Startup Recruiter

About the Role

This isn't your typical recruiting role — it's dynamic, immersive, and built for someone who thrives on complexity.

We're building breakthrough technology that spans mechanical systems, AI, computer vision, materials science, and high-volume manufacturing. You won't be an expert in all of it — but you'll get genuinely curious about how it fits together, and you'll use that fluency to hire exceptionally well for the teams that make it all run: GTM, People, Finance, and Operations.

Every hire materially shapes what we build. Our bar is high by design — fair, well-defined, and grounded in first principles.

As our startup recruiter, you'll own full-cycle recruiting for core operational functions. That means driving search strategy, building pipelines from scratch, partnering with hiring managers to define and calibrate roles, and closing high-impact hires in a fast-moving environment. You'll be embedded with our teams — onsite, in the work, learning how our systems operate and what it actually takes to thrive here.

We're one integrated team. The people who do best at Atomic Machines are collaborative, adaptable, and relentlessly curious — and we're looking for a recruiter who's the same.

What You’ll Do

• Own full-cycle recruiting across GTM, People, Finance, and Operations — from kickoff through close.
• Serve as a strategic partner to hiring managers, aligning on success profiles and calibrating the bar for each role.
• Develop and execute creative sourcing strategies to reach exceptional, often passive, candidates — and track what's working to continuously sharpen your approach.
• Get genuinely fluent in what we build — work closely with our teams to understand how different functions intersect, and translate that into compelling narratives that attract the right people.
• Deliver a consistent, high-quality candidate experience with clear and transparent communication at every stage.
• Jump in where needed — refining a pitch, opening a new function, or helping close a critical hire — in a fast-moving, collaborative environment.
  
  

What You’ll Need

• 2–5+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience, ideally in high-growth startup environments spanning GTM, operations, finance, or people functions.
• Demonstrated success hiring across multiple non-technical disciplines with a high and well-calibrated bar.
• Genuine curiosity about complex technology and a desire to build real fluency in what our teams are building.
• Proven ability to design and execute sourcing strategies that consistently engage passive, high-caliber candidates.
• A first-principles recruiting mindset — you challenge assumptions, dig into the "why" behind role needs, and build search and evaluation strategies from the ground up.
• High autonomy paired with strong collaboration instincts; you know when to lead, when to escalate, and when to align.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication — clear, direct, and attuned to tone and detail.
• Able to manage multiple searches simultaneously without compromising quality or candidate experience.
• Willingness to work onsite in Emeryville or Santa Clara