Recruiting Coordinator

About Us

Astera is a private foundation on a mission to steer science and technology toward an abundant future. We believe the coming years will bring an era of unprecedented scientific and technological advancement as exponential progress in AI converges with central advances in other fields to dramatically accelerate innovation. This inflection point provides an unparalleled opportunity to fundamentally rethink the institutions, systems, and tools that drive scientific progress. Unlike traditional non-profit research organizations, projects supported by Astera operate like high-velocity startups, allowing us to focus on ambitious goals, match structure to problem, and attract strong technical talent and leadership.

You can read more about our mission, vision, and programming here. Key programs include:

• Our Residency: A one to two-year program that supports extraordinary scientists who are producing public goods. We support not only residents' salaries, but also budgets for them to hire a team and meet other needs to accelerate their work.
• Radial: Supports biotechnology-focused projects and is redefining how science should be done.
• Neuro-AI team: Does fundamental research in Artificial General Intelligence to ensure it brings good to humanity.

About The Role

We are seeking a mission- and culturally-aligned Recruiting Coordinator who will build and operate Astera’s recruiting engine as we scale our program teams. This role will own and refine the processes that bring extraordinary technologists and operators into our orbit.

Responsibilities

• Candidate Experience & Coordination
• Own end-to-end scheduling for all candidates
• Manage timely, thoughtful communication with candidates; ensure every touchpoint reflects Astera’s values
• Prepare interviewers with relevant materials, context, and rubrics with input from hiring managers
• Maintain a smooth, high-signal, low-friction interview process for both candidates and internal stakeholders
• Pipeline Operations & Systems
• Maintain accurate candidate records in our ATS (Ashby)
• Track and report on pipeline health, bottlenecks, and operational risks
• Build and refine templates, processes, and documentation to support repeatable, high-quality hiring
• Sourcing & Research
• Partner with hiring managers to identify top-of-funnel sources for unique technical and scientific roles
• Conduct targeted outreach to residents, operators, scientists, and other high-potential candidates
• Support coordination with external recruiters or advisors as needed
• Residency Recruiting Support
• Support the twice-annual Residency selection process, including scheduling interviews, managing reviewer workflows, and ensuring all materials are consistent and complete
• Support candidate logistics during finalist visits, onsite evaluations, or project deep dives
• Help ensure the Residency selection process remains high-quality even as we iterate and experiment
• Operational Flexibility
• Serve as backup to the office manager for front desk coverage
• Flex to “unknown unknowns” across the People & Operations stack—e.g., helping onboard new hires, assisting with event logistics for candidate days, supporting communications during peak cycles, or running special projects

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in executive support, operations, or another role that demands exceptional organization and communication
• Demonstrated ability to manage fast-moving, high-complexity scheduling and logistics across multiple stakeholders
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with high attention to tone and detail
• Comfort navigating highly ambiguous environments and adapting to shifting priorities
• Strong project management skills, including tracking tasks across multiple simultaneous hiring processes

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in early-stage or highly cross-functional teams
• Familiarity with scientific, engineering, or technical recruiting
• Strong research skills, especially for identifying talent in nontraditional places
• Experience with ATS systems (e.g., Lever, Greenhouse, Ashby, Rippling)
• Experience in environments where candidate experience is a core strategic priority

Attributes

• Relationship orientation & communication skills: Assume best intent and develop positive working relationships. Use written and verbal communication as an effective and critical tool.
• Openness to feedback: Value giving and receiving respectful, direct feedback as a cultural multiplier.
• Creative, tenacious problem solving: See options where others see constraints, and be energized by delighting and surprising stakeholders with thoughtful solutions.
• Mission driven mindset: Be motivated by enabling science that could reshape the future.
• Prioritization: Commit to the deadlines you set and adept at re-prioritizing independently in an environment of constant change.
• High standards & ownership: Standards for excellence are exceedingly high and internally dictated. Seek input where needed from hiring managers.
• Experimentation & bias to action: Have the courage to launch and iterate on thoughtfully designed experiments rather than obsessing over perfect plans that never launch.

Location

This role will be in person in Emeryville, California.

Compensation

The posted salary range is based on location in the Bay Area. The successful candidate will receive a competitive compensation package, commensurate with their experience and location.