Head of Talent

Job description

At TerraFirma, we’re redefining how the world moves earth for construction. Founded by former SpaceX engineers and backed by Kleiner Perkins and Bain Capital Ventures, TerraFirma is automating construction to make it faster, cheaper, and safer. Our Story & Mission At SpaceX, we were part of the teams that built the largest rocket in human history, launched the largest constellation of satellites ever made, and delivered connectivity to millions of people worldwide. What we learned was simple: infrastructure is everything. At Starbase, the biggest barrier to launching missions to Mars was not building the rocket. It was how slow, expensive, and complex it was to build the infrastructure around it. We lacked buildings, roads, water, power, communications, and waste management, and constructing them took far more time and resources than it should have. From a first-principles perspective, that doesn't make sense. It shouldn't be this hard or costly to create the foundations for progress. That’s when we realized something important: the same engineering mindset that enabled us to tackle space exploration and mass manufacturing could be applied to infrastructure. By bringing the principles of simplification, iteration, acceleration, and automation to construction, we can unlock a new era in how the world builds. Accelerating infrastructure unlocks progress across every domain, creating a self-sustaining engine for tackling humanity’s toughest challenges. The innovations we develop on Earth will lay the groundwork for the technologies that one day make settlement on Mars possible. Job Overview You will take full ownership of talent acquisition at TerraFirma. As the primary driver of our hiring efforts, you will identify, engage, and close the engineers and operators capable of transforming a legacy industry. You will own recruiting end-to-end, from defining the hiring strategy with leadership to the tactical execution of sourcing, scheduling, and closing candidates. We are looking for someone who understands that the quality of our team is the single biggest predictor of our success, and who operates with the precision and urgency required to build a world-class organization. Responsibilities - Manage the recruiting lifecycle end-to-end and serve as the point of contact for candidates from initial outreach through offer negotiation and onboarding - Partner directly with engineering and operations leadership to forecast hiring needs, define role requirements, and build a headcount plan that aligns with company milestones - Proactively identify and engage top 1% talent through non-traditional channels, map the market, and pursue the best engineers and operators across construction, software, robotics, and hardware - Run high-signal screens to evaluate technical competence and cultural alignment, maintaining our hiring bar and ensuring only the most capable candidates advance - Orchestrate complex onsite interview schedules at our Texas facilities and manage coordination and logistics to ensure a seamless, high-quality candidate experience - Analyze funnel data to identify bottlenecks, improve conversion rates, and reduce time-to-hire without sacrificing quality Basic Qualifications - 3+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience in a technical or high-growth environment - Demonstrated ability to understand complex technical requirements and translate them into effective sourcing and screening strategies - Strong organizational skills with experience managing multiple high-priority roles simultaneously - Clear written and verbal communication skills with the ability to represent the company narrative compellingly to passive candidates Preferred Skills & Experience - Experience recruiting for hardware, robotics, manufacturing, or other “hard tech” companies such as aerospace, automotive, or defense - Experience as a founding recruiter or in an early-stage startup environment where you owned scheduling and coordination - Familiarity with modern ATS platforms such as Ashby, Greenhouse, or Lever and sourcing tools - A strong network within the engineering talent pool in Austin or similar tech hubs Additional Requirements - Must be willing to work extended hours or weekends when needed to support critical hiring pushes - Comfortable with working in a fast-paced startup environment - Must be willing to relocate to Austin, TX if not within commuting distance Compensation & Benefits Base compensation will vary based on factors such as relevant experience and education. Salaries and leveling will be determined on a case-by-case basis if an offer is extended. Our total compensation package also includes equity in TerraFirma. Relocation packages are available to help cover moving costs, if applicable.