Founding Talent Partner

Job description

OUR MISSION Expand human ambition in the physical world. Critical infrastructure is constrained by labor shortages, hazardous working conditions, and operational complexity. Watney builds and deploys autonomous robotic systems that increase the speed and capacity of buildout, starting with data centers. We believe the most important decision you can make is what you work on and who you work with. Watney builds and deploys autonomous robotic systems for the largest hyperscalers in the world. Come work with the former GSM for the iPhone, the architect of Uber's realtime pricing engine, and the engineer behind the world’s fastest EV racecar at ETH Zurich. ABOUT THE ROLE Watney is hiring its first dedicated Talent Partner to own recruiting end-to-end and build the function from the ground up. You'll set strategy, build sourcing playbooks, and partner directly with our founders and operators to hire across technical, operational, and executive functions as we scale from ~20 to 60+ people this year. We're looking for someone with genuine grit, strategic instincts, and the rare ability to be both a visionary recruiter and a hands-on operator. You also won't be doing this alone. Founders, engineers, and operators are deeply invested in hiring and will show up as real partners in the process. If you are equally comfortable sourcing a hard-to-find profile, calibrating with a founder on what "great" looks like, and designing a hiring process from scratch - this could be the right opportunity for you. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Own full-cycle recruiting across multiple disciplines simultaneously: technical, GTM, operational, and leadership roles - Build and refine sourcing strategies that go beyond volume: creative outbound, referral networks, and community engagement - Shape Watney's employer brand and candidate experience from first touch to offer - Partner with founders and hiring managers to define hiring criteria, design interview processes, and calibrate on ideal profiles - Stand up and optimize our ATS recruiting infrastructure (Ashby), scorecards, and pipeline analytics - Track hiring health with rigor: pass-through rates, time-to-hire, rejection patterns, and use that data to make better decisions - Coach and eventually build out a recruiting team as the company scales YOU MAY BE A GOOD FIT IF YOU: - Have significant full-cycle recruiting experience, ideally at a high-growth startup or technical company - Have led or meaningfully shaped a recruiting function. You know what good looks like and how to build toward it - Are an exceptional top-of-funnel operator: you find candidates others miss, and you create pipeline in unique ways - Are AI-native and tool-savvy. You use technology to multiply your output, not replace your judgment - Bring genuine grit, humility, and maturity: you push back when needed, stay calm under pressure, and never cut corners on candidate experience - Adapt fast and create new playbooks when old ones don't fit - Have experience in robotics, deep tech, or hardware recruiting (a strong plus, not a requirement) We’re committed to building a diverse, inclusive team. At Watney Robotics, we welcome people of all backgrounds and identities, and we make hiring decisions based on skills, experience, and potential. If you’re passionate about robotics but don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply! CURIOUS TO LEARN MORE? Follow us here on X https://x.com/watneyrobotics/ and LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/watneyrobotics/about/