Are you a Founding Recruiter or People Ops Generalist who has scaled early-stage startups from 5 to 15+ employees? Or, are you a Talent Acquisition Specialist or startup Recruiter who’s owned end-to-end hiring across multiple types of roles? Are you a People Ops Guru who has worked directly with a founder to build recruiting infrastructure from scratch in high-growth environments? If you’re a scrappy builder who can own recruiting today and grow into a broader People role tomorrow, you might be a fit for this Founding Recruiter / People Ops opportunity with an ambitious, AI-native startup reshaping how government software gets built.
Based in Manhattan (Flatiron), this Bessemer-backed startup with an experienced founder who is now in serious growth mode. They’re rapidly building and deploying modern, AI-powered software solutions for government agencies - state, local, education, and beyond. Right now, they’re a 5-person team scaling to 14+ in the next 4-5 months. This is the first Talent hire, owning recruiting end-to-end and helping lay the foundation for People Ops long term. If you’re energized by the idea of building from zero inside a high-velocity, founder-led startup, this is your moment.
What You’ll Be Doing:
• Own full-cycle recruiting across all priority roles, starting with Product Managers and early GTM hires
• Define hiring needs, profiles, and timelines directly with the founder
• Source, engage, and close high-quality candidates in a competitive market
• Drive process: keep candidates engaged, move fast, and maintain clarity
• Introduce lightweight recruiting tools and structure
• Handle early-stage People Ops needs as the team grows - onboarding, employee experience, cultural rituals
• Act as a culture carrier and internal team builder
What You’ll Need:
• Prior experience recruiting in early-stage startup environments - high-growth, top talent
• Comfortable with ambiguity and minimal structure - know what great talent looks like and what it takes to land them
• Strong communicator, able to work closely with the founder and senior team
• Ability to move fast while delivering a great candidate experience
• Interest in expanding from Talent into broader People Ops as the company scales
• Bonus: experience hiring product, technical, or generalist roles in high-agency environments
What You’ll Get in Return:
• Competitive compensation package (base + equity)
• Direct access to the founding team and significant leadership exposure
• Work with a recruiting agency when needed
• The opportunity to shape how a high-impact company hires and grows
• A fast-paced, high-autonomy environment with meaningful ownership
• Flexibility on location (NYC preferred; remote possible for the right candidate)
• The ability to grow into a Head of Talent or People leadership role over time
If you’re looking for real ownership, please apply today!
