Job Openings
Founding Recruiter
About the job Founding Recruiter
Founding Recruiter
Location: Remote (Must work EST hours)
Compensation: $100,000 – $160,000 base salary
Additional Compensation: Equity
Work Authorization: Open to visa transfers on a case-by-case basis
The Opportunity
HireNow Staffing is acting as a direct placement partner for an early-stage technology startup seeking a Founding Recruiter to help build the company from the ground up.
This is a rare opportunity to work directly with the founding team at a critical inflection point. The Founding Recruiter will own hiring end to end—shaping the team, the recruiting infrastructure, and the talent philosophy from day one. The company is building AI-native technology for state and local governments, and early hires will have an outsized impact on product, culture, and long-term success.
This role is best suited for a recruiter who thrives in ambiguity, enjoys building systems from scratch, and wants real ownership rather than a narrow, transactional recruiting scope.
What You'll Do
Candidates will be considered for interview based on demonstrated ability to perform the following responsibilities:
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Own full-cycle recruiting across product, engineering, and business roles—from sourcing through offer close
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Partner closely with the founder to scale the team from approximately 5 to 15+ employees during the seed stage
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Lead early hiring priorities, including forward-deployed Product and technical roles, not just engineering-only searches
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Design, implement, and continuously refine recruiting processes and candidate experience from scratch
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Leverage modern, AI-powered recruiting tools (e.g., Claude) to automate workflows, sourcing, and screening
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Build strong pipelines of high-caliber candidates aligned with the company's mission and operating style
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Advise founders on hiring strategy, role scoping, compensation, and market dynamics
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Take on light people operations responsibilities as the company grows, including contractor coordination and hiring infrastructure support
Only candidates with true early-stage startup recruiting experience will be considered.
Required Qualifications (Non-Negotiable)
These qualifications are mandatory. Candidates who do not meet all requirements will not be considered for interview.
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4+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience at early-stage tech startups (Seed–Series C)
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Demonstrated experience hiring product roles, not solely engineering positions
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Experience working in fast-paced, ambiguous environments with limited structure
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Ability to work EST hours consistently
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Bachelor's degree required
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Strong ownership mindset with the ability to operate independently and drive outcomes
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Comfort learning and adopting AI tools to improve recruiting efficiency and decision-making
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Resume history focused on full-time, in-house recruiting (no temp-, contract-, or freelance-heavy backgrounds)
Preferred Qualifications (Strong Differentiators)
Candidates with the following background will be viewed as standout applicants:
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Proven track record scaling teams from 5 to 15+ employees at seed-stage companies
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Experience recruiting for AI-focused companies or government technology organizations
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Prior experience building recruiting infrastructure from scratch (ATS selection, process design, scorecards)
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Strong intuition for assessing early-stage talent beyond resumes and titles
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Interest in expanding beyond recruiting into broader people operations over time
Who This Role Is Best Suited For
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Recruiters who want founding-level ownership, not a narrow requisition desk
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Operators who enjoy building systems where none exist
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Professionals energized by mission-driven technology and public-sector impact
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Individuals seeking long-term influence over team composition and company culture