Technical Sourcer
UniversalAGI · San Francisco
📍 San Francisco | 🏢 5 Days Onsite
Location: Onsite in San Francisco
Compensation: Competitive Salary + Equity
Who We Are
UniversalAGI is building OpenAI for Physics. AI startup based in San Francisco and backed by Elad Gil (#1 Solo VC), Eric Schmidt (former Google CEO), Prith Banerjee (ANSYS CTO), Ion Stoica (Databricks Founder), Jared Kushner (former Senior Advisor to the President), David Patterson (Turing Award Winner), and Luis Videgaray (former Foreign and Finance Minister of Mexico). We're building foundation AI models for physics that enable end-to-end industrial automation from initial design through optimization, validation, and production.
We're building a high-velocity team of relentless researchers and engineers that will define the next generation of AI for industrial engineering. If you're passionate about AI, physics, or the future of industrial innovation, we want to hear from you.
About the Role
As a founding Technical Sourcer, you'll be in the arena from day one, building the talent engine that will power UniversalAGI's hypergrowth. This is your chance to take everything you've learned about technical recruiting and use it to build a world-class team that will transform industrial engineering.
You'll work directly with the founding team to identify, engage, and close the most specialized technical talent in the world: AI researchers, CFD engineers, physicists, applied mathematicians, and deep tech builders who are currently defining the cutting edge at places like OpenAI, NVIDIA, ANSYS, Siemens, Tesla, SpaceX, and top research labs.
This isn't passive recruiting. This is strategic talent acquisition at the highest level—finding needles in haystacks, building relationships with people who aren't looking, and strategically helping closing candidates who have multiple competing offers.
What You'll Do
Source, engage, and close high volumes of specialized technical talent spreading across AI/ML researchers, physics simulation engineers, and deep tech engineers at unprecedented speed
Build and execute creative sourcing strategies to identify talent in highly specialized niches: AI researchers working on physics-informed neural networks, CFD engineers from automotive/aerospace/maritime, computational physicists, applied mathematicians, and systems engineers
Own the entire candidate pipeline from initial identification through offer acceptance, managing 50+ active candidates simultaneously while maintaining exceptional candidate experience
Develop deep technical fluency in our domains (AI, CFD, physics simulation, numerical methods) to have credible conversations with senior technical talent and assess fit
Partner directly with the CEO & Hiring Manager to understand role requirements, ideal candidate profiles, and competitive landscape—then execute with relentless urgency
Build and maintain a robust talent pipeline that stays weeks ahead of hiring needs, ensuring we never slow down due to lack of qualified candidates
Design and optimize recruiting workflows, tools, and processes that scale with our hypergrowth while maintaining quality—you'll build the playbook that future recruiters will follow
Track, analyze, and optimize key recruiting metrics: pipeline conversion rates, time-to-hire, source effectiveness, offer acceptance rates, and candidate quality scores
Represent UniversalAGI at conferences, meetups, and technical communities, building our employer brand and talent network in AI and deep tech circles
This is a role for someone who's ready to solve some of humanity's hardest recruiting challenges, build a world-class talent engine from scratch, and define what exceptional technical recruiting looks like in the age of AI.
Qualifications
2+ years of high-volume technical recruiting or sourcing experience with proven track record of closing specialized talent quickly. You've personally closed 30+ technical hires and can demonstrate rapid pipeline-to-offer conversion.
Expert in sourcing strategies and tools (LinkedIn Recruiter, JuiceBox, GitHub, Boolean search, X-ray searches, AI sourcing tools, research paper databases, conference attendee lists, etc.).
Demonstrated success recruiting for deep tech roles: AI/ML engineers, research scientists, simulation engineers, computational specialists, or similarly specialized technical talent.
Strong technical fluency and ability to quickly learn complex technical domains to have credible conversations with senior engineers and researchers.
Deeply care about candidate experience. Managing candidate experience with a high bar for clarity, speed, and conviction
Outstanding execution velocity and delivery—you move fast, manage multiple pipelines simultaneously, and consistently hit aggressive hiring targets.
Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills capable of engaging passive candidates and building long-term talent networks.
Data-driven mindset with strong analytical skills to optimize recruiting funnels and improve conversion rates.
Comfortable working in high-intensity, fast-paced startup environments with evolving priorities, ambitious hiring goals, and tight deadlines.
Bonus Qualifications
Prior experience recruiting for AI startups (Seed to Series C) during hypergrowth phases (0-100+ employees).
Experience recruiting for software engineers, and from simulation software companies or physics-heavy engineering roles.
Background recruiting for research-focused roles (PhDs, postdocs, research scientists) from top universities and labs.
Experience building recruiting processes and infrastructure from scratch at early-stage startups.
Technical background or engineering degree that enables deeper technical conversations.
Existing talent network in AI research, computational physics, or simulation engineering communities.
Experience with employer branding initiatives and representing companies at technical conferences.
Cultural Fit
Technical Respect: Ability to earn respect through deep technical curiosity and genuine understanding of what makes engineers tick
Intensity: Thrives in our unusually intense culture - willing to grind when needed to close critical hires
Mission Obsession: Passionate about finding the absolute best talent to solve real problems, not just filling seats
Deep Work: Values long, uninterrupted periods of focused sourcing and candidate engagement over meetings
High Availability: Ready to be deeply involved whenever critical candidates are in play—evenings, weekends when needed
Communication: Can translate complex technical requirements into compelling narratives that attract top talent
Growth Mindset: Embraces the compounding returns of building talent networks and continuous process improvement
Startup Mindset: Comfortable with ambiguity, rapid change, and wearing multiple hats (sourcing, coordinating, closing, employer branding)
Work Ethic: Willing to put in the extra hours when needed to close game-changing hires
Team Player: Collaborative approach with low ego and high accountability—you win when the team wins
What We Offer
In-person first culture - 5 days a week in office with a team that values face-to-face collaboration.
Opportunity to build the talent engine for a rapidly growing foundational AI company from the ground up.Work on cutting-edge talent acquisition challenges finding the world's most specialized technical talent.
Direct collaboration with the founder & CEO and ability to influence company strategy and culture.
Competitive compensation with significant equity upside.
Access to world-class investors and advisors in the AI space who can open doors to top-tier talent networks.
Benefits
We provide great benefits, including:
Competitive compensation and equity.
Competitive health, dental, vision benefits paid by the company.
401(k) plan offering.
Flexible vacation.
Team Building & Fun Activities.
Great scope, ownership and impact.
AI tools stipend.
Monthly commute stipend.
Monthly wellness/fitness stipend.
Daily office lunch & dinner covered by the company.
Immigration support.
How We're Different
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again... who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly." - Teddy Roosevelt
At our core, we believe in being "in the arena." We are builders, problem solvers, and risk-takers who show up every day ready to put in the work: to sweat, to struggle, and to push past our limits. We know that real progress comes with missteps, iteration, and resilience. We embrace that journey fully knowing that daring greatly is the only way to create something truly meaningful.
If you're ready to join the future of physics simulation, build a world-class team from scratch, and deliver impact, UniversalAGI is the place for you.
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