Success-based partnership
No upfront recruiting fee under our standard success-based model.
Executive and technical talent for startups.
Shields Group Search is a New York City Based recruiting firm helping Seed to Series C startups hire engineers, AI specialists, sales leaders, and executives.
Success-based recruitingInitial candidates in as little as 3 daysFounder-led, start to finish
New York
To the World
To the World
Built for founders. Focused on the hires that matter most.NYC · SF BAY AREA · BEYOND
SGS is the Preferred Recruitment Partner of Top US Startups
Executive recruiting for startups
Early hires define your company.
We help Seed to Series C startups hire founding engineers, technical leaders, and the first commercial team. Every search starts with what the business needs now.
Discover our story →
Building better teams
Early-stage expertise
Recruiting calibrated for Seed to Series C, not corporate hiring processes.
Engineering + AI depth
Specialized technical sourcing across product, ML, inference, and infrastructure.
Founder-focused process
Direct attention, tight feedback loops, and selective shortlists.
Recruitment Services
Executive search, startup recruitment, and specialized technical hiring in New York City, San Francisco, and beyond.
Executive Talent Acquisition
CTO, VP Engineering, functional leaders.
Explore service →Startup & Scale-Up Recruiting
Founding teams and post-funding builds.
Explore service →Engineering & Tech Recruitment
Full-stack, backend, platform, and iOS.
Explore service →AI & Machine Learning Recruiting
Applied AI, agents, inference, and robotics.
Explore service →Go-to-Market Recruiting
Founding sales, RevOps, and customer success.
Explore service →See all services, including product recruitment, discreet search, and hiring workshops →
Deep technology sector experience
Specialist recruiting for advanced technology.
Our work includes specialized recruiting mandates for companies developing embodied AI, agent infrastructure, fraud and trust systems, and AI-powered industrial products. These businesses need people with direct experience solving difficult engineering problems.
Robotics & Embodied AI
Robot learning researchers, VLA engineers, computer vision, and robotics software specialists.
Explore focus areaAI Agents & Developer Tools
Agent platform engineers, API and integrations specialists, developer infrastructure, and applied AI builders.
Explore focus areaAI Security & Fraud Prevention
Engineers with hands-on ownership of real-time scoring, detection, security, and risk systems.
Explore focus areaIndustrial AI & Automation
Computer vision, applied ML, industrial software, platform, and technical product engineers.
Explore focus areaSGS calibrates searches around real technical ownership, whether that means training robot policies, building agent integrations, deploying low-latency decisioning systems, or delivering computer vision into production. That knowledge helps us find the right people faster.
Also recruiting across
Why founders work with SGS
Why founders hire SGS
We work directly with startup founders to define the role, find qualified people, and manage the hiring process.
See How We Work →Initial candidates, fast
Initial candidates in as little as three days on many searches.
Deep startup context
Hands-on work across hiring, founder needs, venture ecosystems, and scaling moments.
Direct founder involvement
Consistent communication and highly targeted candidate evaluation from search kickoff to close.
HOW WE WORK
How our search process works
01 / DISCOVER
Understand the role
Define outcomes, stage-specific needs, and the hiring bar.
02 / SOURCE
Engage top talent
Proactive research and outreach beyond active applicants.
03 / PRESENT
Meet relevant people
Selective profiles and an efficient, feedback-driven shortlist.
04 / CLOSE
Complete the hire
Coordinate the process and support confident decision-making.
About the founder
Meet Thomas Shields
Thomas leads SGS and works directly with founders on critical engineering, AI, go-to-market, and leadership searches. His recruiting work includes Y Combinator and a16z speedrun companies, as well as other venture-backed startups in New York and the Bay Area.
He is an LP in Winner Capital, serves on its LPAC and advises the fund and its portfolio companies on hiring.
Meet Thomas and SGS →FOUNDER ECOSYSTEM
Supporting founders beyond an active search.
SGS also advises early-stage founder communities, including LvlUp Ventures and Elpis Labs, on first U.S. hires, workforce planning, and post-funding hiring priorities.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions
Answers to the questions founders ask before starting a search.
What types of roles does SGS recruit?
Executive leaders, software engineers, AI/ML specialists, founding sales and GTM teams, and other critical early-stage positions.
How does your fee model work?
Our standard recruiting approach is success-based with no upfront search fee. Terms are agreed for each engagement.
When can we expect to see candidates?
For many well-scoped searches, SGS aims to share initial relevant candidates in as little as three days. Timelines vary by mandate.
Where is your talent network?
Our strongest concentration of talent is in the greater New York City area and the San Francisco Bay Area. We have also supported startups building teams in Seattle, Miami, Austin, Toronto, Boston, and beyond.
Contact SGS
Hiring for your next stage of growth?
Talk directly with SGS about your business, your role, and what a great outcome looks like.