Lead Recruiter / Principal

Lead Recruiter / Principal LocationNYCEmployment TypeFull timeLocation TypeOn-siteDepartmentTalent and PeopleNelo — Lead / Principal RecruiterAbout the CompanyNelo is a leading fintech in Mexico reimagining credit to expand consumer buying power. Founded in 2019 by former Uber international growth team leads Kyle Miller and Stephen Hebson, Nelo offers credit cards, BNPL loans, bill payments, and its own marketplace -- all under one app -- designed from first principles for a mobile-first, real-time payments world.With $80M in annual revenue, $1B in annualized GMV, and $140M+ raised in equity and debt, Nelo is one of the most capital-efficient consumer fintech companies in Latin America. The company is profitable -- positive operating profit in both 2024 and 2025. It runs lean and technical: 60 employees, 8 engineers, with AI driving underwriting, collections, and operations.HQ: Mexico City, Mexico; commercial and people operations in New York CityFounded: 2019Team size: 70 FTEsOpen roles: 10+Website: nelo.mxStage: Post-Series A; $100M credit facility (Victory Park Capital, 2022); profitableHR Systems: Ashby, Rippling, JuiceboxBenefits: 401k, open PTO, medical, dental, vision, STD, LTD, fertilityCompany values:Be your best selves: ambition, hard work, intellectual curiosityEveryone is an owner: all employees receive equity including customer support; 10-year option expiration; equity refreshersCustomer first: product decisions grounded in customer benefitOpen and honest communication: quarterly financials and board presentations shared company-wide; low tolerance for bureaucracy or gossipMove fast, learn fast: hundreds of experiments run monthly; rigorous experimentation cultureWhy This Role ExistsNelo is profitable, scaling, and at a stage where every hire matters. $80M in revenue with 60 people means one bad hire is a real problem -- not a statistic. The recruiting function needs to grow into something real, and this is the hire that does it.The infrastructure is still evolving: pipelines are not fully built, agency reliance is high, and processes are still forming. This is a senior IC seat -- full-cycle ownership, direct access to the founders, and a mandate to build the capability that lets Nelo keep its bar high as the headcount grows.The role reports to Libby Hauser, Chief of Staff and VP of Operations, who owns the people function and has the authority and context to move fast.The RoleTitle: Lead / Principal RecruiterLocation: New York City (hybrid -- regular in-office presence required)Reports to: Libby Hauser, Chief of Staff and VP of OperationsType: Senior individual contributor -- no direct reportsWhat you will own:Full-cycle recruiting across engineering, data, product, design, go-to-market, operations, finance, legal, compliance, and people rolesPartner with hiring managers to define role scope, success profiles, scorecards, and interview plansBuild outbound sourcing strategies for difficult and high-priority searchesIdentify and engage passive candidates through targeted market mappingConduct candidate screens and maintain a consistently high bar for qualityDrive candidate closing: offer positioning, objection handling, references, counteroffer managementProvide leadership with clear visibility into pipelines, conversion, risks, and hiring forecastsChallenge unrealistic specifications; recalibrate searches using market evidenceReduce reliance on external agencies by building repeatable internal sourcing capabilitySupport recruiting across both New York and Mexico City as neededExpand Nelo's brand awareness in the talent market through LinkedIn presence, targeted hosted gatherings, and inclusion in relevant fintech eventsWhat success looks like at 3 months:Highest-priority searches are fully owned and producing qualified pipelineHiring managers have weekly visibility into progress and pipeline healthOutbound sourcing is live and producing candidates for at least two active searchesAgency dependence is already...