AI talent vetted by AI practitioners.
From founding engineers to Chief AI Officers. Every candidate is technically interviewed by someone who has built production AI, so you meet three people you'd actually hire, not twenty résumés.
One standard, from first hire to C-suite.
Startups
Founding and early AI engineers who've shipped 0-to-1. Contract, contract-to-hire or direct hire, on terms that respect your runway.
For Startups →Growing companies
Vetted AI, data and automation contractors who start in weeks, not quarters.
For Companies →Executive search
Hiring a Head of AI or Chief AI Officer? Ask us about a confidential search.
Talk to us →Fast. Precise. Forward.
Practitioner-vetted
A technical interview by someone who has shipped production AI. We test how candidates think, not just what's on their résumé.
Role scoping first
Most AI hires fail before the search starts, with the wrong role. A free 30-minute session defines the role, first 90-day outcomes and a realistic rate.
Governance-ready
Every candidate is screened on privacy, security and responsible AI, because shipping AI safely matters as much as shipping it fast.
From scoping call to first day.
- Step 01
Scope
A free 30-minute call. You get a written role brief within 48 hours.
- Step 02
Search
We match from our vetted bench first, then search for the exact fit.
- Step 03
Shortlist
Three candidates, each with a one-page technical assessment.
- Step 04
Start
Interview, offer and onboarding handled. We check in at 30, 60 and 90 days.
Three models, one agreement.
Contract
Specialist skills for a project, from weeks to months.
Contract-to-hire
Work together first, convert when you're sure.
Direct hire
Permanent placement with a 30-day replacement guarantee.
If we can't find a strong match, we'll tell you, not send you filler.
If a placement doesn't work out in the first 30 days, we replace them at no extra fee.
"We've spent years building data, automation and AI systems in regulated organizations, and we've been the hiring managers on the other side of the table. Cheetah Talent is the firm we always wanted to hire from."
Questions we hear most.
What does Cheetah Talent do?
We're a recruitment firm that places AI, machine learning, data and automation professionals with startups and growing companies in Canada and the United States, from founding engineers to Chief AI Officers. Every candidate is technically interviewed by someone who has built production AI.
How is this different from a generalist recruitment agency?
Generalist agencies match résumés to keywords. We scope the role first, then a practitioner interviews every candidate on a system they actually built and scores them on six dimensions, including responsible AI. You meet three people you'd actually hire, not twenty résumés.
How much does it cost to hire through Cheetah Talent?
The role-scoping call is free, and there's no fee until a candidate starts. Contract roles are billed at an hourly rate, contract-to-hire adds a conversion fee if you hire the person permanently, and direct hire is a one-time fee based on first-year base salary. We share exact rates once we've scoped the role.
What happens if a placement doesn't work out?
If a placement doesn't work out in the first 30 days, we replace them at no extra fee. That applies to contract, contract-to-hire and direct-hire placements.
Do you place candidates with US companies?
Yes. We work with companies across Canada and the United States, and we source directly in Toronto, Waterloo and Montreal, some of the deepest AI talent pools in North America, in US time zones. We handle the cross-border contracting.
Which roles do you recruit for?
AI and LLM engineers, AI agent developers, machine learning engineers, data and analytics engineers, automation developers (UiPath, Microsoft Power Platform), AI product managers, and AI leaders up to Head of AI and Chief AI Officer.
Know the role?
Let's scope it.
30 minutes, no cost, and you'll leave with a sharper role brief whether you hire through us or not.