Technical Recruiter

Foundation; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, vision, dental benefits

401k

Equity options

Job summary

Foundation is seeking an experienced technical recruiter to manage the full hiring cycle for engineering and research positions in San Francisco. You will own the sourcing and hiring processes, ensuring a great candidate experience while aligning with company culture.

The ideal candidate has over 4 years of recruiting experience, particularly in AI and robotics, and strong communication skills. The role offers a competitive salary and a chance to join an innovative team.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of full cycle technical recruiting experience.
• Track record of closing senior engineering or technical leadership roles.
• Experience in AI/ML, robotics, hardware, or deep tech verticals.

Responsibilities

• Own the full recruiting cycle from kickoff to offer acceptance.
• Build pipelines for competitive technical roles.
• Manage the candidate experience and close offers.

Skills

Technical recruiting experience

Strong sourcing skills

Excellent communication

Comfort with technical depth

Bias for action

Job description

Foundation is developing the future of general purpose robotics with the goal to address the labor shortage.

Our mission is to create advanced robots that can operate in complex environments, reducing human risk in conflict zones and enhancing efficiency in labor-intensive industries.

We are on the lookout for extraordinary engineers and scientists to join our team. Your previous experience in robotics isn't a prerequisite — it's your talent and determination that truly count.

We expect that many of our team members will bring diverse perspectives from various industries and fields. We are looking for individuals with a proven record of exceptional ability and a history of creating things that work.

Our Culture

We like to be frank and honest about who we are, so that people can decide for themselves if this is a culture they resonate with. Please read more about our culture here https://foundation.bot/culture.

Why Are We Hiring for this Role

• Own the full cycle. From kickoff to offer acceptance, drafting role profiles, sourcing, screening, managing the candidate experience, running debriefs, negotiating offers, and closing.
• Run deep technical searches. Build pipelines for roles where the talent pool is small and competitive — research scientists, AI engineers, electrical engineers, hardware leads, and more.
• Source creatively. Go beyond LinkedIn. Mine arXiv, GitHub, X, conference proceedings, lab pages, and personal networks to find people who aren't on the open market.
• Partner with hiring managers. Calibrate on what "great" looks like, design interview loops that actually measure signals, and push back when the bar is moving in the wrong direction.
• Sell the mission. Translate complex technical work into a compelling story that resonates with senior researchers and AI engineers who could work anywhere.
• Manage the candidate experience. Be responsive, honest, and high-touch. Candidates should walk away as fans whether or not they get an offer.
• Close offers. Run thoughtful, competitive negotiations and partner with leadership on comp philosophy, equity narratives, and counter-offer strategy.

What Kind of Person are we looking For

• 4+ years of full cycle technical recruiting experience, ideally including time at a startup or fast-growth tech company
• A track record of closing senior engineering, research, or technical leadership roles
• Strong sourcing chops — you have your own playbook for finding hard-to-reach candidates and you can show it
• Comfort with technical depth: you don't need to write code, but you should be able to read a paper abstract or a GitHub profile and form an informed view
• Excellent written and verbal communication; you can hold your own in a conversation with a Stanford PhD or a staff engineer at a FAANG
• A bias for action and the operational instincts to keep a busy pipeline organized without dropping things
• Comfort with ambiguity and the appetite to build process where none exists
• Prior experience recruiting for AI/ML, robotics, hardware, biotech, climate, or other deep tech verticals
• Experience recruiting in a small (<100 person>) startup, ideally pre-Series B

We provide market standard benefits (health, vision, dental, 401k, etc.) and equity. Join us for the culture and the mission, not for the benefits.

The annual compensation is expected to be between $130,000 - $165,000. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.