Head of Talent

This is a hybrid opportunity with the ability to commute to our Bay Area offices

ABOUT TESSERA LABS

Tessera Labs is redefining how enterprises adopt and operationalize Artificial Intelligence. Backed by Foundation Capital and with a recent $60M Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), we build multi-agent AI systems that automate complex business workflows across platforms like SAP, Salesforce, Workday, Snowflake, MuleSoft, and more.

Our mission: bring real AI automation to the enterprise — with speed, precision, and measurable impact. We move fast, operate with extreme ownership, and build at the frontier of applied AI. We're ~55 people today and growing fast, with offices in San Francisco and San Jose.

THE OPPORTUNITY

This is a rare chance to take ownership of the talent function at one of the most exciting AI companies being built right now. Tessera Labs has recruiting infrastructure in place — processes, an ATS (Ashby), and a team — but we're at an inflection point. We need a Head of Talent who can scale what's working, rebuild what isn't, and be a true strategic partner to our founders and leadership as we move from ~55 to 150+ people.

You won't be inheriting a finished product. You'll be inheriting a foundation — and the opportunity to make it exceptional. The recruiting function needs to become faster, more proactive, more outbound-driven, and more deeply embedded in how this company grows.

WHAT YOU'LL OWN

• Lead and develop a lean team of in-house recruiters; hire and shape the team as we scale

• Own full-cycle recruiting across Engineering, GTM, Operations, and G&A — from intake to signed offer

• Build and run aggressive outbound sourcing strategies; we are not an inbound-only shop

• Partner directly with founders and hiring managers to define the bar, build structured interview processes, and align on headcount planning

• Optimize our ATS (Ashby) — configure stages, feedback flows, scorecards, and reporting

• Bring AI-forward tools and modern sourcing workflows into the function from day one

• Own employer brand and candidate experience — every touchpoint is a brand moment

• Track and report on recruiting metrics: time-to-fill, offer acceptance rate, pipeline conversion, sourced vs. inbound ratio

• Drive offer strategy including comp structuring, equity storytelling, and competitive close tactics

• Serve as a thought partner to leadership on org design, compensation strategy, and retention

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• 7+ years of recruiting experience, with meaningful time leading a talent function at a high-growth startup — you've built before, not just inherited

• Deep experience recruiting for technical roles (Engineering, ML, AI) as well as GTM and operations

• Strong outbound sourcer — you know how to find people who aren't looking, and you can close them

• AI-forward — you actively use AI tools in your recruiting workflow and are always looking to remove manual work

• Well-networked in the Bay Area startup and AI ecosystem; your Rolodex is a genuine asset

• Track record closing candidates against competitive offers, including offers from frontier AI labs

• Scrappy, high-ownership, low-ego — you're comfortable doing things yourself before you can hire someone to do them

• Strong communicator and closer — you can pitch Tessera's vision, equity story, and mission compellingly to candidates who aren't looking

• Preferred: based in or willing to work from SF or San Jose offices on a hybrid basis

NICE TO HAVES

• Experience rebuilding or rationalizing an over-built recruiting function

• Familiarity with Ashby or other modern ATS platforms — bonus if you've implemented one from scratch

• Experience hiring at a Series A company scaling toward Series B and beyond

• Prior experience partnering with a16z or other tier-1 VCs on talent strategy

WHY TESSERA LABS

• Real ownership — you'll shape how one of the most ambitious AI companies in the market attracts and builds its team

• Highly competitive compensation and meaningful equity

• Backed by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Foundation Capital — you'll have access to world-class resources and network

• A founding team that moves fast, operates with extreme ownership, and builds at the frontier of applied AI

• SF and San Jose offices, flexible hybrid environment