Senior Technical Recruiter
About Pacific Fusion
Pacific Fusion was founded in 2023 with the mission to power the world with abundant, affordable, clean energy.
We are rapidly designing and building a pulser-driven inertial fusion system to achieve net facility gain (more fusion energy output than stored energy input). In parallel, we are developing the key components required to build affordable fusion systems.
Our plans are ambitious. We have raised over $900M so far from incredible investors, resourcing us to deliver on these plans. We are bringing together the best scientists, engineers, and operators from the fusion community, hard tech industry, and other sectors. We are united by a shared sense of urgency to provide clean power for the world, particularly managing climate change while meeting growing global energy demand. You can read more about us in this letter from our founders.
Why This Role Matters
We're looking for a Senior Technical Recruiter who loves building teams as much as building relationships. You'll be a strategic partner to hiring managers, a trusted guide for candidates, and an important part of how we grow. This role sits close to the work — you'll collaborate with engineering leaders and cross-functional teams to hire across our expanding technical disciplines, and you'll do it as part of a team that genuinely values curiosity, bold thinking, and collaboration.
This is an on-site role based in the Bay Area.
What You'll Do
- Own end-to-end recruiting across mechanical and electrical engineering, experimental physics, manufacturing, and other technical teams.
- Partner closely with leaders and engineers to understand what exceptional looks like for each role, well beyond the job description.
- Develop and maintain long-term relationships with talent across fusion, aerospace, defense, and adjacent deep tech fields.
- Advise hiring managers on interview structure, candidate evaluation, leveling, and compensation.
- Balance a portfolio of complex, specialized requisitions with equal care for quality and candidate experience.
- Keep pipelines healthy, data clean, and reporting actionable in our ATS.
- Help raise the bar on interview quality and consistency, supporting the team in making thoughtful, well-informed hiring decisions.
- Contribute to and improve recruiting processes as we scale.
- Serve as a trusted advocate for both candidates and hiring teams throughout the process.
What You Bring
- 5+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting experience.
- Background recruiting for specialized scientific, research, or hardware engineering roles.
- Intellectual curiosity about the work you recruit for, enough to ask sharp questions and spot strong candidates.
- A track record of building genuine trust with hiring managers and technical stakeholders.
- Comfort with ambiguity: talent pools without obvious sourcing channels and hiring managers still shaping what they need.
- Warmth, patience, and professionalism with every candidate, at every stage.
- Resourceful and persistent in finding the right people, even when the path isn't obvious.
- Energized by fast-moving environments where priorities evolve and no two days look the same.
Bonus Points For
- Passion for clean energy, deep tech, or mission-driven work.
- Experience recruiting in aerospace, energy, or advanced manufacturing.
- An existing network within physics, national lab, or deep tech engineering communities.
Pay Range:
$140,000 - $185,000 USD
Total Compensation & Benefits for Eligible Employees
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Industry-competitive salary
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Equity plan
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6% employer 401k matching
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Generous paid time off (including sick leave, vacation, paid family leave)
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Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
Actual base salary offered will be determined by: experience, skills, and work location. This range is for base salary, our total compensation includes equity and benefits. We welcome you to apply even if your expectations are outside our listed range.
Pacific Fusion is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
Pacific Fusion is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures and throughout employment. If you need assistance or any accommodation, please let us know.
Pacific Fusion does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies without a fully executed recruitment agreement in place. In the absence of such agreement, Pacific Fusion reserves the right to pursue and hire any candidates without an obligation to pay fees. Agencies are requested not to contact Pacific Fusion hiring managers or employees regarding recruiting services.
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