Location: London, 4 days per week in the office
Contract Type: Permanent
Compensation: up to c£130,000 + stock options
Hawkwood is partnering with one of the world's most exciting Frontier AI companies to hire a Technical Sourcer into their London Talent team
Our client is building open-weight frontier AI models for enterprise and public sector use. Their work sits at the intersection of frontier AI, large-scale infrastructure and highly secure enterprise applications, with a mission to make cutting-edge intelligence more open and accessible.
The business has raised billions in funding, is backed by some of the world's leading investors, and has assembled an exceptional team of researchers and engineers who have contributed to breakthrough AI systems including AlphaGo, GPT-4 and Gemini.
As the company continues to scale, they're looking for a Talent Attraction Partner to help build exceptional Engineering and AI Research teams. Working closely with Recruiters and technical leaders, you\'ll identify, engage and nurture exceptional technical talent across some of the most competitive markets in the world.
This opportunity is well suited to a curious, research-driven sourcer who thrives on building talent communities, candidate engagement and solving complex search challenges within one of the fastest-moving sectors in technology.
The role:
As the first Talent Attraction Partner in EMEA, you’ll lead sourcing strategy across critical Engineering and AI Research hiring, helping identify and engage exceptional technical talent from across industry and academia.
Key responsibilities:
- Develop and execute sourcing strategies for critical Engineering and AI Research hiring across EMEA.
- Conduct detailed market mapping across frontier AI labs, leading technology companies, research organisations and academia.
- Identify and engage exceptional technical talent through a variety of sourcing channels, including LinkedIn Recruiter, GitHub, academic publications, conferences and open-source communities.
- Build long-term relationships with top candidates and keep them engaged throughout extended hiring cycles.
- Deliver market intelligence on talent trends, competitor activity and emerging technical communities to inform hiring strategy.
- Conduct initial candidate qualification conversations, assessing technical expertise, motivations and long-term alignment.
- Continuously refine sourcing methodologies, pipeline quality and market coverage to improve hiring outcomes.
- Partner closely with Recruiters throughout the hiring process, delivering an exceptional candidate experience from first engagement through to handover.
What we’re looking for:
- 5+ years of experience sourcing highly specialised Engineering and/or Research Science talent in an executive search firm, or in-house sourcing team.
- A proven track record of identifying, engaging and securing exceptional passive technical talent within highly competitive markets.
- Outstanding research capabilities, with the curiosity and persistence to build deep knowledge of specialist technical talent markets.
- Confidence building relationships with senior technical talent, using thoughtful and highly personalised outreach.
- Experience using sourcing platforms such as LinkedIn Recruiter, Gem, GitHub, Juicebox or similar tools.
- Strong stakeholder management and candidate engagement skills, with the confidence to build relationships with highly technical audiences.
- A naturally curious, organised and data-driven approach to problem solving.
Technical Sourcer - Frontier AI Scale-Up employer: Hawkwood
As a Tech Talent Acquisition Partner at this dynamic AI scale-up located in the heart of London, you'll be part of a vibrant and ambitious work culture that thrives on innovation and collaboration. With competitive compensation, equity options, and a commitment to employee growth, this company offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of AI while working alongside a talented leadership team. Join us in this pivotal phase of growth and make a meaningful impact in one of Europe's most exciting tech environments.
