Recruiting Lead Job at David AI in San Francisco

About David AI

David AI is the first audio data research company. We bring an R&D approach to data–developing datasets with the same rigor AI labs bring to models. Our mission is to bring AI into the real world, and we believe audio is the gateway. Speech is versatile, accessible, and human—it fits naturally into everyday life. As audio AI advances and new use cases emerge, high-quality training data is the bottleneck. This is where David AI comes in.

David AI was founded in 2024 by a team of former Scale AI engineers and operators. In less than a year, we’ve brought on most FAANG companies and AI labs as customers. We recently raised a $25M Series A from Jack Altman (Alt Capital), Amplify Partners, First Round Capital, and other Tier 1 investors.

Our team is sharp, humble, ambitious, and tight-knit. We’re looking for the best research, engineering, product, and operations minds to join us on our mission to push the frontier of audio AI.

About our Talent team

The Talent team is responsible for building the people side of David AI - finding, attracting, and hiring exceptional talent across engineering, operations, research, and other business functions. Our work shapes every part of the company’s future, ensuring each hire raises the bar on skill, execution, and culture. We run high-signal, high-touch hiring processes that identify top talent quickly while delivering an outstanding candidate experience. Partnering closely with founders, hiring managers, and cross-functional leaders, we treat recruiting as a core strategic function that drives David AI’s long-term success.

About this role

We’re looking for a Recruiting Lead to help scale the team that builds David AI. In this role, you’ll own both high priority searches and the recruiting strategy and operating model across the company, setting hiring priorities, designing scalable processes, and ensuring we consistently raise the bar as we grow. You’ll partner directly with our founders and leaders on workforce planning and hiring decisions, lead and develop the Talent team, and be accountable for recruiting outcomes.

In this role, you will

• Run full-cycle recruiting searches for critical roles across the org.

• Lead and manage all recruiting operations, from talent pipeline development to onboarding and talent progression.

• Oversee recruiters and external agencies to deliver hiring goals at speed.

• Design and refine a comprehensive rewards framework, including compensation bands, benefits, and organizational structure that aligns with our growth strategy and talent philosophy.

• Partner with company leaders and co-founders to deeply understand business needs, define role requirements, and shape hiring strategies.

• Reduce hiring manager time spent on recruiting operations through scalable processes and automation.

• Design and run structured interview processes that assess for both skill and culture fit.

• Track and analyze recruiting metrics to identify bottlenecks and ensure we meet hiring goals.

• Lead strategic initiatives to improve the Talent function, including branding, operations, and marketing.

Your background looks like

• 6+ years of recruiting experience in fast‑paced environments (e.g., high‑growth startups, top agencies, or in‑house at a leading tech company).

• Prior experience leading a team or building a recruiting function from the ground up.

• Proven track record of filling technical and/or operational roles with top talent.

• Strong sourcing skills with fluency in modern tools, outreach strategies, and candidate engagement best practices.

Bonus points if you have

• You’re an Ashby expert and understand how to use the reporting features to help diagnose issues within the recruiting process.

• Experience hiring for AI/ML, engineering, or data‑focused roles.

• Experience hiring across levels from entry to executive in competitive hiring markets.

• Existing network in AI, data, or deep tech talent communities.

• Take a data‑driven approach to track and improve key people and talent metrics across the organization.

Benefits

• Unlimited PTO.

• Top‑notch health, dental, and vision coverage with 100% coverage for most plans.

• FSA & HSA access.

• 401k access.

• Meals 2x daily through DoorDash + snacks and beverages available at the office.

• Unlimited company‑sponsored Barry’s classes.