Talent Operator

Contrario; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual company offsites

Free lunches and dinners

Unlimited snacks and drinks

Monthly wellness stipend

Job summary

Contrario in San Francisco is seeking a Talent Operator to run full-cycle recruiting for our partners, actively stress-testing Contrario’s internal AI and tooling, and potentially moving into leadership roles as you spike best. You’ll be on the front lines, mastering the recruiting landscape and driving impact on the company’s bottom line every day.

This early team member will own the end-to-end recruitment process, collaborate with startups, and shape our operating playbook as we scale from 200

Qualifications

• 0-2 years in operations, recruiting, or other high-signal backgrounds (consulting, IB, etc.)
• High agency and output-driven execution
• Low ego and highly coachable
• Based in or relocating to San Francisco

Responsibilities

• Master the Funnel: Source, screen, and manage candidates across multiple high-growth startup pipelines.
• Product Feedback Loop: Be the primary "power user" of Contrario’s AI features, providing direct feedback to our engineering team to help shape the product.
• Relationship Management: Act as a bridge between candidates and the elite startups we serve.
• Build the Playbook: Help us refine our internal operations and recruiting systems as we scale from 200 to 1,000+ customers.

Skills

Full-cycle recruiting

Stakeholder management

Sourcing

Candidate relationship mgmt

Job description

Contrario (YC W25) is building an AI-powered recruiting marketplace that connects elite startup recruiters with

fast-growing companies through software and operational tooling. We’ve raised $2.5M from Y Combinator and

Nexus Venture Partners, with angels from Hudson River Trading, Stanford, and OpenAI. Our customers include

150+ YC and venture-backed startups hiring across engineering and GTM roles.

The Role

We’re hiring Talent Operators to join our team!

As a Talent Operator, you are the engine of our marketplace. You will run full-cycle recruiting for our partners

while actively stress-testing Contrario’s internal AI and tooling. You’ll be on the front lines, mastering the

recruiting landscape before transitioning into broader operational or leadership roles. Once you master the

recruitment landscape, we’ll increase your scope based on where you spike best. This could be account

management, working with our recruiter network, or scaling internal systems.

This is a role for someone who loves to win, thrives in fast-paced environments, and wants to see their direct

impact on a company’s bottom line every single day.

Compensation

Base is $80k–$110k , and total comp ( OTE ) is ~ $140k-$170k+ (earnings are uncapped)

Earnings-based compensation is directly tied to revenue generated off of successful placements.

Growth Path

We view the Talent Operator role as a proving ground for future leaders at Contrario. As an early team member,

your path is based on where you "spike" and what you're passionate about:

Account Management: Own the end-to-end relationship with our partner companies and recruiters.

Recruitment Management: Scale and lead a team of Talent Operators as we grow.

Marketplace Operations: Drive the supply and demand strategy for our marketplace.

We are committed to investing in your growth. In exchange, we ask for high throughput, sharp judgment, and a

"founder" mindset.

What You’ll Do

Master the Funnel: Source, screen, and manage candidates across multiple high-growth startup pipelines.

Product Feedback Loop: Be the primary "power user" of Contrario’s AI features, providing direct feedback to

our engineering team to help shape the product.

Relationship Management: Act as a bridge between candidates and the elite startups we serve.

Build the Playbook: Help us refine our internal operations and recruiting systems as we scale from 200 to

1,000+ customers.

About You

0-2 years in operations, recruiting, or other high-signal backgrounds (consulting, IB, etc.)

High agency and output-driven execution

Low ego and highly coachable

Based in or relocating to San Francisco

About the interview

1. Initial Screen (20–30 min) with Will, Chief of Staff.

2. Take-Home Sourcing Exercise (2–3 hours, skippable)

4. On-Site / Working Session (1-2 days)

Annual Company Offsites (Hawaii, Cancun, Tokyo)

Free lunches and dinners (+ unlimited snacks and

drinks)

Monthly wellness stipend (gym membership,

equipment, whatever you prefer)

Unlimited PTO (take time when you need it)