Contractor, Technical Recruiter

About the role

You will lead full-cycle recruiting for contract positions and select full-time roles across the Autonomous Science Platform (ASP), owning the end-to-end hiring process from requisition intake to offer execution. This role requires you to serve as the primary relationship manager for external staffing agencies, ensuring alignment on contingent hiring strategies and talent delivery standards. You will partner directly with hiring managers to co-develop recruiting strategies, define precise talent profiles, and guide data-driven hiring decisions. A core part of your responsibility is managing the distribution of contract requisitions while setting clear expectations regarding candidate quality, project timelines, and service-level commitments. You will evaluate agency performance rigorously, provide actionable market feedback, and nurture partnerships that consistently deliver exceptional technical talent. The position involves conducting recruiter screens, coordinating interview logistics, and guiding candidates through the offer process with a high-touch approach. Success in this role is defined by your ability to ensure an exceptional candidate and hiring manager experience throughout the entire recruiting lifecycle. You will maintain accurate recruiting data, pipeline activity, and hiring metrics within the applicant tracking system to support strategic decision-making. Finally, you will continuously identify and implement improvements to recruiting processes, agency engagement models, and operational efficiency to adapt to the fast-paced R&D demands of Lila Sciences.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Lead full-cycle recruiting for contract and select full-time roles within the Autonomous Science Platform, covering hardware & controls engineering, physical sciences, life sciences, and sustaining engineering.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for staffing agencies, aligning contingent workforce strategies with the evolving needs of the ASP organization.
• Partner with hiring managers to translate business objectives into precise talent profiles and cohesive recruiting strategies.
• Manage the distribution of contract requisitions to agency partners while establishing clear standards for candidate quality, project timelines, and service levels.
• Evaluate agency performance using defined metrics, provide ongoing market feedback, and foster partnerships that consistently deliver high-caliber technical talent.
• Conduct recruiter screens, coordinate interview scheduling, and guide candidates through the interview and offer process to ensure a seamless experience.
• Ensure an exceptional candidate and hiring manager experience at every stage of the recruiting lifecycle, reinforcing Lila Sciences' employer brand.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date recruiting data, pipeline activity, and hiring metrics within the applicant tracking system for transparency and analysis.
• Continuously analyze workflows and identify opportunities to streamline recruiting processes, enhance agency engagement, and improve operational efficiency.
• Drive sourcing initiatives for specialized technical roles by leveraging market knowledge and passive candidate research techniques.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to anticipate future hiring needs and build scalable recruiting solutions for the Autonomous Science Platform.
• Partner with talent acquisition leadership to refine job descriptions, compensation structures, and interview frameworks that support fair and efficient hiring.
• Monitor recruitment funnel metrics, identify bottlenecks, and implement corrective actions to maintain momentum in high-priority searches.
• Act as the central point of contact for agency partners, providing clear direction, timely feedback, and constructive performance reviews.
• Support the development of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within technical recruiting practices to broaden candidate pipelines.
• Utilize data and insights to optimize sourcing channels, improve candidate quality, and reduce time-to-fill for critical roles.
• Contribute to the creation of talent market maps that inform strategic hiring decisions and workforce planning for the ASP organization.
• Ensure compliance with corporate recruiting policies, legal requirements, and client agreements when managing contingent and contract hiring engagements.

Requirements

• 4+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting experience supporting engineering and scientific organizations.
• Experience recruiting for hardware & controls engineering, manufacturing engineering, automation, laboratory operations, or scientific organizations.
• Experience managing staffing agency relationships and contingent workforce recruiting.
• Strong understanding of engineering and scientific talent markets.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to manage multiple searches and priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Experience using an applicant tracking system such as Greenhouse.
• Proven track record of delivering high-quality hires within established timelines and service-level expectations.

Nice to have

• Experience recruiting within biotechnology, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, robotics, automation, or other deep technology environments.
• Experience supporting technical hiring in startup or high-growth organizations.
• Familiarity with AI-enabled recruiting and sourcing tools.
• Experience developing recruiting strategies for niche technical talent markets.

Practical notes

Location is Cambridge, MA USA. This is a contractor role with engagement details specified in the source material.