Senior Hardware Recruiter

Normal Computing Corp.; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 165,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

Normal Computing in Palo Alto is seeking a Technical Hardware Recruiter to own full-cycle recruitment for silicon roles, partnering with technologist hiring managers to source and close top talent.

You will run the WHO method, target 4–5 interview rounds, and represent the company at industry events like DAC, while ensuring data hygiene in Ashby and building a strong talent pipeline.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting for AI, ASIC, silicon roles.
• Proven track record closing senior engineers against competing offers.
• Technical literacy across AI silicon and semiconductor domains.
• Expertise using Ashby or comparable ATS for candidate tracking.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end recruiting for senior hardware, ASIC, and silicon roles.
• Strategic sourcing of candidates not actively applying to roles.
• Partner with engineering managers on qualifications and calibration.
• Maintain efficient interview loops with 4–5 rounds max.
• Own data hygiene and pipeline reporting in Ashby.
• Represent Normal Computing at industry events such as DAC.

Skills

Full-cycle recruiting

AI/ASIC hardware

Strategic sourcing

Engineering partnership

Brand ambassadorship

Process discipline

Tools

Ashby ATS

Job description

Normal Computing | Build with Us

Normal is an applied AI company solving the hardest problems in AI and silicon. We build foundational hardware and software for the semiconductor industry, critical AI infrastructure, and the broader systems that power our world, in partnership with the world's most advanced institutions. We work as one team across New York City, Silicon Valley (Mountain View), London, Copenhagen, and Seoul.

The Role

Recruiting silicon talent is a specialist's craft: the candidate pool is small, every strong architect and DV engineer is fielding multiple offers, and the people you're hunting can smell a recruiter who doesn't know what a tapeout is.

As a Technical Hardware Recruiter, you will work on full-cycle recruiting for Normal's silicon organization. You will partner directly with hiring managers who are themselves deep technologists, source candidates who aren't looking, and close people who have every option.

What You'll Own

• Full-Cycle Recruiting: Manage an end-to-end recruitment process for senior hardware, ASIC, and silicon architecture roles from intake through close, flexing to AI, silicon software, and other technical searches as priorities shift.
• Strategic Sourcing: Identify and engage top-tier talent in unconventional silicon architecture, design verification, and systems architecture: people who are rarely on the market and need a reason to talk.
• Engineering Partnership: Act as a strategic partner to engineering hiring managers, aligning on candidate qualifications, technical bars, and calibration as searches evolve.
• Process Discipline: Run the WHO Method for talent calibration and maintain high-efficiency interview loops, targeting 4-5 rounds maximum so great candidates don't die in process.
• ATS Ownership: Maintain impeccable data hygiene and pipeline flow in Ashby: clean stages, honest statuses, reporting the team can trust.
• Brand Ambassadorship: Represent Normal Computing at industry events like DAC, engaging specialized candidates in the rooms where they actually gather.

What Makes You a Great Fit

• 6+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting, including direct experience recruiting AI, ASIC, silicon, or semiconductor engineers: RTL, DV, physical design, architecture, or adjacent roles
• A track record of closing senior engineers against competing offers: you know how to sell equity, risk, and conviction, not just a comp number
• Technical literacy across the deep-tech landscape: AI silicon, and custom ASIC development — you can hold a credible intake conversation with a chip architect
• Advanced fluency in Ashby (or comparable ATS) for candidate tracking, reporting, and process automation
• Operational excellence: low ego, comfortable with ambiguity, and able to move real work forward at the volume of a scaling startup

Bonus Points

• Exposure to AI/ML and software engineering recruiting in addition to hardware expertise
• Experience recruiting for unconventional computing or physics-based hardware architectures
• Previous experience in a high-growth venture-backed startup, semiconductor company, or research lab

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Normal Computing is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

Accessibility Accommodations

Normal Computing is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please let us know at [e-mail].

Privacy Notice

By submitting your application, you agree that Normal Computing may collect, use, and store your personal information for employment-related purposes in accordance with our Applicant Privacy Notice.

Compensation Range: $165K - $195K