Talent Acquisition Lead

Description About Upwind Upwind is a next-generation Cloud Security Platform that uses runtime context to identify and prioritize the risks that actually matter. With eBPF-powered sensors, we deliver agentless cloud posture discovery, real-time threat protection, and integrated API security, so teams can focus on what truly matters instead of drowning in alerts. We’re in a period of significant growth. There’s an enormous amount to build, improve, and shape, and every hire changes the trajectory of the company. About the Role We’re looking for a Talent Acquisition Lead: an experienced recruiter who is as strong in the room with a hiring manager as with a candidate. You’ll own a full-cycle desk of tech roles, but the role is bigger than the desk. You’ll be the person hiring managers lean on for a real recruiting conversation: calibrating a role, resetting expectations when the market pushes back, giving honest feedback on a process, and building a hiring approach together. You’ll work with a high degree of independence, and you’ll set the professional standard for the rest of the recruiting team. This is a professional leadership role, not a people-management role. You’ll lead through expertise, judgment, and example. What You’ll Do • Own full-cycle recruiting for a portfolio of tech roles: sourcing, screening, process management, and closing. • Be a true thought partner to hiring managers: run intake and calibration, share market insight, challenge assumptions when needed, and keep every process moving with clarity and trust. • Handle the complex conversations independently: managing expectations, reflecting hard feedback, and aligning stakeholders without needing escalation. • Lead the way we recruit: design and improve interview structure, scorecards, feedback loops, and how we work with R&D and other functions. Spot what’s broken and fix it. • Bring innovation to the team: new sourcing approaches, AI-assisted tools, and fresh ideas that we test and scale. • Be the professional lead for the recruiting team: share best practices, coach on hiring manager partnership, and help maintain a consistent, high standard across Israel, EMEA, and APJ. • Create an experience candidates remember: high-touch, honest, and well managed from the first call to the offer. • Tap into your own network and our internal one (referrals, employee connections) as a real, ongoing source of talent. Requirements What We’re Looking For Must-have • Proven full-cycle recruiting experience, ideally 5+ years in tech recruiting, with a strong track record in R&D hiring. • Real credibility with senior hiring managers: you can hold a tough conversation, give direct feedback, and calm a stressed process. • Experience building or meaningfully improving recruiting processes, not just running them. • A relationship-first approach to candidates and stakeholders alike. • Fluency with modern recruiting tools, including AI-assisted sourcing. You seek them out. • Strong ownership and the ability to work independently in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. Nice-to-have • Experience mentoring or informally leading other recruiters. • A strong personal network in Israeli hi-tech, built through a military unit, a professional community, or years in the industry. • Background as an agency recruiter or headhunter with network-based placements. • Experience hiring across Israel, EMEA, and/or the US.