

Hands-on

Networking

Analytics

Communication

Budgeting

Education

Bachelor's degree, relevant field

Job description

ABOUT SUBCRITICAL SYSTEMS

Subcritical Systems, Inc. is a venture-backed startup in Austin, Texas building the accelerator driven systems and the only US commercial manufacturer of accelerator cavities. What Space X did for rockets, we plan to do for accelerator cavities and commercialize across applications of power production, medical isotopes, semiconductors and waste transmutation.

We are in the process of building the Energy Amplifier — a novel nuclear fission system in which a particle accelerator drives a subcritical core, making melt physically impossible for clean power production. Due to its inherent safety, our system has a more streamlined licensing process. Our founding team includes successful entrepreneurs with a track record of building several multibillion dollar companies in deep-tech, and scientists who were leading U.S. national labs with deep experience in accelerator & nuclear technologies.

We are actively hiring to expand our team as we work toward licensing, regulatory submissions, and construction of our first energy amplifier. More information is available at subcritical.com.

ROLE SUMMARY

Subcritical Systems is seeking a Head of Talent to lead recruitment, strengthen employee retention, and help build a culture of excellence, accountability, and performance.

We believe talent relationships deserve the same focus and investment as those with customers and investors. Guided by this philosophy, you will build and nurture meaningful connections, engage exceptional candidates directly, and lead efforts to recruit, retain, and reward the best talent at Subcritical Systems, while building a culture of excellence and performance.

This is a hands‑on role for someone who combines urgency, initiative, and confident outreach with delivery. Every recruiting channel, event, and partnership should serve a clear purpose, with measurable outcomes and accountability for the time and resources invested. We are looking for a relentless go getter, someone who has to do all of this “to do list” TODAY, who can talk and approach absolutely anyone without any fear or introduction needed, and who can leverage the robust founders & investors network to create pathways and forces so that the best talent in respected fields is naturally drawn Subcritical Systems.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own recruitment across the company. Reporting to the Co-founder and President, and working closely with the Executive team, define hiring priorities, understand team needs, and deliver against agreed hiring plans. Manage LinkedIn Recruiter, external recruiters, and other sourcing channels.
• Drive direct candidate engagement. Identify and approach candidates, communicate SSI’s mission and opportunities, arrange conversations, and maintain momentum from first contact through offer acceptance and contract signing.
• Build strategic talent relationships. Activate founder, investor, and industry networks to generate introductions, referrals, and access to exceptional people in relevant fields.
• Develop SSI’s employer brand. Use social media, employee stories, and targeted communications to showcase our work, mission, and culture. Build the story.
• Lead targeted events and outreach. Organize tours of our facilities, build out workshops, seminars, and hackathons. Represent SSI at relevant conferences, with clear objectives, structured follow-up, and measurable recruiting outcomes.
• Build early‑career talent pipelines. Establish relationships with universities, student organizations, and relevant professional bodies. Own and develop the company’s internship program.
• Support retention and performance. Work with executives to assess team needs, monitor employee engagement and satisfaction, and identify opportunities to improve retention and performance. Provide a quarterly report to the President with findings and recommended actions.
• Support compensation and rewards. Partner with executives to develop competitive compensation packages, employee benefits, and recognition practices aligned with company priorities and performance expectations.
• Own company onboarding. Deliver a consistent onboarding experience that introduces employees to SSI’s values, culture, expectations, and ways of working.
• Strengthen team connection. Work with the COO and operations team to plan company offsites and team events that support collaboration and engagement.
• Measure and improve results. Establish clear metrics for recruitment, retention, and talent initiatives. Track hiring speed, candidate conversion, sourcing effectiveness, costs, and return on investment. Use AI and analytics tools to support reporting, visualization, and better decisions.

QUALIFICATIONS

• An outgoing, tech‑savvy relationship builder who connects easily with people and knows how to find the right person for the job.
• Demonstrated experience sourcing and recruiting talent, whether as a recruiter, talent leader in a high‑growth startup, or a founder responsible for building teams.
• A hands‑on, resourceful approach, with the drive to get things done and a willingness to take on tasks at every level.
• The ability to receive feedback constructively, stay composed under pressure, and turn challenges into practical solutions and opportunities.
• Proficiency with LinkedIn Recruiter, AI tools, and social media for sourcing, outreach, and employer branding.
• Strong financial and analytical skills, including managing budgets, building financial models, and presenting results through clear visualizations and presentations.
• Sound judgment, initiative, and a strong work ethic. We value demonstrated capability and results over specific qualifications or a prescribed number of years of experience.
• This position is based in Austin at our HQ, and will require travel across the US, and internationally, as and when needed.

BENEFITS

• We offer health, dental, and vision insurance.

LOCATION & WORK POLICY

This role is fully in person in Austin, Texas. Our facility is located next to Austin Airport.