At Sift, we’re redefining how modern machines are built, tested, and operated. Our platform gives engineers real-time observability of high-frequency telemetry—eliminating bottlenecks and enabling faster, more reliable development.
Sift was born from our work at SpaceX on Dragon, Falcon, Starlink, and Starship—where scaling telemetry, debugging flight software, and ensuring mission reliability demanded new infrastructure. Founded by a SpaceX, Google, and Palantir team, Sift is built for mission-critical systems where precision and scalability are non-negotiable.
About the RoleWe’re looking for a high-touch, high-impact Executive Recruiter to help us scale Sift’s world-class team. This is not a traditional executive recruiting role—it’s a chance to build the craft of recruiting at Sift like an executive search partner would: through deep relationships, creative sourcing, and storytelling that attracts top-tier talent across all technical and go-to-market roles.
As our third recruiter, you’ll join a small, high-performance team and own searches end-to-end—while helping shape the systems, playbooks, and candidate experience that define how Sift hires. You’ll combine the precision of executive search with the pace and volume of startup recruiting to identify, engage, and close the most exceptional talent in the market.
This is an individual contributor role with broad ownership and visibility. You’ll work directly with hiring leaders, founders, and the Head of Talent to evolve how Sift attracts and hires the people who will define our next stage of growth.
In This Role, You’ll:Lead full-cycle searches across engineering, GTM, and leadership roles, running each like an executive search—from research and sourcing strategy to candidate management and close.
Build deep, long-term talent networks through proactive outreach, referrals, and ecosystem engagement.
Develop tailored sourcing strategies for priority roles, combining high-volume prospecting with personalized, high-touch engagement.
Serve as a trusted partner to hiring managers, advising on market insights, talent availability, and hiring strategy.
Contribute to the design of recruiting systems, process improvements, and outreach narratives that elevate Sift’s brand in the talent market.
Champion a thoughtful, human candidate experience that reflects Sift’s culture and values.
5+ years of recruiting experience, ideally spanning:
Executive search (agency or retained firm)
In-house recruiting for software engineering and GTM roles at a high-growth company
A strong sourcing toolkit—able to identify, engage, and nurture exceptional talent across multiple channels.
Experience balancing high-touch, relationship-driven searches with the urgency of startup hiring.
Excellent communication and judgment; you know how to represent both the company and the candidate with credibility and care.
Low ego, high initiative, and a genuine passion for the craft of recruiting.
A systems mindset—organized, data-driven, and comfortable building structure in ambiguity.
Experience recruiting in the Los Angeles or San Francisco Bay Area tech ecosystems.
Background in aerospace, defense, or other frontier-tech industries.
Track record building candidate pipelines for niche technical or leadership roles.
Our team is based in El Segundo, CA. This role will be required to be onsite on Mondays and Thursdays and any other day of the week we are hosting candidates onsite. We’re open to relocating the right candidate to LA.
Salary range: $100,000 - $160,000 per year. Plus equity and benefits.
What We Do
Sift is transforming how modern machines are built and operated. Our platform goes beyond traditional monitoring, enabling automated data review that catches unusual conditions in systems too complex for manual checks. This not only enhances reliability but also dramatically speeds up development cycles.
At our core, we provide a unified solution for ingesting, storing, and analyzing vast amounts of machine data. By combining powerful data processing with easy-to-use visualizations, we help engineers make sense of enormous amounts of information. From spacecraft to self-driving cars, Sift is the backbone of innovation for companies pushing technology to new limits.
Born from the challenges of spaceflight, Sift aims to accelerate technological progress. We believe that by giving engineers better tools to understand and improve their creations, we can unlock a new era of innovation. Our mission goes beyond solving today's engineering problems; we're building the foundation for a future where the most ambitious machines are developed with confidence, run with precision, and constantly improved.
We're also tackling related challenges like simplifying regulatory compliance, and improving manufacturing processes. By connecting data from various sources—from sensors to manufacturing records to regulatory requirements—we're empowering a new generation of engineers to build the technologies that will shape our world.
Join us in our journey to usher in this new age of reliable, groundbreaking technology. Whether you're launching rockets, developing autonomous systems, or advancing energy and transportation, Sift is your partner in turning vast amounts of data into insights that drive innovation forward.
