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
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Build the talent function and recruiting processes from the ground up, including workflows, tooling, and metrics
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Own the end-to-end recruitment lifecycle — sourcing, screening, interviewing, offer negotiation, and closing
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Partner closely with hiring managers and cross-functional stakeholders to define roles, hiring strategies, and timelines
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Deliver a standout candidate experience from first touch through offer acceptance
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Lead and continuously improve the new-hire onboarding experience
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Own employer branding initiatives to attract and close top-tier engineering and technical talent
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Scale the recruiting function over time, including hiring, mentoring, and developing additional recruiters
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Track and report on recruiting metrics to drive data-informed decisions
What We're Looking For
Required:
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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
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Experience leading new-hire onboarding programs and owning the initial employee experience
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Strong track record partnering with hiring managers and cross-functional teams
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Experience scaling a recruiting function or managing a small recruiting team
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Ownership of employer branding and candidate experience initiatives, particularly for engineering roles
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Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, juggle competing priorities, and iterate quickly
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Detail-oriented with strong relationship-management and communication skills
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ATS proficiency and familiarity with modern HR/recruiting technologies
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Authorization to work in the United States without visa sponsorship (sponsorship is not available)
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Willingness to work fully on-site in San Leandro, CA (remote work is not available for this role)
Nice to Have:
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Recruiting experience or domain knowledge in robotics, hardware engineering, renewable energy, or the climate/solar industry
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Background hiring from companies in the robotics or automation space
Compensation & Benefits
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Competitive salary commensurate with experience
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Significant equity compensation reflecting your foundational impact on the company
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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.
Originally posted on Himalayas