Talent & Events Operations

Note: For this role, we are asking you to record a video about your past experience with startups, recruiting and event management — share whatever you think is relevant for success in this role. Please aim for no more than 2 minutes, and share the private Youtube URL in your application/message.

This is a high-impact operator role focused on building and scaling YC’s talent and hiring ecosystem. You’ll design and run the programs, partnerships, and experiences that help thousands of YC startups connect with exceptional talent.

This role is fully focused on ecosystem building, programs, and partnerships — not direct recruiting. You’ll work across founders, candidates, universities, and broader talent communities to make YC the best place for ambitious people to find their next opportunity.

If you enjoy working with founders, building scalable systems, and shaping how talent flows into startups at a global level, this is a uniquely high-leverage role.

TL;DR

• You’re a driven, high-agency operator with strong execution and organizational skills
• You’ll work closely with top founders and help them build high-performing teams
• You’re comfortable using data to prioritize, diagnose issues, and improve programs
• You thrive in ambiguity and take initiative without waiting for direction

About The Team & Product

Y Combinator runs Work at a Startup (workatastartup.com) — a free hiring platform that connects exceptional candidates with YC startups. In the past few years alone, it has helped 1,000+ people find roles at companies like Stripe, Instacart, Brex, Whatnot, and more.

YC also trains more than a thousand companies a year on how to hire well through:

• Our semi-annual How to Hire Conference
• 1:1 hiring audits and pitch practices
• Dozens of job seeker events including expos, tech talks, and niche seminars

These efforts serve as the top-of-funnel engine feeding talent into the YC ecosystem — and this role helps run and scale all of it.

What You’ll Do

Programs & Events

• Own YC’s job seeker programming: Monthly Hiring Meetups, Tech Talks, Career Expos, and more
• Design and run high-quality in-person events that connect founders and candidates
• Develop and refine playbooks to make programs repeatable, scalable, and high impact
• Continuously analyze engagement and outcomes to improve performance
• Partner with founders to ensure programs align with real hiring needs

Talent Ecosystem & Partnerships

• Build and manage relationships across the broader talent ecosystem — including universities, student groups, online communities, and non-traditional talent pools
• Develop partnerships and programs that bring high-quality candidates into the YC ecosystem
• Expand YC’s reach into new and under-tapped talent networks
• Represent YC externally with a high bar for quality and professionalism
• Shape long-term strategy for how talent discovers and engages with YC startups

Platform & Program Strategy

• Identify gaps in YC’s hiring ecosystem and design new programs to address them
• Improve how talent flows through YC — from discovery to engagement to hiring outcomes
• Work closely with internal teams to ensure a cohesive, high-quality candidate experience
• Use data and feedback to iterate quickly and scale what works

What We’re Looking For

Must-Haves

• A goal-oriented, analytical mindset with a track record of executing projects with measurable outcomes
• Strong experience operating in ambiguous environments and driving large programs or initiatives end-to-end
• Experience managing cross-functional projects with multiple stakeholders
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience planning and executing events or community-driven programs
• Experience working with universities, talent communities, or ecosystem partnerships
• Technical ability (past experience coding or building websites) with a good eye for design/usability
• Experience in or strong interest in the startup ecosystem

Who Thrives Here

• Operators who take pride in building high-quality, repeatable systems
• People who enjoy working across programs, partnerships, and ecosystem development
• Individuals with strong judgment who can represent YC externally
• People excited about startups — many in this role have founded or worked at them

Lastly, for this role, we are asking you to record a video about your past experience with startups, recruiting and event management — share whatever you think is relevant for success in this role. Pease aim for no more than 2 minutes, and share the private Youtube URL in your application/message.

Location & Benefits

Location: This is an in-person role at YC's campus in Dogpatch, San Francisco. This is where our users (founders, partners, and employees) are five days a week, so it’s optimal for you to be here with them. You must live in the SF Bay Area or be willing to relocate. We offer generous relocation support for those who want to move to SF to work here.

Compensation: $90K to $160K base salary, depending on experience.

Benefits: Our full benefits package includes medical, vision, and dental plans, infertility benefit, STD/LTD, life insurance, commuter benefits, flexible spending account, health savings account, 401(k) + 4% matching, generous parental leave, paid holidays, and flexible paid time off policy.

Work Authorization: Y Combinator is willing to sponsor certain employment visas in accordance with company policy.