Hardtech Recruiter

first-resonance · Los Angeles

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Role at a Glance

This is a full-lifecycle technical recruiting role embedded inside First Resonance, a Los Angeles-based software company serving aerospace, robotics, and advanced manufacturing. You will own sourcing through offer for Software Engineers, PMs, and Forward Deployed Engineers. Compensation is $125,000–$140,000 per year. The role is fully on-site in Los Angeles. Visa sponsorship is not addressed in the posting.

What This Role Is

First Resonance is looking for an experienced recruiter who specializes in engineering talent pipelines — specifically for the industries building next-generation physical products. This is not a team management role; you will work alongside technical leaders and founders to directly shape who joins the company. The initial scope is core engineering and product hiring, with the expectation that the function will grow to include sales, finance, and operations as the organization scales.

About First Resonance

First Resonance builds the software infrastructure that powers the physical revolution. Their platform serves industries where hardware quality and delivery timelines are mission-critical — including space launch, electric aircraft, robotics, and advanced nuclear energy. Rather than layering legacy enterprise software onto modern manufacturing workflows, they pair intuitive UX with predictive data capabilities to help engineering teams move faster and catch problems earlier. The company occupies a rare niche at the intersection of sophisticated product design and production operations, with a presence in Los Angeles.

What You Will Own

  • Manage the complete recruiting cycle — from proactive outbound sourcing through offer negotiation and closing for technical and product roles
  • Partner with department heads and engineering leaders to define role requirements, build evaluation scorecards, and structure repeatable interview loops
  • Source passive candidates through LinkedIn Recruiter, GitHub, hardware and engineering communities, and internal referral networks
  • Facilitate post-interview debrief sessions and calibration meetings to enforce consistent evaluation standards and reduce hiring bias
  • Maintain accurate pipeline tracking within the company ATS and surface funnel metrics to improve conversion rates and reduce time-to-fill
  • Represent First Resonance as a candidate-facing brand ambassador, delivering a consistent and high-quality experience at every touchpoint
  • Create recruiting collateral including outreach messages, job marketing assets, and interview guides; contribute to non-technical hiring as bandwidth allows

Must-Have Qualifications

  • 5 or more years of full-cycle technical recruiting experience within in-house startup teams or specialized technical agencies
  • Prior recruiting exposure in hardtech or deep-tech domains such as aerospace, defense, energy, hardware manufacturing, or regulated industries
  • Demonstrated success closing complex technical roles across Software Engineering, Product Management, and Solutions or Forward Deployed Engineering profiles
  • Outbound-first sourcing mindset — capable of building and maintaining active candidate networks rather than depending on inbound applications
  • Ability to track recruiting funnel data and translate ATS metrics into actionable improvements to the hiring process
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills with a candidate-first orientation
  • Comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-paced startup environments with the ability to build processes from the ground up

Nice to Have

  • Experience sourcing Forward Deployed Engineers or other customer-facing technical specialists
  • Hands-on background building hiring infrastructure such as interview guides, structured scorecards, and calibration frameworks
  • Familiarity with technical skill assessment platforms or candidate evaluation tooling

Skills Breakdown: Required vs. Differentiating

Required skills center on operational recruiting capabilities: full-cycle ownership, ATS fluency (pipeline tracking and funnel analysis), outbound sourcing via LinkedIn Recruiter and GitHub, and structured interview facilitation. Domain credibility in hardtech — aerospace, defense, energy, or advanced manufacturing — is non-negotiable, as is a data-driven approach to hiring metrics. Nice-to-have skills lean toward infrastructure-building, suggesting the role may evolve to systematize First Resonance's entire recruiting function. Experience sourcing Forward Deployed Engineers is a meaningful differentiator.

Salary and Compensation

The employer has listed a salary range of $125,000–$140,000 per year. According to the posting, final pay is calibrated against role scope, the candidate's background and skillset, and location. No bonus, commission structure, or additional cash compensation is referenced in the available job materials. Equity participation is included via an Employee Stock Option Plan, though vesting terms and grant size are not disclosed. No signing bonus information is provided.

Benefits and Perks

  • Medical, vision, dental, and life insurance
  • Paid parental leave
  • Employee Stock Option Plan (equity)
  • Team outings, group lunches, and happy hours
  • Paid holidays and sick days
  • Flexible Fridays and PTO
  • 401(k) retirement plan

Location and Work Model

This position is fully on-site in Los Angeles, California. No remote or hybrid arrangement is referenced in the job posting, and no language about location flexibility is included. The posting is silent on relocation assistance and visa sponsorship eligibility — candidates requiring either should confirm directly with First Resonance before applying.

Frequently asked questions

Is this role remote, hybrid, or fully on-site?

Based on the job posting, this position is fully on-site in Los Angeles. No remote or hybrid option is mentioned.

What is the salary range for this Hardtech Recruiter role?

First Resonance has listed compensation at $125,000–$140,000 per year. The posting notes that pay varies based on role scope, candidate experience and skillset, and location.

Which engineering roles will I primarily be hiring for?

The initial focus is Software Engineers, Product Managers, and Forward Deployed Engineers. As the company scales, the scope is expected to expand to include sales, finance, and operations hiring.

Does this role include equity?

Yes, an Employee Stock Option Plan is listed among the benefits. The job posting does not disclose vesting schedule, cliff, or grant size details.

What industries count as relevant hardtech recruiting background?

The posting specifically names aerospace, defense, energy, manufacturing, and regulated hardware sectors as qualifying domain experience.

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