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. Originally posted on [Himalayas](https://himalayas.app)