Founding Talent Partner
Job Summary
We are seeking a Founding Talent Partner to build the recruiting function from the ground up at a rapidly scaling technology company. Having reached significant revenue milestones in under a year, this role is pivotal in shaping how we attract, evaluate, and hire exceptional talent across technical and business functions.
As the first dedicated recruiter, you will own the full talent lifecycle while partnering closely with founders to establish scalable hiring processes that support our aggressive growth trajectory.
Essential Functions
- Own full-cycle recruiting for technical roles including engineers, AI/ML specialists, and technical consultants as well as business roles such as sales and chief of staff positions
- Design and implement end-to-end recruiting processes, including interview guides, screening rubrics, and evaluation frameworks for junior hiring managers
- Serve as a strategic advisor to founders and hiring managers, challenging requirements and refining role definitions to ensure the right talent is targeted
- Lead compensation benchmarking, offer negotiations, and contribute to the development of the company's first formal leveling structure
- Develop employer branding initiatives and innovative sourcing strategies to attract high-caliber candidates ahead of the competition
- Establish consistent hiring practices that scale with the organization while maintaining quality and speed
Required Qualifications
- 3-5 years of full-cycle recruiting experience, ideally at an early-stage startup that scaled from Seed to Series C
- Proven experience building or closely supporting the creation of a recruiting function from scratch
- Demonstrated ability to recruit for technical roles including engineering, AI/ML, and related positions
- Strong ability to influence and challenge hiring managers with data-driven recommendations rather than simply fulfilling requests
- Based in San Francisco with the ability to work onsite four days per week
- Ambitious, proactive, and creative problem-solver who thrives in ambiguous environments
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience building recruiting playbooks and processes that scaled successfully with a high-growth startup
- Familiarity with compensation benchmarking and structuring early-stage compensation frameworks
- Background recruiting both technical and commercial roles in a balanced portfolio
- Experience implementing or optimizing an ATS such as Ashby
- Track record of creative sourcing that uncovers talent outside traditional channels
Technical Skills
- Full-cycle recruiting
- Technical recruiting
- AI/ML recruiting
- Employer branding
- Creative sourcing strategies
- Compensation benchmarking
- Interview framework design
- Hiring manager coaching
- ATS proficiency
- Process development
Compensation & Benefits
The salary range for this position is $150,000 to $250,000, depending on experience and qualifications. This role includes meaningful equity participation given the founding nature of the position and the company's growth trajectory. Comprehensive benefits are offered including health coverage and professional development support.