AI & Machine Learning Recruitment Agency
AI recruitment is different. Salient Group is a specialist AI and machine learning recruitment agency helping AI native and tech companies hire AI talent across Australia and APAC, from high-growth startups to established enterprise engineering teams. AI talent is scarce, mostly passive, and difficult to assess without deep technical context, which is why generalist recruiters struggle to build credible shortlists.
As a dedicated AI recruiter, Salient brings 15-plus years in tech hiring, a live AI roles pipeline, and proven AI recruitment strategies to help you secure the right engineers and leaders before your competitors. Our machine learning recruitment team spends every day in this ecosystem, speaking to practitioners rather than scraping job boards.
AI and Machine Learning Roles We Recruit
We recruit AI and machine learning talent across hands-on engineering, research, product, and leadership, from early hires to heads of function.
AI Engineering
AI Engineers, Deep Learning Engineers, AI Developers: Build, optimise, and deploy scalable AI models using frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch.
Machine Learning
Machine Learning Engineers, MLOps Engineers: Design production-ready ML pipelines, automate deployments, and monitor model performance at scale.
NLP and Computer Vision
NLP Engineers, Computer Vision Engineers, Conversational AI Specialists: Develop language models, image recognition systems, and intelligent chat interfaces for real-world applications.
AI Research
AI Research Scientists, Applied Research Engineers: Conduct cutting-edge experiments, publish findings, and translate novel algorithms into practical solutions.
AI Leadership
Head of AI, VP of Machine Learning, AI Directors: Lead strategy, assemble high-performing teams, and align AI initiatives with business objectives.
AI Product and Strategy
AI Product Managers, AI Architects, AI Solutions Consultants: Define AI roadmaps, bridge technical teams with stakeholders, and architect end-to-end AI systems.
Contract and Project-Based AI Roles
Contract ML engineers, AI consultants, and specialist contractors for project-based or interim work such as model builds, proofs-of-concept, or AI integration projects.
Industries We Place AI Talent Into
Salient’s AI recruitment team builds teams for native AI companies, SaaS, Global Corporations, FinTech, and venture-backed startups, each with its own AI hiring challenges and talent expectations.
SaaS and Enterprise Software
SaaS and enterprise software companies rely on AI and ML teams to build intelligent features, recommendation engines, and predictive capabilities directly into their products. They are often competing for the same AI talent as pure-play AI firms, which makes specialist AI hiring support essential. Our AI recruiters also partner closely with product and GTM leaders, aligning with broader SaaS hiring needs.
AI Native
AI-native companies hire AI specialists as the core of their product. Whether building foundation models, developing AI-powered SaaS platforms, or creating autonomous agents, these organisations need researchers and engineers who can operate at the frontier, advancing capabilities rather than simply applying them.
Recruitment here demands a deep understanding of the technical landscape, from pre-training and RLHF to inference optimisation and model evaluation. A specialist AI recruiter can identify the rare talent capable of building AI from the ground up, not just deploying what already exists.
Startups and Scale-ups
Startups and scale-ups depend on founding AI hires and early ML teams to ship product, validate models, and iterate quickly. AI hiring at this stage rarely calls for narrow specialists; instead, founders need adaptable AI generalists who can work across data ingestion, modelling, and deployment. Salient helps overcome limited brand recognition by proactively marketing your story to targeted AI talent and drawing on playbooks from our broader startup recruitment work.
Our AI Recruitment Process
1. Brief and Requirements Consultation
We work with you to understand your AI maturity, tech stack, deployment approach, project goals, team structure, and what success looks like for this hire.
2. Candidate Search and Headhunting
We run a targeted AI hiring campaign, headhunting through our specialist network and engaging passive AI professionals who are not applying via job boards.
3. Technical Screening and Assessment
We assess candidates on relevant frameworks (for example, TensorFlow, PyTorch, LLM tooling), problem‑solving, and culture fit, so only credible AI talent reaches your team.
4. Interview Coordination and Advisory
We manage interviews end-to-end, advising on process design, market expectations, and competitive offers in a tight AI recruitment landscape.
5. Offer Management and Post-Hire Support
We support with offer negotiation, onboarding, and post-placement follow-up to set your new AI hire up for long-term impact.
Meet APAC’s Top Sales Recruiters
Our team features some of APAC’s top recruiters with deep roots in the regional tech community.
Yvette Midwinter (Director, Sydney)
15+ years in tech hiring and founder of Women in Tech Sales APAC
Mark Ellis (Chief of Staff, Sydney)
Specialist in partnering with VCs and growth-stage SaaS leadership teams
Francis Bandong (Associate Director, Melbourne)
Executive search specialist focused on FinTech and multinational financial services
Our Sales Recruitment Offices
Sydney
Salient Group, Sydney NSW
Level 17, International Towers Three, 300 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo NSW 2000
+61 2 8005 7544
Melbourne
Salient Group, Melbourne VIC
Level 6, 440 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
+61 3 9013 4400
Hiring
Looking to hire sales professionals, tech professionals or post sales talent in Australia, Asia or the US? Our team of sales recruitment and technology recruitment specialists are here to help! Drop us a note below or on info@salientgroup.com.au and we’ll be in touch within 24 hours.
Why Australian Employers Choose Salient
Partnering with Salient Group leverages over 15 years of dedicated tech and SaaS sales recruitment expertise. Our track record is built on results:
- 15+ years in Tech and SaaS sales hiring.
- 400+ clients served across the APAC region.
- 3,000+ GTM professionals placed into high-growth roles.
- 98% 5-star client rating (Recruit Insider, 2025)
- Physical presence with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore and Tokyo.
Our reputation is reflected in the success of our partners. View our client testimonials to see how we help companies scale Australian operations.
Women in Tech Sales APAC
Salient Group founded Women in Tech Sales APAC to connect female sales leaders and professionals through mentoring, networking events, and career advocacy. This also provides us with a unique channel of talent to help you build more gender balanced teams.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why use a specialist AI recruiter instead of hiring in-house?
A: AI talent in Australia is limited, and most strong candidates are passive rather than actively applying to roles. As one of the leading AI recruiting companies, Salient brings curated networks and community-driven sourcing that go far beyond job boards.
Q: How long does it take to fill an AI role?
A: Typical AI hiring timelines range from a few weeks to several months, depending on seniority, tech stack, location, and competition for talent. Salient assigns dedicated AI recruiters to each brief to maintain momentum and keep processes tight.
Q: Do you recruit for both permanent and contract AI roles?
A: Yes, Salient recruits permanent, contract, and project-based AI professionals. This gives you flexibility to build long-term teams while also bringing in specialist contractors for proof-of-concept builds, model deployment projects, or interim leadership.
