Lead Recruiter

About the company:

X is Alphabet’s moonshot factory with a mission of inventing and launching “moonshot” technologies that could someday make the world a radically better place. We are a diverse group of inventors and entrepreneurs who build and launch technologies that aim to improve the lives of millions, even billions, of people. Our goal: 10x impact on the world’s most intractable problems, not just 10% improvement. We approach projects that have the aspiration and riskiness of research with the speed and ambition of a startup. As an innovation engine, X focuses on repeatedly turning breakthrough-technology ideas into the foundations for large, sustainable businesses.

About the Team:

As the X People Operations team (POps), it’s our mission to Attract, Accelerate, and Launch these moonshots into the real world. Due to the smaller size of our organization and the rapid pace of change, every Xer plays a critical role in the success of these moonshots. The X POps team not only executes programs and operations that accelerate the business, but we also are trusted thought partners to help make business-critical decisions (more information here). 

About the Role:

We are looking for a Co-Lead to partner with our leadership to define and execute the future of our talent strategy. You will co-own the organization's recruiting roadmap, directly managing a small team of recruiters while serving as a strategic talent architect. You will translate X’s ambitious moonshot goals into actionable talent acquisition systems, ensuring our hiring engine is as innovative as our technology. This role requires a balance of high-level strategic planning, hands-on team leadership, and tactical execution in hyper-competitive markets.

• Strategic Talent Architecture: Own the end-to-end talent strategy, partnering with executives to forecast needs, map niche talent ecosystems, and define long-term hiring roadmaps for 0-to-1 prototyping.
• Team Leadership & Vision: Co-lead the POps recruiting function, providing vision, mentorship, and clear direction to a team of recruiters. Foster a high-performance culture by removing barriers and empowering the team to tackle "impossible" problems.
• Operational Excellence: Architect and optimize the recruiting infrastructure. Drive efficiency in systems, analytics, and data-driven decision-making to scale in both structured and unstructured environments.
• High-Stakes Closing: Direct and participate in the sourcing and closing of critical technical and non-technical talent, navigating complex negotiations and high-stakes pipelines.

How you will make 10x impact:

• 10x Talent Acquisition: Architect and execute recruitment strategies to secure world-class talent in hyper-competitive markets, aligning every hire with our most audacious moonshot goals.
• Leadership: Provide purpose and direction to your team through a clear, inspirational vision and empower the team to do impactful work by removing barriers and creating meaningful connections.
• Radical Sourcing & Outreach: Design unconventional outreach strategies to engage mission-driven, passive talent who are capable of solving the world's "impossible" problems.
• Deep-Tech Market Mapping: Research and deconstruct niche talent ecosystems; map industry trends to identify the "purple squirrels" needed for zero-to-one prototyping.
• Strategic Partnership with X Founders: Act as a talent thought partner to X’s leadership team to define specialized roles and build pipelines for projects that don't yet have a blueprint.
• Frictionless Candidate Prototyping: Manage the end-to-end "candidate journey" with high-touch precision—from initial signal detection to rigorous skill evaluation and final offer.
• Complex Mission Closing: Navigate high-stakes negotiations to close technical talent who are often weighing multiple opportunities
• Radical Transparency & Communication: Ensure seamless info-sharing across the interview team and X leadership, fostering a culture of continuous feedback
• Innovation: Innovate in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our Staffing systems and processes

What you should have:

• 10+ years of recruiting or talent operations experience, with a proven track record of leading and scaling teams of high-performing individuals.
• Experience navigating both Big Tech and high-growth, ambiguous environments.
• Deep history of sourcing and closing specialized talent in AI/ML, Software Engineering, and non-technical domains.
• Advanced proficiency in Greenhouse ATS management, including custom data reporting and funnel analytics.
• Experience as an autonomous problem-solver who identifies operational gaps and implements creative systems to bridge them.
• Proven ability to act as a thought partner to senior leadership on market mapping and leveling.

Would be great if you also had these:

• Experience working with recruitment agencies and vendor partners.
• Familiarity with the current  ML/AI landscape and its key players.
• Understanding of the AI Lifecycle from model training to enterprise deployment and the specific talent bottlenecks involved.
• Experience partnering with cross-functional talent teams to standardize technical assessment rubrics and share specialized AI market intelligence.
• Proven ability to dive deep into complex technical fields and build the fluency required to vet specialized talent effectively

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $165,000 - $238,000 + bonus + equity + benefits. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.

Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, equity, or benefits.