Cognite · 8 hours ago
Senior Talent Acquisition Partner (Technical, AI/ML)
Phoenix, AZ
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
8+ years expCognite operates at the forefront of industrial digitalization, building AI and data solutions that solve some of the world’s hardest, highest-impact problems. The Senior Talent Acquisition Partner will act as a strategic consultant to business leaders, leading workforce demand conversations and ensuring alignment with Cognite's scaling strategy for long-term organizational success.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)Industrial AutomationInformation TechnologyMachine LearningSaaS
Responsibilities
Lead mission-critical workforce demand conversations across Engineering, Product, and Commercial functions, thinking impact more than merely filling jobs
Collaborate with Hiring Managers and People Business Partners to define competencies and skills required for the future state of roles, not just today's needs—recognizing that scaling companies require anticipatory hiring
Challenge hiring requirements on market feasibility, role design, and alignment with Cognite's multi-year product and business roadmap
Conduct regular market intelligence sessions with leadership teams, translating external talent trends into informed discussions about role leveling, compensation positioning, and skill development investments
Ensure every headcount decision aligns with our scaling strategy and contributes to building the organizational capability we'll need in 24-36 months
Maintain rigorous data hygiene in the ATS, treating it as a system of truth for recruitment analytics, velocity metrics, quality measures, and funnel health
Partner with HR Operations and People systems to continuously optimize the candidate experience, from application through onboarding
Design comprehensive, role-specific interview guides that assess both current competencies and future-state potential, moving beyond generic interviews to predictive talent evaluation
Coach Hiring Managers and interview panels on conducting high-quality behavioral interviews, eliminating bias, and consistently evaluating candidates against the "Cognite Bar"—acting as the gatekeeper of hiring excellence
Mentor hiring panel members on interview techniques, candidate assessment, and the strategic importance of their role in our talent acquisition process
Build internal capability through interview shadowing, feedback loops, and continuous coaching to ensure every interviewer represents Cognite's commitment to excellence
Lead calibration sessions with hiring teams to ensure consistent, equitable, and rigorous evaluation of all candidates
Act as the gatekeeper of excellence, possessing the executive presence to respectfully challenge hiring decisions that don't meet the Cognite Bar, even when there is urgency or pressure
Serve as a trusted advisor to business leaders on difficult hiring trade-offs, including when to invest in development vs. when to continue the search for a higher-bar candidate
Design assessment strategies for highly ambiguous, "hard-to-fill" roles where no clear talent pool exists, including work samples, case studies, and creative evaluation methods
Design novel, multi-channel sourcing strategies for hard-to-fill roles where traditional talent pools are insufficient, including creative approaches to identifying passive candidates and non-obvious talent sources
Build active communities and networks of candidates—both active and passive—who are engaged with Cognite's mission, products, and culture, creating a sustainable pipeline of referral-ready talent
Implement proactive outreach campaigns that keep Cognite top-of-mind with high-potential passive candidates, creating opt-in relationships that generate referrals and warm candidate flow even in between hiring needs
Leverage AI and market mapping tools to identify non-obvious candidate segments, competitive talent currently at peer organizations, and emerging talent communities aligned with our scaling needs
Foster a culture where hiring is a team sport, leading cross-functional alignment between Hiring Managers, People Business Partners, Total Rewards, and Department Heads to ensure budget, role design, and talent strategy are perfectly synced
Partner with leadership to think beyond today's needs, helping teams define the competencies, skills, and talent profiles required as Cognite scales—ensuring we attract and hire people capable of growing into tomorrow's leadership and technical roles
Possess the executive presence and credibility to push back on hiring decisions that don't meet the Cognite Standard, ensuring that our commitment to excellence is sustained even during periods of rapid growth or hiring urgency
Influence department-wide goals by providing real-time market intelligence, competitive talent data, and hiring insights that dictate how roles are scoped, leveled, and positioned in the marketplace
Independently navigate the complexity of the global AI talent market, designing non-obvious ways to attract elite passive talent in a highly competitive landscape where traditional recruiting doesn't work
Establish Cognite as an employer that candidates actively want to join, creating a sustainable talent advantage through community engagement, referral networks, and genuine candidate relationships that span years
Treat the ATS as a system of truth and ruthlessly automate manual administrative tasks to maximize time spent on high-value human interaction, strategic sourcing, and talent partnership
Elevate the quality of our hiring through thoughtful interview design, coach-based development of hiring managers, and consistent application of the Cognite Bar across all levels and functions
Qualification
Required
8+ years of full-cycle recruitment experience in high-growth SaaS, Deep Tech, AI-focused, or technology-driven environments, with a successful track record of hiring for technical, commercial, and/or leadership positions
Executive search, RPO, or retained search background—experience in high-stakes environments where identifying non-obvious talent and managing complex stakeholder relationships is the norm
Proven consultative track record as a business partner who has successfully influenced hiring strategy, raised hiring bar standards, and shaped talent acquisition practices in previous roles
Demonstrated success designing interview frameworks, coaching hiring managers on assessment techniques, and building hiring capability across organizations
Preferred
Expert-level command of modern ATS platforms (e.g., Greenhouse, Lever, Workable) with disciplined approach to data hygiene, funnel analytics, and recruitment metrics
Experience building candidate communities, networks, and referral programs that generate sustained passive candidate flow and active engagement
Track record of moving beyond transactional recruiting to strategic talent partnership—examples of identifying talent bottlenecks, solving them creatively, and elevating hiring quality
Company
Cognite
Cognite develops an industrial IoT data platform that enables digital transformation of heavy-asset industries.
501-1000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$338.21MKey Investors
Saudi AramcoTCVAccel
2022-02-02Secondary Market· $113M
2021-05-19Series B· $150M
2020-10-27Series A· $75M
Leadership Team
Girish Rishi
Chair and CEO
Fredrik Anfinsen
Co-Founder and Director of Product Development
Recent News
Business Wire
2026-01-13
Morningstar.com
2025-12-04
2025-12-02
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