Talent Lead
Tessl
Location
London Office
Employment Type
Full time
Department
Operations
Tessl is a fast-growing Series A startup based in London, founded by Guy Podjarny. We’ve raised over $100M from world-class investors including Index Ventures, Accel, GV, and Boldstart, and this year we were ranked #2 in Sifted EU’s B2B SaaS Rising 100 and #20 in Sifted's AI 100.
At Tessl, we believe AI is transforming software development. AI Native Developers will define features, architecture, and workflows in specs, not code, guiding the work of AI agents. We’re building the pioneering platform for this new paradigm and leading the developer movement and ecosystem around it.
Joining Tessl means becoming an early team member with the opportunity to shape the future of how software is created and maintained.
Overview of role
As Tessl’s first dedicated in-house Recruiter, you will take full ownership of our hiring function and build a recruitment engine that can scale with us as we continue to grow. We’re looking for someone who can create and build upon our existing processes, enhancing every stage of the funnel - from sourcing and pipelines to reporting, candidate experience, and hiring manager enablement.
You will partner closely with our leadership team and hiring managers to understand their hiring needs, design efficient workflows, and deliver exceptional candidate experiences. This is a high-impact role where you’ll shape the future of Tessl’s talent strategy while ensuring our processes are fast, consistent, and aligned with our values.
What we’re looking for
Essential
Startup Experience: Experience running end-to-end hiring across technical and non-technical roles, in startup or fast-growing environments.
Strategic Partner: Strong collaboration skills and the ability to work closely with hiring managers to advise, prioritise and execute.
Process Builder: Ability to assess existing workflows and implement structured, efficient processes that improve speed and quality.
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Adaptable: Comfortable navigating changing priorities in a fast-moving environment.
Tech Savvy: Familiarity with Ashby ATS and similar recruitment tools to streamline processes.
Nice to have
A strong sourcing network and ability to engage diverse, talent pools through targeted outreach.
Experience shaping employer branding, improving careers pages and understanding recruitment marketing.
Strong understanding of DEI practices and ability to embed inclusive principles throughout the hiring process.
What you’ll do
Key Responsibilities
Full-cycle Recruitment: Own and manage the end-to-end recruitment process, including sourcing, interviewing, and onboarding exceptional talent across all functions.
Partnership Building: Collaborate with leadership and team leads to understand hiring needs, define role requirements, and prioritise recruitment efforts.
Community Engagement: Represent Tessl within the broader developer and AI-native communities by attending and participating in Tessl-hosted events, AI Native Dev meet-ups, and other relevant industry programming to proactively engage with top talent.
Employer Branding: Develop and promote our employer value proposition, showcasing our culture and opportunities through creative channels.
Data-Driven Approach: Leverage analytics to track recruitment metrics, optimize strategies, and report on progress to stakeholders.
Diversity & Inclusion: Lead initiatives to attract a diverse pool of candidates and foster an inclusive recruitment process.
Salary and benefits
Office: Our brand new 10,000 sq. ft office is in the AI hub of Kings Cross, London. We have generous catering and have regular social events such as team lunches, drinks and more. We require all staff to be in our London HQ at least 3 days a week on our anchor days of Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
Salary: We offer a competitive salary based on experience and skills, benchmarked against industry standards.
Benefits: 25 days holiday, health insurance, including dental and vision, which extends to partners and dependents, as well as a company-matched pension. We also provide a commuting stipend for those who live outside London, and a cycle to work scheme.
Application Process
Introductory Conversation - People Team
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Deep-Dive Interviews
Two focused conversations exploring your hiring approach across different functions:
Engineering Hiring: 45 minutes with an Engineering Leader
Product & Non-Technical Hiring: 45 minutes with our a Product, DevRel or Ops leader
Take Home Task & Presentation: 45 min presentation + Q&A
Ways of Working and Culture Interview
Leadership Conversation
We care deeply about the warm, inclusive environment we’re building at Tessl and we value diversity – we welcome applications from those typically underrepresented in tech. If you like the sound of this role but are not totally sure whether you’re the right person, do apply anyway!