Agency Recruiter, Software

Summary

Recruiting from Scratch is a software-driven technical recruiting firm that helps startups and public technology companies hire exceptional talent. They are seeking a Senior Agency Recruiter to lead complex software engineering searches, partner with hiring managers, and develop effective sourcing strategies.

Responsibilities

• Own full-cycle searches for senior and staff software engineers at competitive, well-funded technology companies
• Lead intake conversations that produce a real search strategy: calibrate the technical bar, identify target companies, surface likely tradeoffs, and define what a strong candidate looks like before sourcing begins
• Evaluate engineers credibly. Read a résumé, LinkedIn profile, or GitHub repository and understand what the person actually built, the difference between services and scripts, scale and scaffolding, or senior- and staff-level scope
• Explain and defend your assessment to technical hiring managers
• Build and manage pipelines through targeted outbound, referrals, and our proprietary candidate database—not LinkedIn Recruiter alone
• Use modern AI-assisted sourcing tools to research markets, identify candidates, and work more efficiently
• Stay current on modern software development and how AI is changing engineering teams, technical roles, and the signals that indicate exceptional performance
• Run thoughtful candidate processes, including preparation, feedback, compensation alignment, offer management, counteroffers, and closing
• Maintain clear, accurate pipeline data so clients and teammates always understand where a search stands
• Turn what you learn into better scorecards, sourcing strategies, screening criteria, and recruiting processes

Skills

• A track record recruiting software engineers in an agency, executive-search, or high-growth startup environment
• Demonstrated production, including placements made, fees or gross profit earned, and offers closed. We will ask about specific results
• Strong technical screening ability. You can explain the difference between a senior and staff backend engineer—and describe why you rejected the last candidate you passed on in technical terms
• Genuine curiosity about software, AI, and modern engineering. You follow the market because you find it interesting, not simply because a job description requires it
• Experience building targeted sourcing strategies rather than relying on high-volume outreach
• Consultative written and verbal communication, with the credibility to advise engineers, founders, and hiring managers
• Strong candidate management and closing skills, particularly when candidates are considering multiple offers
• Comfort working independently in a remote, transparent, performance-oriented environment
• High standards for candidate experience, data quality, and follow-through
• Experience recruiting across adjacent technical functions, including data, infrastructure, machine learning, product, or hardware
• Experience hiring for venture-backed startups, including founding and early engineering teams
• A computer science background, previous engineering experience, or a history of building technical projects yourself
• Fluency with modern ATS platforms, sourcing tools, and AI-assisted recruiting workflows

Qualifications

Must Haves

• A track record recruiting software engineers in an agency, executive-search, or high-growth startup environment
• Demonstrated production, including placements made, fees or gross profit earned, and offers closed. We will ask about specific results
• Strong technical screening ability. You can explain the difference between a senior and staff backend engineer—and describe why you rejected the last candidate you passed on in technical terms
• Genuine curiosity about software, AI, and modern engineering. You follow the market because you find it interesting, not simply because a job description requires it
• Experience building targeted sourcing strategies rather than relying on high-volume outreach
• Consultative written and verbal communication, with the credibility to advise engineers, founders, and hiring managers
• Strong candidate management and closing skills, particularly when candidates are considering multiple offers
• Comfort working independently in a remote, transparent, performance-oriented environment
• High standards for candidate experience, data quality, and follow-through

Nice to Haves

• Experience recruiting across adjacent technical functions, including data, infrastructure, machine learning, product, or hardware
• Experience hiring for venture-backed startups, including founding and early engineering teams
• A computer science background, previous engineering experience, or a history of building technical projects yourself
• Fluency with modern ATS platforms, sourcing tools, and AI-assisted recruiting workflows