Talent Acquisition Lead
Experience:
Salary :
Preferred Notice Period
Opportunity Type:
Placement Type:
(*Note: This is a requirement for one of Uplers' Clients)
Must have skills required :
OR
Living Things (One of Uplers' Clients) is Looking for:
Role Overview Description
Reporting to: Founder & CEO
Website: livingthings.ai
About Living Things
Living Things is building the future of energy intelligence. We use AI and IoT to power tomorrows enterprises sustainably; helping BFSI, retail and real-estate businesses reduce energy costs, manage utilities, and run cooling more efficiently with products like Utility Bill Analytics, Cooling Management Platform and Energy Efficiency OS. We work fast, we solve for customers, and we build things that show measurable savings. (See more on livingthings.ai.) livingthings.ai
Role Overview
We are looking for a hands-on Talent Acquisition leader who can work directly with the Founder, understand the business roadmap (hardware firmware platform GTM international), and free the Founder from day-to-day hiring chores.
This is not a pure recruiter role. You will:
- Translate vague requirements into sharp JDs,
- Design the right org structure for scale,
- Define fit points (IQ, EQ, attitude, intent) per role,
- Source across very different personas (hardware engineer, firmware lead, platform/BE, sales for BFSI/retail, founders office, MBA/CA), and close candidates fast.
- The company will grow 10x in the next 1218 months, so we need someone who has seen scale and can build a bench ahead of demand.
Key Responsibilities
- Workforce & Org Design for Scale
- Partner with the Founder to map how Living Things will look at 2x, 5x, 10x headcount.
- Define team structures for: Hardware/IoT, Firmware, Platform/AI, Product, Solutions/CS, Sales (BFSI & Retail), Ops, Finance/CA, Founders Office.
- For every vertical, define levels, role charters, and reporting to avoid chaos later.
- Role Definition & JD Creation
Convert business needs (were entering Oman, we need a solutions head for retail chains”, “we’re building the next version of Living Bills”) into clear JDs within 24 hours.
- Add the right motivation alignment; why someone should join a climate/proptech company that’s growing this fast.
- Keep a JD library for repeat roles.
- High-IQ / High-EQ Fit Mapping
- Sit with the Founder to understand what IQ is needed (analytical, systems thinking, B2B understanding) and what EQ is needed (stakeholder maturity, client-facing, founder-facing).
- Build interview scorecards that capture attitude, intent, and growth hunger; not just CV.
- Specialised Hiring Across Functions
- Hardware / IoT / field devices: knows how to read these JDs and where to source.
- Firmware / embedded: understands why these profiles are scarce and how to pitch.
- Platform / data / engineering heads: should know what a good head of engineering/product looks like in a platform company.
- GTM / Sales (BFSI, retail, real-estate): can assess communication and deal-cycle exposure.
MBA / CA / finance: can source smart generalists for founder’s initiatives.
- Sourcing & Pipeline Building
- Direct sourcing on LinkedIn, founder/investor networks, communities.
- Build and maintain a talent pipeline for recurring roles (AEs, solutions, install/ops).
- Run referral drives inside Living Things.
- Process, Scheduling & Candidate Experience
- Own scheduling so the Founder only meets final 2–3 candidates.
- Keep candidates warm, share decks/website, and communicate timelines.
- Maintain an updated hiring tracker.
- Offer Management & Onboarding
- Prepare offers within agreed bands, handle negotiation, and ensure a high joining ratio.
- Coordinate Day 0 onboarding with ops/admin.
Must-Have Experience
- 6–8 years in Talent Acquisition in product/IoT/hardware/firmware/platform or deep-tech startups (at least 2 of these).
- Exposure to hiring engineering + business + ops; not just one stream.
- Experience working directly with founders / CXOs in fast-moving environments.
- Ability to read a tech JD and ask: “Is this a platform ask or a device ask?”
- Strong LinkedIn sourcing, community hiring, and referral activation.
- Excellent written + WhatsApp communication (a lot of our stakeholders are on the move).
Good-to-Have
- Has helped a startup go from 30–40 people to 100–150+.
- Built interview scorecards / competency frameworks.
- Comfort with ATS/Notion/Sheets-based hiring trackers.
- Can represent the brand to senior candidates (heads of engineering, solutions, sales leaders).
KRAs (what success looks like)
- Founder time freed – Founder only in final 20–25% of interviews.
- Priority roles closed on time – sales/solutions/engineering/founder’s office roles closed within agreed TAT.
- Org structure defined – each vertical has role charters, R&Rs, and level definitions.
- Quality of hire – 60–90 day feedback from hiring managers is positive.
- Talent bench ready – for repeat roles, pipeline is never empty.
KPIs (what to measure)
- Time-to-fill (priority roles): 30 days
- Qualified profiles shared per active role: 5–7 / week
- Offer-to-join ratio: 70%
- Interview no-show rate: 10%
- Weekly hiring tracker: 100% on-time
- % hires from direct/referrals: 50%
How to apply for this opportunity:
Easy 3-Step Process:
2. Upload updated Resume & Complete the Screening Form
About Uplers:
Our goal is to make hiring and getting hired reliable, simple, and fast. Our role will be to help all our talents find and apply for relevant product and engineering job opportunities and progress in their career.
(Note: There are many more opportunities apart from this on the portal.)
So, if you are ready for a new challenge, a great work environment, and an opportunity to take your career to the next level, don't hesitate to apply today. We are waiting for you!
