Head of Talent

About the role

Profound is the marketing platform for the age of AI search. We built the platform marketers use to understand, measure, and win in the world of AI-driven search: the analytics, intelligence, and agent automation that turn AI search from a threat into a competitive advantage. We went from 0 to a $1B valuation in 18 months, with revenue growing 100x last year. Our customers include Ramp, Figma, Spotify, Nike, Apple, AWS, Reddit, and JPMC. Backed by Sequoia, Kleiner Perkins, and Khosla Ventures, we are scaling fast—those joining now are building the playbook for the future.

We're hiring our first Head of Talent to help us double the team over the next year without diluting the bar. You'll build the systems, pipeline, and performance culture that let us scale fast while getting sharper, not softer, with size.

Responsibilities

• Own the talent function end-to-end: build and run the hiring engine (sourcing pipelines, interview processes, offer strategy) needed to roughly double headcount over the next year without lowering the bar
• Design and implement scalable, data-driven recruiting systems and dashboards that give leadership real-time visibility into pipeline health, time-to-fill, and quality of hire across every function
• Partner directly with the founders and functional leaders to translate headcount plans and growth trajectories into hiring plans, role scorecards, and interview loops that predict on-the-job performance
• Codify Profound's hiring bar: structured scorecards, calibrated panels, and debrief rituals, so quality holds as the org scales, not just headcount
• Own employer brand and top-of-funnel: sharpen how candidates experience Profound before they ever apply, from job descriptions to the careers site to referrals, and build Profound's reputation as the place ambitious operators go to do career-defining work
• Build the recruiting infrastructure for global expansion: optimized ATS for scale, sourcing channels, and compliant interview/offer processes needed to hire as Profound opens new offices and enters new countries, partnering closely with HR/Legal
• Lead, coach, and build out a high-leverage talent team as headcount and hiring complexity grow
• Stay hands-on, personally sourcing and closing candidates for the roles that matter most (leadership hires, P0 seats) rather than only directing from above

Requirements

• You've built and scaled a talent function at a high-growth startup before, ideally through a headcount-doubling stretch, and you have the systems and playbooks to prove it
• Deeply systems and data-oriented; you think about hiring as an engineering problem, including pipelines, funnels, conversion rates, and forecasting, not just relationships
• Genuinely energized by high-performance, merit-driven cultures
• Comfortable operating with high agency and ambiguity; you build the plane while flying it
• Sharp, fast-moving, and detail-obsessed; nothing about the candidate or employee experience is beneath you
• Strong opinions, held loosely; you communicate directly and expect the same from others
• Fluent with a modern recruiting and HR stack (ATS, HRIS, sourcing tools); you're comfortable being hands-on, not just strategic
• High agency; you identify what needs to happen, scope it, and execute without waiting to be managed

Location

This is an on-site role based in our Union Square, NYC office, designed for builders who thrive on speed, iteration, and meaningful impact.

Pay

The expected base salary range is $250,000 to $325,000. Profound’s total compensation package is designed to be competitive and includes base salary, equity, and a full range of benefits and perks. Final compensation will depend on factors such as your skills, experience, qualifications, and location, and will be determined during the interview process.