ABOUT THE COMPANY
At Twenty, we're taking on one of the most critical challenges of our time: defending democracies in the digital age. We develop revolutionary technologies that operate at the intersection of the cyber and electromagnetic domains, where the speed of operations exceeds human sensing and complexity transcends conventional boundaries. Our team doesn't just solve problems β we deliver game-changing outcomes that directly impact national security. We're pragmatic optimists who understand that while our mission of protecting America and its allies is challenging, success is possible.
ROLE SUMMARY
Twenty is hiring a Senior Technical Recruiter to help build our New York engineering presence from the ground up. Youβll own sourcing-heavy recruiting for senior software engineers and technical hires while helping establish the recruiting motion, candidate network, and local market presence that will scale the office over time.
This is a builder role. Youβll partner closely with engineering leadership to define hiring priorities, shape pipelines, and close exceptional technical talent in highly competitive markets. Weβre looking for someone who thrives in ambiguity, moves with urgency, and knows how to turn cold outreach into high-signal conversations and hires.
Youβll help evolve and scale a high-performance recruiting motion built around speed, signal, and exceptional candidate experience.
WHO YOU ARE
- You have a sourcing-first mindset: you donβt wait for inbound, and you know how to turn cold outreach into real pipelines and hires.
- You have strong judgment on technical signal and can calibrate quickly with engineering leaders.
- You communicate crisply and operate with urgencyβcandidates and stakeholders always know whatβs next.
- You build from scratch and thrive in startup ambiguity, turning loose inputs into repeatable recruiting systems and playbooks.
- You bring operational rigor: clear funnels, measurable goals, reliable follow-through, and scalable recruiting processes.
- You balance high standards with strong candidate experience and thoughtful stakeholder management.
- You create a candidate experience that is fast, clear, and high-touch without sacrificing standards.
- You use AI and automation thoughtfully to scale your work and reduce repetitive operational overhead.
- Youβre energized by helping build something new and establishing a strong technical hiring presence in a new market.
WHAT YOUβLL DO
- Own full-cycle recruiting for senior Software Engineering hires, from intake through close.
- Build and scale outbound sourcing pipelines for high-priority engineering roles.
- Lead high-touch closing efforts for competitive senior engineering candidates.
- Help establish and grow Twentyβs engineering brand and talent presence in the New York market.
- Partner with engineering leaders to define hiring strategy, interview design, scorecards, and candidate calibration.
- Source across outbound channels, technical communities, referrals, events, and targeted market research.
- Keep recruiting pipelines moving with strong process management, fast feedback loops, and clear communication.
- Improve recruiting assets including outreach messaging, candidate prep materials, and closing narratives.
- Apply AI-driven workflows and tooling to augment sourcing, coordination, and recruiting operations with strong judgment.
MUST HAVE
- You have 5+ years of experience recruiting for Software Engineering roles.
- Youβve consistently built sourcing-heavy pipelines and generated qualified technical candidates through outbound recruiting.
- Youβve closed passive senior engineering candidates in highly competitive markets.
- Youβve run full-cycle recruiting processes from intake through offer and close.
- You have experience recruiting senior and staff-level engineering talent in competitive hiring markets.
- You can partner effectively with technical stakeholders and calibrate quickly on engineering talent.
- You are metrics-driven and use funnel data to improve recruiting outcomes.
- You execute with precision: strong ATS hygiene, reliable follow-ups, and tight process management.
- You are comfortable working in the New York City area as we continue building our local office presence.
NICE TO HAVE
- Experience helping establish or scale hiring efforts in a new office or geographic market.
- Experience recruiting for high-caliber engineering teams at startups or growth-stage companies.
- Familiarity with structured interviewing, scorecards, and interviewer calibration.
- Experience recruiting across backend, distributed systems, AI/ML, or infrastructure-focused engineering teams.
- Experience scaling sourcing and recruiting workflows with AI tools and automation.
- Existing network within the New York engineering talent market.
TECH ENVIRONMENT (YOU MIGHT WORK WITH)
- Ashby (ATS, workflows, reporting)
- LinkedIn Recruiter and modern sourcing platforms
- AI-assisted sourcing and workflow automation tools
- Engineering teams working across modern backend and distributed systems architectures
SECURITY / WORK ENVIRONMENT
Some positions may require eligibility to obtain a U.S. Government security clearance.
If this role sounds like you, apply and share with us your interest.
Some positions may require eligibility to obtain a U.S. Government security clearance. Any clearance requirement will be listed in the role description.
Twenty is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected status.
If you need a reasonable accommodation during the hiring process, let us know and we will work with you.