Talent Sourcer, embedded in London

Hiring the right people is the single biggest determinant of success for founders and also the most time-consuming, distracting, and inconsistent part of scaling a business. We exist to give founders confidence that they will consistently access the best possible talent, at the right time, across Product, Engineering, and Go-To-Market, without compromising speed, quality, or focus. We do this by embedding world-class talent operators into client teams faster than building internal capability, more cost-effective than agencies, and with significantly higher signal-to-noise than traditional recruitment models.

Role Purpose & Overview

The Embedded Talent Sourcer is a hands-on role designed for a recruiter whose core strength is direct sourcing, probably across multiple talent verticals. This role is focused on finding, engaging, and converting exceptional talent in competitive markets. You will operate as a trusted sourcing partner to founders, hiring managers, and Embedded Talent Leads, owning the top-of-funnel strategy and execution across Engineering, Product, or GTM roles. You are not a transactional sourcer. You bring market intelligence, creativity, and first-principles thinking to every search, understanding where the best talent actually lives, how they move, and what motivates them to engage.

Key Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end direct sourcing strategy and execution for critical roles across: Engineering (Backend, Frontend, Full-Stack, Mobile, Data, Platform), Product (Product Managers, Designers, Product Leaders), GTM (Sales, Marketing, RevOps, Customer Success).
• Build and maintain high-quality, always-on talent pipelines using proactive outbound sourcing rather than reactive applications.
• Identify non-obvious talent pools through:
• Advanced Boolean search
• Specialist platforms, communities, and referrals
• Creative sourcing channels beyond standard job boards
• Continuously test, iterate, and refine sourcing approaches to maximise response rates, quality, and speed.
• Leverage and optimise sourcing tools such as Boolean/X-ray search, Juicebox, Metaview, and other sourcing intelligence tools.
• Partner with Embedded Talent Leads to experiment with new sourcing technologies (AI-assisted search, automation, enrichment tools).
• Maintain clean, accurate pipeline data to ensure visibility and decision-making at all times.
• Act as a live feed of the market for Embedded teams and clients:
• Talent availability and scarcity
• Compensation expectations and shifts
• Candidate motivations and objections
• Advise on realistic sourcing strategies based on market conditions rather than idealised role specs.
• Provide feedback loops to refine role definitions, candidate personas, and outreach messaging.

Candidate Engagement & Experience

• Craft personalised, high-impact outreach that clearly articulates:
• The problem the company is solving
• Why the role matters
• Why now is the right time to engage
• Conduct high-signal initial screening conversations where required, focused on:
• Motivation and intent
• Relevant experience and trajectory
• Alignment with scale-up environments
• Ensure every candidate interaction reflects a premium, human, and transparent experience, regardless of outcome.

Embedded Partnership & Collaboration

• Work closely with Embedded Talent Leads and client hiring managers as a true extension of the team.
• Participate in intake sessions, role calibration, and pipeline reviews.
• Be present inside the business to understand product, customers, roadmap, and growth goals so sourcing decisions are grounded in reality.
• Communicate proactively and clearly at all times; pipeline health should never be a mystery.

Core Behaviours & Mindset

• First-principles thinker: You don’t just run searches, you ask why the role exists and where the best people will realistically come from.
• MVP mentality: Perfect searches don’t ship hires. Speed, learning, and iteration matter.
• Calm under pressure: Urgent without being reactive; structured without being rigid.
• Data-led: You track response rates, conversion, time-to-shortlist, and continuously optimise.
• Relentlessly proactive: You don’t wait for candidates to apply, you go where they already are.
• Over-communicator: Stakeholders should always know what’s happening before they ask.

Qualifications & Experience

• 3+ years in Talent Acquisition or Sourcing, ideally starting in high-performance agency or search environments.
• Demonstrated expert-level sourcing capability across at least one of: Engineering, Product, GTM.
• Significant experience working with startups and scale-ups (Seed–Series B).
• Proven success sourcing in competitive, low-signal markets where talent is scarce.
• Deep familiarity with modern sourcing tools, platforms, and methodologies.

Success Metrics

• Pipeline Quality: Consistent delivery of high-signal, interview-ready candidates.
• Speed to Shortlist: Reduced time to first qualified candidates for priority roles.
• Conversion Rates: Strong outreach response and interview-to-offer ratios.
• Stakeholder Trust: Hiring managers view you as a market expert, not just a sourcer.
• Talent Density: Measurable improvement in overall candidate quality across roles.