Technical Recruiter

Foundation; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Foundation seeks a results-oriented Technical Recruiter in San Francisco to own the full cycle from kickoff to close. You will source aggressively for research scientists, AI engineers, and hardware leads, and partner with managers to design interview loops that measure signals.

You will translate complex technical work into a compelling story, manage a high-touch candidate experience, and lead thoughtful negotiations to close offers in a fast-growth startup atmosphere.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting experience.
• Track record closing senior engineering, research, or technical leadership roles.
• Strong sourcing chops and a self-built playbook.
• Ability to read a paper abstract or a GitHub profile to form an informed view.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to engage senior researchers.
• Bias for action and capability to manage a busy pipeline.
• Comfort with ambiguity and building process where none exists.
• Experience recruiting for AI/ML, robotics, hardware, biotech, climate, or other deep tech verticals.
• Experience recruiting in small (<100 person) startups, ideally pre-Series B.

Responsibilities

• Own the full recruiting cycle from kickoff to close.
• Build pipelines for niche roles where talent is small and competitive.
• Source beyond LinkedIn using arXiv, GitHub, conferences and lab pages.
• Partner with hiring managers to design interview loops that measure signals.
• Sell the mission and translate complex technical work for senior engineers.
• Manage candidate experience and keep a busy pipeline organized.
• Close offers with thoughtful, competitive negotiations.

Skills

Full cycle recruiting

Sourcing expertise

Closing senior roles

Written and verbal communication

Tools

GitHub

arXiv

Conference proceedings

Job description

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

• 2+ 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

Benefits

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

Salary

The annual compensation is expected to be between $120,000 - $165,000. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.