Senior Technical Recruiter - Science & Research

Responsibilities

• Own full-lifecycle recruiting for Xcimer's Science organization, with a primary focus on PhD-level physicists, research scientists, computational scientists, and other highly specialized technical positions.
• Develop and execute creative sourcing strategies to identify and engage scientific talent across national laboratories, research institutions, universities, fusion energy companies, and other advanced technology organizations.
• Build and maintain deep talent pipelines within niche scientific disciplines, including plasma physics, theoretical and computational physics, fusion science, and related research fields.
• Partner closely with scientific leadership and hiring managers to understand complex technical requirements, translate specialized research needs into effective search strategies, and establish clear candidate evaluation criteria.
• Conduct targeted talent research and market mapping to identify relevant research groups, laboratories, academic programs, publications, and emerging scientific talent.
• Develop compelling candidate engagement strategies tailored to highly specialized scientific audiences, effectively communicating Xcimer's mission, research opportunities, and technical challenges.
• Build relationships with scientists and researchers across academia, government laboratories, and industry to establish long-term talent networks and referral pipelines.
• Facilitate structured interview processes, including partnering with scientific stakeholders, coordinating interview teams, and leading debrief discussions to support thoughtful and consistent candidate evaluation.
• Manage offer development, negotiation, and closing strategies, including navigating the unique motivations and career considerations of candidates transitioning from academic or government research environments into industry.
• Serve as a trusted recruiting advisor to scientific leadership, providing insights into talent availability, competitive research organizations, candidate expectations, and recruiting market dynamics.
• Deliver an exceptional candidate experience throughout the recruiting process, building credibility and trust with highly accomplished technical professionals.
• Continuously improve sourcing strategies, recruiting workflows, and talent intelligence to strengthen Xcimer's ability to attract and hire exceptional scientific talent.
• Support broader Talent Acquisition initiatives, including university partnerships, scientific talent pipeline development, and recruiting process improvements.

• Recruit for engineering, operations, and corporate functions as needed.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• Experience: 5+ years of full-lifecycle technical recruiting experience, including experience sourcing and recruiting highly specialized technical, engineering, or scientific talent.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, engage, and recruit difficult-to-find technical talent through proactive sourcing, talent research, and creative outreach strategies.
• Experience recruiting within complex technical environments such as scientific research, aerospace, defense, fusion energy, advanced energy, national laboratories, or other deep-tech industries.
• Ability to learn and understand highly technical concepts and effectively partner with subject matter experts to translate complex requirements into actionable recruiting strategies.
• Strong research and sourcing capabilities, including experience identifying talent beyond traditional LinkedIn searches through alternative sourcing channels, professional networks, and industry research.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships with hiring managers and technical leaders, providing consultative guidance throughout the recruiting process.
• Experience managing multiple specialized searches simultaneously while maintaining strong attention to detail, organization, and candidate engagement.
• Experience with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), preferably Lever.
• Experience using recruiting analytics, talent market intelligence, and reporting to inform hiring strategies.
• Strong understanding of compensation structures, offer development, and candidate negotiation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with highly technical audiences.
• Strong problem-solving skills, intellectual curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to explore unfamiliar technical disciplines.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion.
• Passion for building exceptional teams and delivering a high-quality candidate experience.
• Must be willing to work onsite at our Denver, CO facility.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee of granted asylum

Desired

• Direct experience recruiting PhD-level physicists, research scientists, computational scientists, or other advanced scientific talent.
• Experience recruiting within national laboratories, academic research institutions, fusion energy, plasma physics, high-energy-density physics, or other highly specialized scientific disciplines.
• Familiarity with scientific research communities, academic career paths, research publications, conferences, and professional networks used to identify and engage scientific talent.
• Experience sourcing candidates through scientific publications, research databases, academic departments, conference proceedings, and professional associations.
• Established relationships or recruiting networks within national laboratories, research universities, or advanced scientific organizations.
• Experience recruiting candidates transitioning from academia or government research into commercial industry.
• Prior experience in a startup or high-growth technology company.
• Familiarity with equity compensation and stock option programs at early-stage companies.