Sr. Technical Recruiter

Foundation Robotics Labs Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Foundation Robotics Labs Inc. is seeking extraordinary engineers and scientists to join our team, with a mission to advance robotics in complex environments. Your talent and determination matter more than prior robotics experience.

We value diverse perspectives and exceptional ability, with a culture that emphasizes honesty and direct communication. This role focuses on building high-impact talent pipelines across AI, robotics, hardware and related fields.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting experience.
• Track record of closing senior engineering, research, or technical leadership roles.
• Strong sourcing chops with a personal playbook for finding hard-to-reach candidates.
• Comfort reading paper abstracts or GitHub profiles to form an informed view.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to engage senior researchers and engineers.
• Bias for action and ability to keep a busy pipeline organized.
• Experience recruiting for AI/ML, robotics, hardware, biotech, climate, or other deep tech verticals.
• Experience recruiting in a small startup or fast-growth tech company.

Responsibilities

• Own the full recruitment cycle from kickoff to offer acceptance, and closing.
• Run deep technical searches and build pipelines for niche roles.
• Source creatively beyond LinkedIn using arXiv, GitHub, conference proceedings, lab pages, and networks.
• Partner with hiring managers to calibrate expectations and design effective interview loops.
• Sell the mission by translating complex work into a compelling story for researchers and engineers.
• Manage candidate experience, ensuring responsiveness and high-touch engagement.
• Negotiate offers and collaborate with leadership on comp philosophy and equity narratives.

Skills

Full cycle recruiting

Sourcing for hard-to-reach candidates

Executive/leadership recruitment

Reading papers / GitHub profiles

Written and verbal communication

Ambiguity tolerance

Tools

GitHub

arXiv

Job description

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 (