Recruiting Coordinator

About the role

Astera seeks a Recruiting Coordinator who will architect and run the operational backbone of our recruiting engine as we scale program teams. You will own the full funnel for sourcing, engaging, and selecting candidates for roles that do not yet exist in the market. This position ensures that every technologist and operator who interacts with Astera experiences a consistent, high-signal process from first touch to final decision. You will translate complex hiring requirements into repeatable systems while safeguarding the candidate experience at every stage. This role is designed to evolve with your growth, moving from coordination to full-cycle ownership for those ready to deepen their impact in talent acquisition. You will be the central point of coordination that aligns hiring leadership, residents, and operators around a shared mission of building an abundant future through science and technology.

Key facts

What you'll do

Coordinate end-to-end scheduling for all candidates across programs and time zones while maintaining a high-signal, low-friction interview process.

Manage timely and thoughtful written communication with candidates, ensuring every interaction reflects the mission and values of Astera.

Prepare interviewers with relevant materials, context, and rubrics in collaboration with hiring managers to standardize evaluation across roles.

Maintain accurate candidate records in our Applicant Tracking System (Ashby), ensuring data integrity supports informed decision-making.

Track and report on pipeline health, identifying bottlenecks and operational risks that could delay hiring or degrade candidate quality.

Build and refine templates, processes, and documentation that make hiring repeatable, scalable, and aligned with Astera's experimental approach.

Partner with hiring managers to identify top-of-funnel sources for unique technical and scientific roles, including specialized disciplines and emerging fields.

Conduct targeted outreach to residents, operators, scientists, and other high-potential candidates through both proactive and reactive channels.

Support coordination with external recruiters or advisors, managing relationships and requirements to extend our search capacity.

Support the twice-annual Residency selection process, including scheduling interviews, managing reviewer workflows, and ensuring consistency in materials.

Coordinate candidate logistics during finalist visits, onsite evaluations, or project deep dives to ensure smooth execution and positive experiences.

Help iterate and improve the Residency selection process as we experiment with new formats, criteria, and evaluation methods.

Serve as a backup for the office manager in covering front desk duties and other immediate needs as they arise.

Flex to address unknown unknowns across the People and Operations stack, including onboarding new hires, supporting event logistics for candidate days, and running special projects during peak hiring cycles.

Step in to support the office manager, people operations lead, or other teammates during periods of high-volume hiring to maintain velocity and quality.

Requirements

Bring 2+ years of experience in executive support, operations, or another role that demands exceptional organization and communication under pressure.

Demonstrate a proven ability to manage fast-moving, high-complexity scheduling and logistics across multiple stakeholders and time zones without dropping the ball.

Showcase exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a keen eye for tone, clarity, and detail in both written messages and verbal exchanges.

Comfort navigating highly ambiguous environments and adapting quickly to shifting priorities while maintaining a calm, professional demeanor.

Strength in building and maintaining systems that are simple, transparent, and scalable, allowing others to rely on them as hiring volume increases.

Commitment to fairness and consistency in evaluation processes, ensuring that every candidate is treated with respect and given equal consideration within our structured framework.

Dedication to data integrity and process discipline, using tools like Ashby to maintain accurate records that inform hiring strategy and stakeholder reporting.

Alignment with Astera's mission of steering science and technology toward an abundant future, and understanding that this work supports high-velocity, mission-driven science teams.

Nice to have

Experience supporting residency or fellowship programs, fellowship placements, or deep-tech hiring pipelines.

Background in biotechnology, neuro-AI, or other technical domains where precise communication about specialized work is essential.

Familiarity with startups or mission-driven organizations that operate at the edge of exponential technologies.

Practical notes

This role is full_time based at our Emeryville headquarters. We expect flexibility in hours to accommodate overlapping time zones and peak hiring cycles, with a standard expectation of availability during business hours. Travel is not required for this position, though occasional offsite events or candidate visits may be considered as the program evolves. No visa sponsorship is available at this time. The successful candidate will be expected to grow with the role, taking on increasing ownership as Astera's recruiting programs scale.