Head of Talent
About The Position
Tessera Labs is redefining how enterprises adopt and operationalize Artificial Intelligence. Backed by Foundation Capital and with a recent $60M Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), we build multi-agent AI systems that automate complex business workflows across platforms like SAP, Salesforce, Workday, Snowflake, MuleSoft, and more. Our mission: bring real AI automation to the enterprise — with speed, precision, and measurable impact. We move fast, operate with extreme ownership, and build at the frontier of applied AI. We're ~55 people today and growing fast, with offices in San Francisco and San Jose. This is a rare chance to take ownership of the talent function at one of the most exciting AI companies being built right now. Tessera Labs has recruiting infrastructure in place — processes, an ATS (Ashby), and a team — but we're at an inflection point. We need a Head of Talent who can scale what's working, rebuild what isn't, and be a true strategic partner to our founders and leadership as we move from ~55 to 150+ people. You won't be inheriting a finished product. You'll be inheriting a foundation — and the opportunity to make it exceptional. The recruiting function needs to become faster, more proactive, more outbound-driven, and more deeply embedded in how this company grows.
Requirements
- 7+ years of recruiting experience, with meaningful time leading a talent function at a high-growth startup — you've built before, not just inherited
- Deep experience recruiting for technical roles (Engineering, ML, AI) as well as GTM and operations
- Strong outbound sourcer — you know how to find people who aren't looking, and you can close them
- AI-forward — you actively use AI tools in your recruiting workflow and are always looking to remove manual work
- Well-networked in the Bay Area startup and AI ecosystem; your Rolodex is a genuine asset
- Track record closing candidates against competitive offers, including offers from frontier AI labs
- Scrappy, high-ownership, low-ego — you're comfortable doing things yourself before you can hire someone to do them
- Strong communicator and closer — you can pitch Tessera's vision, equity story, and mission compellingly to candidates who aren't looking
Nice To Haves
- Experience rebuilding or rationalizing an over-built recruiting function
- Familiarity with Ashby or other modern ATS platforms — bonus if you've implemented one from scratch
- Experience hiring at a Series A company scaling toward Series B and beyond
- Prior experience partnering with a16z or other tier-1 VCs on talent strategy
Responsibilities
- Lead and develop a lean team of in-house recruiters; hire and shape the team as we scale
- Own full-cycle recruiting across Engineering, GTM, Operations, and G&A — from intake to signed offer
- Build and run aggressive outbound sourcing strategies; we are not an inbound-only shop
- Partner directly with founders and hiring managers to define the bar, build structured interview processes, and align on headcount planning
- Optimize our ATS (Ashby) — configure stages, feedback flows, scorecards, and reporting
- Bring AI-forward tools and modern sourcing workflows into the function from day one
- Own employer brand and candidate experience — every touchpoint is a brand moment
- Track and report on recruiting metrics: time-to-fill, offer acceptance rate, pipeline conversion, sourced vs. inbound ratio
- Drive offer strategy including comp structuring, equity storytelling, and competitive close tactics
- Serve as a thought partner to leadership on org design, compensation strategy, and retention
Benefits
- Real ownership — you'll shape how one of the most ambitious AI companies in the market attracts and builds its team
- Highly competitive compensation and meaningful equity
- Backed by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Foundation Capital — you'll have access to world-class resources and network
- A founding team that moves fast, operates with extreme ownership, and builds at the frontier of applied AI
- SF and San Jose offices, flexible hybrid environment
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
