Contractor, Senior Technical Recruiter

As a Senior Technical Recruiter at Lila Sciences , you will be the San Francisco-market-facing driver of our engineering and AI/ML research hiring. This role is built for someone who recruits like a technologist and a community builder: you’ll experiment with agentic recruiting tools , go deep in high-signal technical communities ( X, Git Hub, open-source, research circles ), and build real-world relationships through coffee chats and meetups — then convert those relationships into exceptional hires.

• Build and sustain a high-trust network of software engineers and AI/ML researchers in San Francisco through consistent relationship-building: coffee chats, warm intros, repeat touchpoints, and community presence.
• Develop non-traditional sourcing and discovery loops
  : identify high-signal talent via X,
  Git Hub
  , open-source ecosystems, technical writing, niche communities, and research networks — not just Linked In searches.
• Build and iterate on agentic recruiting workflows/tools (lightweight automations, discovery agents, enrichment/triage helpers, outreach experimentation) to continuously improve how we find and engage the right people.
• Attend and host community touchpoints: meetups, dinners, office hours, and small events that strengthen Lila’s presence and create a durable “people know people” pipeline.
• Partner closely with our Senior Technical Sourcer to convert top-of-funnel into engaged candidates and maintain a high-quality, high-touch experience from first conversation through close.
• Run full-cycle recruiting for technical roles: intake with hiring managers, recruiter screens, interview loop management, candidate coaching, offer strategy, and closing.
• Develop compelling narratives tailored to technical audiences —
  why Lila, why now, why this role — and evolve messaging based on what you’re hearing in the market.
• Maintain operational rigor: clean pipeline tracking, stage hygiene, weekly updates, and clear next steps for candidates and hiring teams.

• 3-5+
  years
  of experience in full-cycle recruiting, with a demonstrated track record in highly technical or specialized environments (in-house, agency, or a mix).
• Track record of finding talent through high-signal technical channels (e.g., X, Git Hub, open-source communities, meetups, research networks
  ) — not only conventional databases.
• Comfort running a high-touch cadence (multiple in-person conversations per week), with excellent follow-up and relationship management.
• Demonstrated success recruiting for Software Engineers
  , AI/ML researchers and research-adjacent profiles (research engineers, applied scientists, etc.).
• Hands‑on experience building and iterating agentic recruiting tools/workflows (scripts, automations, prototypes, or internal utilities) that improve candidate discovery, prioritization, and engagement; comfort operating in public technical ecosystems (e.g.,
  Git Hub/X) when appropriate.
• High ownership and operational discipline in a fast-moving environment where priorities may shift.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive hiring practices.
• Curiosity, adaptability, and enthusiasm for Lila’s mission of accelerating scientific discovery through AI.

• Experience hosting meetups/salons or building durable technical communities in SF.
• Experience recruiting for research-heavy or frontier AI organizations (or similarly high-bar technical environments).
• Familiarity with research signals (papers, citations, open-source impact) and how they translate to hiring decisions.
• Comfort experimenting quickly with new tooling/workflows and sharing learnings with a team.

Lila Sciences is the world’s first scientific superintelligence platform and autonomous lab for life, chemistry, and materials science. We are pioneering a new age of boundless discovery by building the capabilities to apply AI to every aspect of the scientific method. We are introducing scientific superintelligence to solve humankind's greatest challenges, enabling scientists to bring forth solutions in human health, climate, and sustainability at a pace and scale never experienced before.

Learn more about this mission a.ai

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