Talent Lead
Symbolica AI
People & HR
San Francisco, CA, USA
Location
San Francisco
Employment Type
Full time
Location Type
On-site
Department
Business Ops
About us
Symbolica was founded on a simple idea: intelligence is about structure and reasoning, not just pattern matching.
For decades, AI has been split between symbolic systems that are reliable but brittle and neural systems that are flexible but unpredictable. We're building a bridge between the two.
We're an AI research lab combining deep mathematics and machine learning to create systems that truly reason. Using category and type theory as a unifying framework, we develop interpretable, reliable and scalable foundations for intelligence and turn them into real products, working in a tight feedback loop where research directly shapes application.
Founded in 2022, we've raised over $30M from investors including Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst, Abstract Ventures and Buckley Ventures, backing us to rethink the mathematical foundations of machine learning.
If you've ever been kept awake wondering what comes after deep learning, you'll fit right in.
About the role
We're looking for a founding Talent Lead to take ownership of hiring across the company, with a focus on AI research scientists in the US. You'll work closely with founders and project leads to understand what each role actually requires, run highly targeted, personalised recruiting processes, build out pipelines, and make sure we're reaching the right people. A lot of the operational infrastructure is still to be built, so there's real scope to shape how we hire as we grow.
📍 This is an onsite role based in our SF office (345 California St).
Your focus
Lead hiring for specialised AI research roles, owning the process from sourcing strategy through to offer.
Develop creative, highly personalised approaches to attract world-class candidates in a competitive market.
Build and run US sourcing operations from the ground up, including tools, AI automation, and processes suited to a zero-to-one environment.
Identify and engage talent through unconventional channels and niche communities (conferences, meetups, research forums, and beyond).
Build long-term pipelines of researchers and engineers, nurturing relationships well before roles open.
Work with hiring managers to deeply understand role requirements and what the ideal profile actually looks like in practice.
Keep a close eye on the market and share relevant intel with leadership on compensation, availability, and what candidates care about.
Own the ATS setup and hiring workflows, and improve them as we scale.
About you
You have solid recruitment experience in an AI or deep tech startup, including setting up recruiting processes from scratch. You've hired for AI research roles and know what good looks like in those profiles.
You've consistently hired through non-traditional and creative sourcing channels and know how to get to people that others can't reach.
You have a deep understanding of sourcing tools, AI-powered recruitment platforms and automation, and know how to put them to good use.
You've organised or used hiring events (meetups, hackathons, conferences) as part of your sourcing strategy.
You're confident running intake meetings with hiring managers and can quickly translate ambiguous role requirements into a clear, actionable search profile.
You understand the work well enough to have a real conversation with a candidate about what they've researched and built.
You're curious, resourceful, and relentless in the pursuit of great people. You don't let pipelines go quiet.
You care about candidate experience and take it seriously at every touchpoint, including how you write and communicate.
You’re happy to work from our San Francisco office (345 California St) every day.
What we offer
Competitive salary and early-stage equity.
A small team with very little bureaucracy and a lot of trust.
Real ownership over how Symbolica hires.
The chance to recruit for some of the hardest and most interesting technical challenges in AI.