Senior Technical Sourcer – Contractor

Mainstay Labs Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading tech startup is seeking a contract sourcer with experience in technical recruiting, particularly for AI/ML engineering talent. The role involves sourcing candidates swiftly and may support other urgent roles. Ideal candidates will have a strong background in software engineering recruiting, especially within AI, and possess excellent communication skills. This is a 6-week contract, requiring approximately 20 hours per week.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of sourcing/recruiting experience, with 2 years in AI/ML roles.
• Proven success in driving candidates into interview stages.
• Ability to evaluate candidates' technical backgrounds.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Talent Acquisition Manager on hiring priorities.
• Build targeted lists of AI/ML engineering talent.
• Engage candidates and move them into interview stages.

Skills

Technical recruiting

Sourcing AI talent

Strong communication skills

Evaluating technical credibility

Tools

Ashby ATS

Job description

Overview

About Mainstay

Mainstay is the leading market intelligence platform purpose-built for buying, managing, and selling homes in the single-family rental industry. We empower informed decision-making and unlock opportunities for owners, operators, and residents by aggregating and standardizing data from over 50 unique sources. Originally founded within Opendoor, Mainstay launched as an independent company in 2024, driven by our mission to simplify the complex and bring clarity and trust to the single-family rental ecosystem. Join us as we reshape the future of the industry!

About the role

We’re looking for a contract sourcer with deep experience in technical recruiting, especially AI/ML engineering talent, to help us quickly build and advance a pipeline of exceptional candidates. Your primary focus will be sourcing and engaging top AI Engineers in competitive tech hubs.

This is a 6-week contract (~20 hrs/week) where speed, precision, and quality are critical. The contract may be shortened if/when the roles are filled. While AI Engineers are the main priority, you may also be asked to support other high-need roles, such as Product Design.

What you’ll do

You’ll partner closely with our Talent Acquisition Manager to quickly ramp on our company, products, and hiring priorities so you can credibly represent us to candidates. You’ll source deeply within AI networks, run calibration checkpoints to stay aligned, and deliver high-quality candidates who are ready for recruiter screens. Your focus will be outbound sourcing and conversion – identifying, engaging, and moving candidates into interview stages.

Responsibilities

• Run calibration checkpoints in the first 2 weeks with the TA Manager to align on target candidate profiles
• Build targeted lists of AI/ML engineering talent across LinkedIn, GitHub, arXiv, Google Scholar, conference speaker lists, and AI communities
• Craft and send compelling outreach that resonates with senior engineers and builders in AI/LLM
• Pre-qualify candidates by validating technical background, location, eligibility, compensation, and credibility of work (e.g., GitHub, publications, shipped projects)
• Track pipeline activity in Ashby ATS and provide standardized weekly sourcing updates
• Share market insights on AI/ML talent pools, compensation, and competitor hiring strategies
• Assist with other high-priority searches (such as Product Design) if needed

What we’re looking for

• 4+ years of sourcing/recruiting experience, with at least 2 years focused on software engineering or AI/ML roles
• Proven success not only generating sourcing lists but driving candidates into later interview stages
• Ability to evaluate technical credibility (GitHub repos, published papers, open-source contributions, shipped projects)
• Strong written communication and outreach skills
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, high-growth startup environment where iteration and feedback loops are key

Bonus points if

• You’ve recruited for AI/ML, LLM, or data engineering roles at early-stage tech companies
• You’re plugged into AI/ML communities, conferences, or research networks beyond LinkedIn
• You’ve used Ashby ATS (or similar) to manage pipelines and reporting
• You can share examples of outreach strategies or sourcing dashboards that improved pipeline quality

LI-AW

Mainstay Built on Trust

At Mainstay, trust is at the core of everything we do. We build trust with everyone — from candidates to employees to partners. We believe in fairness and openness throughout our hiring process, evaluating candidates based on qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status. Our privacy practices describe how we handle applicant information, you can find the policy details for California residents here.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, religious beliefs, or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you require assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please contact us at [e-mail]