Job Details

About the job Technical Recruiter (First In-House Hire)

Technical Recruiter (First In-House Hire)

Location: Onsite - San Francisco, CA
Compensation: $150,000 - $250,000 base salary
Additional Compensation: Equity
Work Authorization: Open to visa transfers only

The Opportunity

HireNow Staffing is acting as a direct placement partner for a fast-growing AI software company seeking its first in-house Technical Recruiter to build the hiring engine from the ground up.

This is a true 0-to-1 recruiting role. You will design the systems, workflows, and candidate experience that power the company's next phase of growth. Every hire made in this seat will directly shape team culture, execution velocity, and long-term success.

You will partner closely with founders and senior leaders to recruit exceptional talent across engineering, design, go-to-market, and core business functions-helping scale one of the most loved creative tools emerging in AI.

This opportunity is best suited for recruiters with strong tenure, deep technical sourcing ability, and a builder's mindset. Candidates with contractor-only or highly jumpy backgrounds will not align with the long-term ownership required.

Key Responsibilities

Candidates will be considered for interview based on demonstrated ability to perform the following responsibilities:

• Own full-cycle recruiting across technical and business teams, from sourcing through offer close
• Build scalable recruiting infrastructure, including scorecards, interview loops, and structured evaluation frameworks
• Maintain ATS excellence and process discipline (Ashby experience strongly preferred)
• Track and improve funnel metrics, including pass-through rates, time-to-hire, and quality-of-hire
• Partner directly with founders on headcount planning, role definition, and hiring priorities
• Source creatively through GitHub, Discord, open-source ecosystems, and niche technical communities
• Deliver a high-touch candidate experience that reflects the companys mission, velocity, and equity upside
• Act as a trusted advisor to hiring managers on market dynamics, compensation, and closing strategy
• Grow into broader talent leadership responsibilities as the team scales

Only candidates with demonstrated success owning recruiting in early-stage environments will be considered.

Required Qualifications (Non-Negotiable)

These qualifications are mandatory. Candidates who do not meet all requirements will not be considered for interview.

• Bachelor's degree required
• 5+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting experience in a fast-growth, early-stage startup environment
• Proven ability to recruit across highly competitive disciplines, including engineering and technical product teams
• Experience building recruiting processes and systems from scratch, not operating within only mature org structures
• Strong technical sourcing expertise and comfort engaging deeply with technical candidate profiles
• Excellent communication skills, high emotional intelligence, and data-driven decision-making
• Demonstrated job stability and long-term impact in prior roles (contractor-only or highly jumpy resumes will not be considered)
• Excitement about AI, creative tools, and the teams building category-defining technology

Preferred Qualifications (Strong Differentiators)

Candidates with the following experience will be viewed as standout applicants:

• Prior experience recruiting within AI-native startups or creative tooling platforms
• Deep familiarity with niche sourcing channels beyond LinkedIn
• Experience hiring across both technical and creative functions (Engineering + Design)
• Proven success partnering directly with founders during rapid scale phases
• Interest in stepping into a future Head of Talent trajectory

Who Thrives in This Role

• Recruiters who want founding-level ownership, not transactional requisition work
• Builders who enjoy creating structure where none exists
• Operators who can balance speed with rigor in candidate assessment
• Professionals motivated by high-impact work, equity upside, and direct partnership with visionary founders

HireNow Staffing Disclaimer

HireNow Staffing is acting as a direct placement partner for this role. All candidate information is handled confidentially and evaluated against defined requirements. This job description outlines the general scope of responsibilities and qualifications. Duties may evolve based on client needs and business growth. Only candidates meeting the core qualifications will be considered for interview.