Talent Lead

About the Company

This opportunity is with Atomionics, a startup backed by SGInnovate. Atomionics develops quantum sensing and AI technologies that can look beneath the Earth’s surface. Its work replaces long periods of speculation in resource exploration with fast, high-accuracy insights, helping identify the critical minerals needed for the energy transition. The company is supported by investors such as BHP Ventures, In-Q-Tel, and Wavemaker, and is expanding across Singapore, Australia, and North America.

The Role

Atomionics is looking for a Talent Lead who can identify and secure the specialists who will shape its next stage of growth. This is not a coordination-heavy recruiting role. The company already has a team handling inbound candidates and scheduling. The need here is for a hands-on hunter who can independently source and close exceptional talent that is not available through ordinary candidate pools.

The ideal hires include quantum physicists, precision mechanical engineers from defence contractors, geophysics PhDs, and AI researchers from advanced labs. These professionals are often not actively job-hunting and are usually well established in organisations that pay well and offer strong credibility. To bring them into a Singapore-based deep-tech startup, the Talent Lead will need to understand what drives them, reach them through the right channels, and present a mission and equity story that stands up to close scrutiny.

What You Will Do

• Take ownership of niche sourcing efforts directly, using methods such as Boolean search, Google Scholar, citation tracking, conference attendee lists, and referral networks. This is a deep, individual contributor role where quality matters far more than volume.
• Build a clear picture of where the right candidates actually work, including research labs, national institutions, defence contractors, and adjacent companies that may not be the obvious first choice.
• Position the company mission effectively, especially when speaking to people whose current cash compensation is higher than what Atomionics can match. You will work closely with the Chief of Staff to understand and communicate the equity story in a credible way.
• Develop enough technical understanding of each role to engage candidates in a meaningful and informed way, in partnership with founders and technical leaders. While you will not conduct technical interviews, you will often be the first technically grounded conversation a candidate has with the company.
• Help build long-term sourcing channels through university ties, professional communities, and employer-brand initiatives, while collaborating closely with the marketing team.
• Contribute to global hiring strategy as the company grows in Australia, India, and the US by identifying where talent sits in each market, how to approach it, and how the employer value proposition should be adapted locally.

What We Are Looking For

• A demonstrated history of personally finding and closing highly specialised technical talent, ideally in boutique executive search, in-house recruiting for deep-tech, defence, national lab, or research environments, or similar settings.
• A strong individual contributor mindset, with comfort and enjoyment in running searches independently and personally winning hard-to-fill roles.
• The ability to speak confidently with highly technical candidates, such as quantum physicists or INS engineers, because of preparation and understanding rather than formal technical training.
• Experience influencing candidates through mission, autonomy, and equity rather than relying on cash compensation alone, including conversations with people who earn substantially more than the available offer.
• Comfort working with limited infrastructure, a small budget, and unclear processes.
• Strong judgment and discernment, with the ability to distinguish between a decent résumé and a truly exceptional candidate.

Preferred Background

• Direct hiring experience in quantum, photonics, geophysics, AI/ML research, or precision instrumentation.
• Familiarity with sourcing methods and tools used in research-heavy hiring, including Google Scholar, citation networks, and academic conference ecosystems.
• Experience designing offers in international settings, especially across Asia, Australia, and the US.
• Previous experience at a Series A or B startup where the recruiting function was being established from the ground up.

Who Will Thrive

This position is best suited to someone who has spent years becoming excellent at finding people other recruiters cannot reach, and who now wants a small but high-impact environment where each hire has real consequences. The workload is intentionally low in volume, the expectations are very high, and there is no ready-made playbook or large team to manage. Success means identifying remarkable people in unusual places and persuading them to join a company that is building something new.

If, after reading this brief, you immediately thought of specific people you already know who could be a fit, this role is likely a strong match.

Experience Required

The role calls for 6 to 10 years of relevant work experience.

Additional Information

This position is with Atomionics, a startup supported by SGInnovate.