- 200+Placements
- 47Countries
- 95%12-mo retention
- 33,000+Network
- 98%Client CSAT
- 2021Operating since
Hire AI Engineers + Researchers.
Forward-deployed engineers, agent engineers, AI safety researchers, governance leads, Chief AI Officers and genAI engineers. DeFinitive's dedicated AI desk launches mid-2026, built on five years of Web3 hiring. We've been growing our AI talent network since early 2025, well ahead of the desk opening, and we're taking AI mandates now. Hire Web3 talent → Web3 × AI →
AI specialisms covered
Firm-wide placements (Web3 desk)
Upfront fees
SKIP THE WAIT
Want to Talk Now?
Don't wait for a reply, book a 30-minute call directly with our team and get your AI hiring brief locked in today.
Book a Call →WHY DEFINITIVE AI
An AI Desk Built on Five Years of Web3 Hiring.
Built on five years of Web3 hiring
DeFinitive's Web3 desk has placed 200+ candidates across 47 countries since 2021. We've been adding AI engineers, researchers and product leaders to our network since early 2025, well before the dedicated AI desk launches mid-2026. Same way of working: senior principals on every search, named-client confidentiality, no upfront fees.
Most generic AI recruiters started in 2024 and are still figuring out how to assess real production AI work. We bring years of crypto-native hiring discipline and a head-start on AI network building.
Where AI talent actually lives
Strong AI engineers aren't easy to find on LinkedIn. When we run an AI search we tap:▸ Alumni of the major AI labs▸ Open-source contributors to popular AI frameworks▸ Senior engineers who've shipped AI features in production▸ The crossover engineers working at the AI x crypto intersection
Vetting calibrated for AI
Same 3-stage process we've run on 200+ Web3 hires, adjusted for AI work:01 Technical screen on real AI work, not just resume claims02 Portfolio review of shipped systems with real users, not demos03 Culture and motivation fit with your team
You pay nothing until you hire
Pure contingency model.✓ No retainers✓ No upfront fees✓ No milestone paymentsPay only when a candidate starts. Every placement includes a 60-day replacement guarantee.
HOW A SEARCH WILL RUN
Brief. Source. Vet. Close.
Four stages from brief to signed offer, the same operating model that runs our Web3 mandates. AI-search time bands will firm up as the first AI mandates close; the structure stays the same.
Brief
Day 0
A 30-minute call with Nathan or the AI desk principal. We map the role, the pay band, must-haves vs nice-to-haves, and your timeline. No retainer. No upfront fee. You leave with a written search plan.
Source
Days 1–7
For AI roles we tap alumni of the major AI labs, contributors to popular AI frameworks, and senior engineers with shipped AI work. Same way we run our Web3 searches, just with an AI-specific candidate network on top.
Vet
Days 7–14
Three stages: technical screen, portfolio review, culture-fit assessment. You see the strongest three to five with our recommendation and any risk flags, not a pile of raw CVs.
Close
Weeks 3–8
We coordinate interviews and debrief with you after each round. Offer negotiation backed by live data from our salary benchmarks. 60-day replacement guarantee from start date. Nothing invoiced until your hire’s first day.
SIX AI SPECIALISMS
Forward-Deployed. Agent. Safety. Governance. CAO. GenAI.
One desk, six specialisms. All six pages are live with full role briefs, salary bands and FAQs. Click any card to see how we'd run that search.
Forward-Deployed Engineer→
Customer-embedded delivery (Anthropic / OpenAI staffing model).
$160K – $230K base
Chief AI Officer→
C-suite executive search. Cross-links to Web3 CTO at the convergence tier.
$300K – $450K base
Each specialism page details the role, salary band, screen criteria and FAQ, submit a brief when you're ready.
GET STARTED
Submit Your AI Hiring Brief.
Tell us what you need. We'll come back with a written search plan and the first batch of vetted candidates as the desk runs your mandate.
I'm Hiring
Get 3-5 vetted candidates in your inbox within 72 hours