Technical Recruiter - Japan

The role

You will own end-to-end recruiting for technical roles in Japan. You will partner with leadership to build talent pipelines and influence hiring strategy.

What you will do

• Own end-to-end recruiting for technical roles in Japan.
• Build deep talent maps across enterprise software, AI, developer tools, cloud, infrastructure and high-growth technology companies.
• Partner with hiring managers to define role requirements, calibration, interview process and candidate profile.
• Source, engage and close exceptional passive candidates.
• Represent Cognition’s story with clarity, credibility and energy in market.
• Drive candidates through a high-bar hiring process while maintaining an excellent candidate experience.
• Use data and market insight to help leadership understand pipeline quality, conversion, compensation signals and hiring risks.
• Work closely with international talent leadership to improve process, raise the bar and build scalable recruiting muscle in Japan.
• Act as a talent advisor, not an order taker.

Required qualifications

• Proven experience recruiting technical talent for high-growth technology companies.
• Strong understanding of enterprise software, SaaS, AI, infrastructure, developer tools or cloud markets.
• Ability to identify and engage high-calibre passive candidates.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the confidence to push back, calibrate and advise senior hiring leaders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English
• High agency, high ownership and strong attention to detail.
• A track record of hiring bar-raising commercial talent in competitive markets.
• Comfort operating in a fast-changing, 0 to 1 environment.
• Strong sourcing discipline and the ability to build pipeline without relying on inbound or agencies.
• A builder mindset: you improve the system while delivering the work.

Nice to have

• You have helped build early teams in new international markets.
• You have recruited for frontier AI, developer tools, infrastructure, cloud or enterprise software companies.
• You understand both technical hiring and technical-adjacent GTM roles.
• You have experience partnering with regional GMs, VPs or and/or founding country leaders.
• You are comfortable moving between strategic talent mapping and hands-on execution.
• You care deeply about quality, not just speed.
• You know how to close candidates who have multiple options.
• You have experience hiring across multiple APAC markets

About the company

Cognition is an applied AI lab building end-to-end software agents. They are the makers of Devin, the first AI software engineer.