Podium Automation is reimagining industrial control panel manufacturing through software-enabled design and automated fabrication. We're building technology to create a new industrial supply chain - reducing lead times for critical electrical equipment from months to days. We've raised over $23M from top-tier investors including Construct Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Transition Ventures, Sunflower Capital, Banter Capital, and SV Angel.
We're looking for our first dedicated Senior Technical Recruiter & People Partner to own how we attract, hire, and take care of the people building Podium. You'll run full-cycle recruiting across engineering, production, and business operations, and you'll also own the experience employees have from offer letter through their first months on the team. This is a rare opportunity to shape both the talent and people functions at a hardware startup company from the ground up.
You'll source creatively, close hard, and bring rigor to hiring. You'll also build the systems and rituals that make Podium a place where great people do their best work - clean onboarding, smooth employee setup, thoughtful people programs, and a culture that reflects how we operate.
What You'll DoRecruiting
Own full-cycle recruiting for technical roles across software, hardware, controls, manufacturing, and operations
Partner with the founders and hiring managers to scope roles, build hiring plans, and define interview loops that actually predict performance
Source proactively. Most of our best hires won't be applying through a job board; you'll find them, engage them, and bring them in
Run a fast, high-signal candidate experience that reflects how we operate as a company
Build the operating system for talent at Podium: ATS hygiene, scorecards, structured interviews, referral programs, and reporting
Own onboarding end-to-end — from offer acceptance through ramp — so every new hire shows up to a great first day and a clear path to contribution
Manage employee setup: equipment, accounts, payroll and benefits enrollment, I-9s, and the rest of the operational details that make day one feel seamless
Design and run people programs that strengthen the team: onboarding journeys, recognition, team rituals, feedback cycles, and culture-building moments
Partner with leadership on policies, handbook, compliance, and HR operations as the company scales
Help shape employer brand, candidate marketing, and our presence in the hardware and tech talent communities
There are 4 values that all Podium employees are expected to demonstrate (albeit imperfectly):
Win for the customer. We sit on the same side of the table as our customers - their wins are our wins. We’re building the vendor we always wished we had.
Default to transparency. We believe in honesty, transparency, and kindness. It’s about how you get things done and not just what gets done.
Speed is a feature. We move fast and take ownership. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
Win and lose as a team. Individuals drive inputs, teams drive outputs. We celebrate success together but aren’t afraid to fail and iterate. We own outcomes together and don’t deflect blame.
4+ years of experience spanning technical recruiting and people operations, ideally in-house at a high-growth startup
Full-cycle recruiting track record across diverse technical functions, inlcuding hardware, electrical, mechanical, controls, or manufacturing talent
Hands-on experience with onboarding, employee setup, HRIS/payroll tools, and the operational backbone of a people function
Excellent written and verbal communication - you can credibly represent a technical company to technical candidates and serve as a steady point of contact for employees
High ownership, low ego, fast metabolism for work; comfortable operating with ambiguity and minimal process
Genuine interest in what we're building. You don't need an engineering background, but you do need to be curious about how things get made
Additional Information
Sponsorship for US employment authorization is not available now or in the future for this position
Relocation assistance is not available for this position
Compensation of $120,000 - $160,000 commensurate with experience, with competitive equity package
Skills Required
- 4+ years of experience spanning technical recruiting and people operations
- Full-cycle recruiting experience across hardware, electrical, mechanical, controls, or manufacturing roles
- Hands-on experience with onboarding, employee setup, I-9s, HRIS and payroll tools
- Experience building hiring systems: ATS hygiene, scorecards, structured interviews, referral programs, reporting
- Excellent written and verbal communication to represent a technical company and support employees
- High ownership, low ego, comfortable operating with ambiguity and minimal process
- In-house startup experience (high-growth)
- Genuine curiosity about hardware and manufacturing (no engineering degree required)
What We Do
Podium Automation is reimagining industrial control panel design and build to deliver panels in days instead of months. We are building a configuration tool and automated panel factory to become the Protolabs for control panels. Our pricing is transparent and designs are 100% compliant with UL 508A and other relevant certifications.
