AI Engineer & Architect Placement

We find the AI engineers your job post never will.

Cortex Talent Group places elite AI Engineers and AI Architects into high-growth companies across the US. The talent you need isn't on job boards — we reach them directly.

At a glance
3–4 wks Average time from brief to signed offer
100% Exclusively AI & ML — no generalist roles
$0 Cost to candidates — ever
90 day Replacement guarantee on every placement
The Problem

Why AI hiring is broken.

The standard approach to hiring engineers fails completely when applied to AI talent. Here is why companies keep losing the engineers they need.

01

The best aren't applying

Senior AI engineers receive multiple unsolicited offers every month. They don't look at job boards. Posting and waiting means you are competing for second-tier talent from day one.

02

Generalist recruiters don't understand the space

Most recruiters cannot distinguish an MLOps engineer from an AI Architect. They cannot screen for production-level LLM experience — sending CVs that look right on paper and fail in the interview.

03

Time-to-fill is killing your roadmap

Filling an AI role through standard channels takes 3–4 months on average. Every week that seat is empty costs you in delayed product timelines, team strain, and competitive ground you will not recover.

04

Top candidates move in days

The right engineer is interviewing at multiple companies simultaneously and accepting offers within days. Slow processes mean the person you wanted signs elsewhere before you decide.

What We Do

Specialist placement. Nothing else.

We work both sides of the market — a live roster of pre-vetted AI talent and a network of companies actively building. When they match, we move fast.

For Companies

AI Engineer &
Architect Placement

Pre-vetted candidates who match your exact technical requirements. Not CVs from a database — engineers personally assessed and genuinely open to the right move.

  • Brief to shortlist in under one week
  • Technical pre-screening for stack and production experience
  • Interview scheduling and offer management handled
  • 90-day replacement guarantee on all placements
  • Monthly retainer plus placement fee model
For Candidates

Career Placement
for AI Talent

We surface roles that never get posted publicly and handle all negotiation on your behalf. You pay nothing — our fee comes entirely from the hiring company.

  • Access to roles that never appear on job boards
  • Compensation benchmarking against current market rates
  • Interview preparation and offer negotiation support
  • Fully confidential — your employer is never contacted
  • Zero cost to you — always
How It Works

From brief to placed.

A clean, fast process with no unnecessary steps. Most roles move from brief to signed offer in under four weeks.

1
Discovery Call
We learn what you are building, what the role demands technically, and what kind of engineer would thrive in your environment. 15 minutes is enough.
Day 1
2
Active Search
We work our pre-built roster and network to identify candidates matching your requirements. We contact engineers directly — no job post needed.
Day 2–5
3
Shortlist Submission
You receive 2–3 pre-screened profiles with a detailed write-up on each. Every profile is a genuine match — not volume for the sake of it.
Day 5–7
4
Interview Management
We coordinate all scheduling, manage candidate communication, and keep momentum on both sides throughout the process.
Week 2–3
5
Offer and Placement
We manage negotiation, handle counter-offers, and ensure a clean close. Placement fee invoiced on signed offer letter. 90-day guarantee applies.
Week 3–4
Why Cortex

What sets us apart.

There are thousands of recruiters. Very few work exclusively in AI with the network and technical context to make fast, accurate placements.

🎯

Exclusively AI and ML

We don't place generalist engineers. This is all we do — which means our network and screening are built specifically for this space.

Pre-vetted roster

We maintain a live roster of personally screened engineers. When your brief arrives, relevant candidates are ready to assess within days.

Speed without compromise

Brief to shortlist in under a week. Final placements in 3–4 weeks. Built by having the network ready before you need it.

🔍

Passive talent access

The best AI engineers don't respond to job posts. We reach them directly — giving you access to talent your listings will never find.

📋

No padding

We submit 2–3 candidates per role. Every profile is a genuine technical and cultural match. We don't pad shortlists.

🤝

Free for candidates

Engineers pay nothing. Our fee comes from the company on placement — attracting candidates who would never otherwise work with a recruiter.

Pricing

Transparent fees. No surprises.

Two streams — a monthly retainer for active search, and a placement fee on successful hire. Fully aligned with your outcome.

Stream 01 — Retainer Monthly Search Fee Paid monthly to keep your role on active search. Deducted in full from the placement fee on a successful hire. $500–$2K per month · based on company size and seniority
  • Dedicated active search for your role
  • Weekly candidate pipeline updates
  • Pre-screening and scheduling included
  • Fully credited against placement fee
Get Started

Let's find your next hire.

Whether you are building an AI team or an engineer exploring your next move — we respond to every genuine enquiry within 24 hours.

Reach out directly

Book a 15-minute discovery call or send an email. No commitment — the first conversation is simply to understand what you need and whether we can help.

Location Remote — serving US companies globally
Response Within 24 hours on all enquiries