Recruiting Coordinator

Astera Institute•Emeryville, CA

20d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a mission- and culturally-aligned Recruiting Coordinator who will build and operate Astera’s recruiting engine as we scale our program teams. This role will own and refine the processes that bring extraordinary technologists and operators into our orbit. Recruiting at Astera is highly relational: residency cohorts join twice a year, candidate pipelines shift dramatically by discipline, and we often hire for roles that don’t exist anywhere else. Reporting to the COO, you will work closely with Astera’s leadership to ensure every candidate—regardless of outcome—has a thoughtful and world-class experience. You will manage logistics, scheduling, candidate communication, tracking systems, and search processes, while continuously improving how Astera discovers and attracts talent. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a dynamic, ambiguous environment, has exceptional organizational instincts, and is energized by enabling ambitious impact through exceptional hiring.

Requirements

2–4+ years of experience in recruiting coordination, executive support, operations, or another role that demands exceptional organization and communication
Demonstrated ability to manage fast-moving, high-complexity scheduling and logistics across multiple stakeholders
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with high attention to tone and detail
Comfort navigating highly ambiguous environments and adapting to shifting priorities
Strong project management skills, including tracking tasks across multiple simultaneous hiring processes.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in early-stage or highly cross-functional teams.
Familiarity with scientific, engineering, or technical recruiting.
Strong research skills, especially for identifying talent in nontraditional places.
Experience with ATS systems (e.g., Lever, Greenhouse, Ashby, Rippling).
Experience in environments where candidate experience is a core strategic priority.

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end scheduling for all candidates
Manage timely, thoughtful communication with candidates; ensure every touchpoint reflects Astera’s values.
Prepare interviewers with relevant materials, context, and rubrics with input from hiring managers
Maintain a smooth, high-signal, low-friction interview process for both candidates and internal stakeholders.
Maintain accurate candidate records in our ATS (Ashby/Rippling)
Track and report on pipeline health, bottlenecks, and operational risks
Build and refine templates, processes, and documentation to support repeatable, high-quality hiring.
Partner with the COO and hiring managers to identify top-of-funnel sources for unique technical and scientific roles
Conduct targeted outreach to residents, operators, scientists, and other high-potential candidates
Support coordination with external recruiters or advisors as needed.
Support the twice-annual Residency selection process, including scheduling interviews, managing reviewer workflows, and ensuring all materials are consistent and complete.
Support candidate logistics during finalist visits, onsite evaluations, or project deep dives.
Help ensure the Residency selection process remains high-quality even as we iterate and experiment.
Flex to “unknown unknowns” across the People & Operations stack—e.g., helping onboard new hires, assisting with event logistics for candidate days, supporting communications during peak cycles, or running special projects.
Step in to support the office manager, people operations lead, or other teammates during high-volume periods.