Founding Lead Recruiter

About the Role

This is a rare opportunity to join a fast-moving, mission-driven robotics company at the ground floor of its people function. As the Founding Lead Recruiter , you'll build the talent and recruiting operation entirely from scratch, own the full candidate lifecycle, and play a direct role in shaping a passionate team working to accelerate the global transition to renewable energy. You'll have meaningful equity and a high-impact seat at the table from day one.

The company develops large-scale robotic systems that automate the most labor-intensive tasks in solar farm construction — a sector experiencing explosive growth and a critical need for the kind of speed and scale only automation can deliver.

What You'll Do

• Build the talent function and recruiting processes from the ground up, including workflows, tooling, and metrics
• Own the end-to-end recruitment lifecycle — sourcing, screening, interviewing, offer negotiation, and closing
• Partner closely with hiring managers and cross-functional stakeholders to define roles, hiring strategies, and timelines
• Deliver a standout candidate experience from first touch through offer acceptance
• Lead and continuously improve the new-hire onboarding experience
• Own employer branding initiatives to attract and close top-tier engineering and technical talent
• Scale the recruiting function over time, including hiring, mentoring, and developing additional recruiters
• Track and report on recruiting metrics to drive data-informed decisions

What We're Looking For

Required

• Proven experience building an end-to-end recruiting function from scratch at an early-stage startup (Series A or similar), including defining processes and metrics
• Experience leading new-hire onboarding programs and owning the initial employee experience
• Strong track record partnering with hiring managers and cross-functional teams
• Experience scaling a recruiting function or managing a small recruiting team
• Ownership of employer branding and candidate experience initiatives, particularly for engineering roles
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, juggle competing priorities, and iterate quickly
• Detail-oriented with strong relationship-management and communication skills
• ATS proficiency and familiarity with modern HR/recruiting technologies
• Authorization to work in the United States without visa sponsorship (sponsorship is not available)
• Willingness to work fully on-site in San Leandro, CA (remote work is not available for this role)

Nice to Have

• Recruiting experience or domain knowledge in robotics, hardware engineering, renewable energy, or the climate/solar industry
• Background hiring from companies in the robotics or automation space

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• Significant equity compensation reflecting your foundational impact on the company
• Opportunity for outsized learning, growth, and ownership in a high-velocity environment

Location

This role is fully on-site in San Leandro, California . Remote and hybrid arrangements are not available. Visa sponsorship is not offered.

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