Senior Hardware Recruiter

Normal Computing Corporation; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Normal Computing is seeking a senior technical recruiter to lead end-to-end hiring for AI, ASIC, and silicon roles. You’ll partner with engineering managers, define qualification standards, and drive efficient interview loops using the Ashby ATS.

You bring 6+ years of full-cycle recruiting in hardware or semiconductor contexts, a proven closing track against competing offers, and comfort operating in a fast-growing startup environment.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting for AI, ASIC, or semiconductor roles.
• Proven track record closing senior engineers against competing offers.
• Technical literacy to discuss AI silicon and ASIC development.
• Fluency with Ashby or similar ATS for candidate tracking and reporting.
• Operational excellence in a scaling startup with low ego and ambiguity tolerance.

Responsibilities

• Full-Cycle Recruiting: manage end-to-end recruitment for senior hardware roles and close hires.
• Strategic Sourcing: identify top-tier talent in unconventional silicon areas.
• Engineering Partnership: align with engineering hiring managers on qualifications.
• Process Discipline: run efficient interview loops with 4-5 rounds max.
• ATS Ownership: maintain clean data in Ashby and reliable pipeline reporting.
• Brand Ambassadorship: represent Normal Computing at industry events like DAC.

Skills

Full-cycle tech recruiting

Ashby ATS proficiency

Stakeholder management

AI/ASIC tech literacy

Process optimization

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

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.

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.