6 Best Recruiting Firms for Late-Stage Startups in San Francisco (November 2026)

For a Series D, E or F startup in San Francisco hiring senior, staff or machine-learning engineers, Recruiting from Scratch is the best fit. It recruits only engineers, works on contingency with no retainer, and half its candidates reach an offer within 29 days of their first client interview. For a VP of Engineering or CTO, use a retained leadership firm such as Riviera Partners.

Last updated November 2, 2026 · Written by the Recruiting from Scratch engineering recruiting team.

Hiring senior engineers after a Series D in San Francisco? Recruiting from Scratch sends 3–5 qualified engineers, on contingency. Book a 15-minute call → or Get a shortlist of 3–5 engineers →

Setting the offer? See staff engineer compensation in San Francisco vs New York.

How we ranked

Recruiting from Scratch publishes this list and ranks itself first. These are the criteria, most important first:

Fit for the role: does the firm focus on the kind of hire you're making (senior IC, leadership, contract)?
Engineering screening: can the recruiter assess a staff or ML engineer, not just match keywords?
Shortlist, not volume: a handful of people who fit, so your talent team isn't sorting resumes.
Works with an in-house team: takes the roles your recruiters can't fill and stays out of the rest.
Verifiable proof: named companies and a clear process.

We say below where another firm is the better pick.

The ranking at a glance

#	Firm	Best for	What it is	Use it when
1	Recruiting from Scratch	Senior, staff and ML engineers at Series D+	Engineering-only recruiting firm, contingency	Your team can't fill a hard IC role
2	Riviera Partners	VP of Engineering, CTO	Retained executive search for engineering and product leadership	The hire leads the engineering org
3	Korn Ferry	C-suite and board roles	Global retained executive search	The search is for an executive or board seat
4	Hunt Club	Senior and leadership roles	Referral-network search firm	You want referrals into passive senior people
5	Kore1	Broad technical hiring	IT and technical recruiting agency across industries	You need IT or technical roles beyond startup engineering
6	Toptal	Short-term contract work	Freelance and contract talent marketplace	You need cover while a full-time search runs

The 6 best recruiting firms for late-stage startups in San Francisco

1. Recruiting from Scratch

Best for: Series D–F teams that need senior, staff or ML engineers, with a shortlist for each role.
Strengths: engineering-only recruiters and a shortlist of 3–5. The SF Bay Area is our second-largest market after New York. Mercor hired backend and machine-learning engineers through us.
Limitations: engineering roles only. We don't run VP, CTO or board searches.

2. Riviera Partners

Best for: a VP of Engineering or CTO search at a venture-backed company.
Limitations: a retained leadership search, not a route for several IC roles.

3. Korn Ferry

Best for: C-suite and board roles. Limitations: built for executive search, not engineering ICs.

4. Hunt Club

Best for: referral-led senior and leadership searches. Limitations: focused on senior and leadership roles.

5. Kore1

Best for: IT and technical roles across many industries. Limitations: not focused on venture-backed startups.

6. Toptal

Best for: contract engineers for a defined gap. Limitations: freelance and contract, not full-time search.

Late-stage engineering hiring in San Francisco

By Series D a company usually has in-house recruiters, so an outside firm earns its place on the roles that stall. In San Francisco those are usually:

Staff and principal engineers who could join an AI lab or a big tech company instead. Lead with the scope of the problem and who they'll work with.
ML and infrastructure engineers, where the same few hundred people get approached every week. Personal, specific outreach matters more than volume.
Senior engineers who aren't looking. They respond to a clear story about the company's path from here: product bets, timing and the equity upside left.

Bay Area candidates often ask about liquidity: tender offers, secondary sales and how close an IPO is. Have an answer ready before the first call.

For growing the team itself, read how to scale an engineering team from 10 to 50.

Choosing between recruiting agencies at a late-stage company

Split roles by firm. Give each agency specific roles so candidates aren't submitted twice.
Ask who sources. You want the recruiter on the call doing the outreach, not a pool behind them.
Agree on ownership. Decide up front who owns a candidate and who runs the close.
Read the contract for what happens if a hire leaves early.

For how firms price this, see how much a technical recruiting firm costs.

When not to use a recruiting firm

Your in-house team already fills the role at a pace you're happy with.
The hire leads the engineering org. Use a retained leadership firm.
You're hiring many engineers a month on one profile. Grow the in-house team or bring in embedded recruiters.
The level and band for the role aren't agreed internally.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best recruiting firm for late-stage startups in San Francisco?

For senior, staff and ML engineers, Recruiting from Scratch: engineering-only and on contingency with no retainer. For a VP of Engineering or CTO, Riviera Partners.

When should a Series D company use an outside recruiter?

When a role has been open long enough to slow a team down, or when it needs people who aren't on the market, such as staff ML or infrastructure engineers.

How do late-stage startups compete with AI labs for engineers?

With scope, ownership and a clear story about the company's next stage. Be ready to explain liquidity and the equity upside left.

Can a recruiting firm work alongside our recruiters?

Yes. The firm takes named roles and sends a short list; your team runs the process. Agree on candidate ownership first.

How long does it take to hire a staff engineer in San Francisco?

It depends on the bar and the offer. Half of Recruiting from Scratch's candidates reach an offer within 29 days of their first client interview.

Hiring engineers?

Recruiting from Scratch sends a shortlist of 3–5 senior, staff or ML engineers who fit your level, stack and band, on contingency with no retainer.

Get a shortlist of 3–5 engineers → or Book a 15-minute call →

Looking for a role at a late-stage startup instead? See the engineering roles we're hiring for now →

Sources

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Software Developers
Carta: startup compensation data
Firm descriptions: each firm's public website, November 2026.