Talent Acquisition Sourcer (Contract)

Job description

About Tailscale Tailscale is making safe connection effortless by delivering software that makes it easy to securely interconnect people and their devices, no matter where they are. From hobbyists to multinational corporations, teams of every size use Tailscale each day to protect their networks, share access to internal tools, and more. We're building a future for the Internet that's easy, sensible, and safe, like it used to be. Founded in 2019 and fully distributed, we're backed by Accel, CRV, Insight, Heavybit, and Uncork Capital. About the Role We’re looking for an experienced Talent Acquisition Sourcer to help identify and engage exceptional talent as Tailscale continues to scale. This is initially a 6-month contract position with the potential to extend and/or convert to a full-time role based on business needs and performance. You’ll operate as a fully integrated member of our Talent Acquisition team, partnering with Talent Acquisition Partners and hiring teams to build high-quality pipelines across Engineering, Product, Design, GTM, G&A, and other business-critical searches. We’re looking for someone who is curious, resourceful, and creative; can quickly understand new roles and talent markets; and is comfortable going beyond traditional sourcing methods to find and engage exceptional people. Key Responsibilities Build & Execute Sourcing Strategies • Partner with Talent Acquisition Partners to understand candidate profiles, hiring priorities, and sourcing needs across the company. • Develop and execute targeted sourcing strategies across Engineering, Product, Design, GTM, G&A, and other functions. • Identify and engage passive talent using a range of sourcing channels, research methods, communities, networks, and creative approaches. • Manage multiple searches and adjust sourcing strategies based on pipeline performance, candidate feedback, and evolving priorities. Source Technical & Specialized Talent • Develop a strong understanding of Tailscale’s product, technology, business, and culture to effectively identify candidates who may thrive here. • Translate technical and specialized role requirements into effective searches in partnership with Talent Acquisition Partners and hiring teams. • Research relevant companies, technologies, communities, and talent pools to identify candidates beyond traditional sources. • Build knowledge of talent markets relevant to Tailscale, including infrastructure, networking, security, developer tools, cloud technologies, and other functional areas. Use Data & Market Intelligence • Bring comfort with sourcing data and market insights to evaluate pipeline health, identify search challenges, and improve sourcing outcomes. • Conduct talent research and market mapping across relevant companies, locations, candidate profiles, and competitive talent pools. • Surface actionable insights on candidate availability, market trends, and search constraints to Talent Acquisition Partners. • Build reusable talent maps and research that can support current and future hiring needs. Build Inclusive Talent Pipelines • Incorporate inclusive sourcing practices into search strategies from the outset. • Identify talent across a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, communities, and career paths. • Explore new networks, communities, and sourcing channels that expand access to qualified talent. • Partner with Talent Acquisition Partners to broaden search approaches and improve candidate representation where appropriate. Engage Exceptional Talent • Create thoughtful, personalized outreach that communicates why Tailscale and the specific opportunity may be compelling. • Build authentic relationships with passive candidates and assess interest, motivation, experience, and potential alignment. • Partner with Talent Acquisition Partners to ensure seamless candidate handoffs and a consistent candidate experience. • Represent Tailscale thoughtfully and authentically in every interaction with prospective talent. Partner Across Talent Acquisition • Collaborate with Talent Acquisition Partners, Sourcers, Operations, and hiring teams on search strategy, candidate calibration, and pipeline development. • Participate in sourcing jams and share sourcing techniques, talent pools, market observations, and search learnings across the team. • Support high-priority or specialized searches as needed, adapting quickly as hiring priorities evolve. • Partner with Talent Acquisition Operations to improve sourcing tools, workflows, data quality, automation, and AI-enabled practices. What We Are Looking For • 3+ years of talent sourcing and/or recruiting experience, ideally within high-growth technology companies or similarly competitive talent environments. • Experience sourcing technical talent and supporting searches across multiple functions such as Engineering, Product, Design, GTM, or G&A. • Ability to quickly understand complex or unfamiliar roles and translate candidate requirements into effective sourcing strategies. • Strong research skills and experience using sourcing techniques beyond basic keyword, title, or traditional platform searches. • Strong passive candidate engagement and communication skills, including the ability to create thoughtful, personalized outreach. • Strong organizational and analytical skills, with the ability to manage multiple searches and use sourcing data to evaluate pipeline effectiveness. • Collaborative and adaptable working style, with experience using sourcing platforms, ATS technology, and an interest in AI, automation, and emerging sourcing tools. Nice to Have • Experience sourcing within a highly technical startup, developer tools, infrastructure, networking, security, cloud, or similar environment. • Experience identifying technical talent through GitHub, open-source or technical communities, and other channels beyond traditional recruiting platforms. • Experience sourcing across technical and non-technical functions, geographies, or globally distr