Founding Lead Recruiter

About the Company

This is a Series A robotics startup operating at the intersection of advanced robotics and renewable energy. The company builds and deploys robotic systems that automate the most labor-intensive aspects of solar farm construction — directly addressing a critical bottleneck slowing the world's transition to clean energy. Backed by top-tier generalist and climate tech investors, the team is small, fast-moving, and deeply mission-driven.

About the Role

As the Founding Lead Recruiter, you'll be the first dedicated recruiting hire and a founding member of the people function. You'll own talent acquisition end-to-end — building processes from the ground up, partnering closely with engineering and leadership, and delivering an outstanding candidate and new-hire experience. Your work will have a direct and measurable impact on the company's ability to scale its team and, ultimately, accelerate the adoption of solar energy.

What You'll Do

• Build the talent function and recruiting infrastructure from scratch, including processes, tools, and frameworks

• Own the full recruitment lifecycle: sourcing, screening, interviewing, offer negotiation, and closing

• Partner with hiring managers across engineering, product, and leadership to understand needs and deliver timely, high-quality hires

• Source and engage candidates for highly technical roles — including embedded systems, mechanical, and software engineering

• Design and lead a standout onboarding experience for new hires

• Build and maintain a strong employer brand to attract mission-aligned talent

• Develop recruiting metrics and reporting to drive continuous improvement

• Manage and optimize ATS and other HR technologies

What We're Looking For

Required:

• 5–10 years of recruiting experience, ideally in a startup environment (Series A or equivalent)

• Proven track record recruiting for hardware and/or robotics engineering roles (embedded systems, mechanical engineering, software engineering)

• Experience building or scaling a recruiting function from an early stage

• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, product, and leadership

• Experience designing and leading onboarding processes for new hires

• Metrics-driven mindset with comfort using data to guide decisions

• Proficiency with ATS platforms and modern HR technologies

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship management skills

• Detail-oriented and highly organized, with an ability to manage multiple open roles simultaneously in a fast-paced environment

Nice to Have:

• Passion for climate tech, renewable energy, or robotics

• Experience recruiting candidates from robotics, aerospace, or advanced manufacturing backgrounds

• Prior experience at a company that scaled from seed/Series A to later stages

Location & Work Arrangement

This role is on-site in San Leandro, California. The team works together in person and values close collaboration. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience

• Significant equity compensation reflecting the founding nature of the role

• Opportunity to shape company culture and people operations from the ground up

• Direct climate impact through your work every day