Technical Recruiter

Hark; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Hark is seeking a Technical Recruiter based in San Jose, California, to attract top talent for AI-powered hardware development. The role demands 5+ years of recruiting experience in fast-growing startups, focusing on hardware engineering, AI/ML, and embedded systems.

You will manage full-cycle recruiting, analyze metrics, and ensure a positive candidate experience. This full-time position offers a competitive salary range from $120,000 to $250,000 annually.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience recruiting for technical roles, focusing on hardware engineering and AI/ML.
• Proven track record in sourcing candidates for hard-to-fill engineering roles.
• Strong interpersonal skills to build trusted relationships.

Responsibilities

• Manage full-cycle recruiting for technical roles in hardware, firmware, and AI/ML.
• Develop a diverse candidate pipeline through multiple sourcing strategies.
• Partner with engineering leads to define requirements.
• Analyze recruiting metrics to optimize the hiring process.

Skills

Recruiting for technical roles

Sourcing passive candidates

Building talent pipelines

Interpersonal skills

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Greenhouse

Lever

LinkedIn Recruiter

Job description

About Hark

Hark is an artificial intelligence company building advanced, personalized intelligence. One that is proactive, multimodal, and capable of interacting with the world through speech, text, vision, and persistent memory.

We're pairing that intelligence with next-generation hardware to create a universal interface between humans and machines. While today's AI largely operates through chat boxes and decade-old devices, Hark is focused on what comes next: agentic systems that interact naturally with people and the real world.

To get there, we're developing multimodal models and next-generation AI hardware together—designed from the ground up as a single, unified interface for a new era of intelligent systems.

About the Role

The Technical Recruiter will be responsible for attracting top talent to tackle the complex challenges of building AI-powered hardware devices. This role requires a commitment to excellence and the ability to thrive in a fast-moving startup environment. The ideal candidate will focus on scaling our team intentionally—ensuring that we not only grow headcount but find the right individuals who align with our values of moving quickly, building exceptional hardware, and staying mission-driven.

Responsibilities

• Manage full-cycle recruiting for technical roles (hardware, firmware, AI/ML, operations) through sourcing, screening, interviewing, and closing.
• Develop a robust, diverse candidate pipeline via direct sourcing, networking, and referrals.
• Partner with engineering leads to define requirements and strategies.
• Analyze recruiting metrics (time-to-fill, quality) to optimize the process.
• Ensure a positive candidate experience.
• Improve the structured technical interview process.
• Support new hire onboarding.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree.
• Experience: 5+ years recruiting for technical roles, with a focus on hardware engineering, AI/ML, and embedded systems in fast-growing startups.
• Sourcing: Proven track record sourcing passive candidates and building talent pipelines for hard-to-fill engineering roles.
• Tools: Proficiency with recruiting platforms and ATS systems (e.g., Greenhouse, Lever, LinkedIn Recruiter) to manage pipeline and reporting.
• Communication: Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trusted relationships, provide strategic hiring advice, and push back on hiring managers when needed.

Bonus Qualifications

• Deep understanding of the hardware and AI talent landscape, including the unique challenges of recruiting electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, and ML researchers.
• Previous experience as the first or early recruiting hire at a startup, building processes and infrastructure from scratch.

Compensation

The US base salary range for this full-time position is between $120,000 - $250,000 annually.

The pay offered for this position may vary based on several individual factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package may also include additional components/benefits depending on the specific role. This information will be shared if an employment offer is extended.