Who we are

At Cantera we're building the technology infrastructure to connect Latin American talent to the companies building the physical infrastructure that'll power North America's future.

We source, vet, and connect Latin American engineers and technical professionals with U.S. companies across data centers, energy generation and distribution, advanced manufacturing, and industrial construction, which all require on-site presence. We manage the full immigration and relocation process, and we've started with the TN visa for Mexican professionals.

The founding team came out of Stanford and Harvard. We're Latin Americans that have lived in the U.S. We closed an oversubscribed pre-seed round in early 2026, have successfully placed dozens of engineers at some of the largest construction companies in the U.S., and we're growing fast.

The role

We are looking for our first Operations Manager — someone who will own the full cycle of talent placement for a portfolio of U.S. clients.

You will be the bridge between the Latin American engineers we source and the U.S. companies that need them. On any given day, you might be sourcing candidates in Mexico City, presenting a shortlist to an HR director in Atlanta, coordinating visa documentation with our legal team, or troubleshooting a placement that's mid-process.

This role requires two things that rarely come together: the discipline and attention to detail of a strong operator, and the warmth and credibility of someone who can build trust with both candidates and senior client contacts.

You will report directly to the co-founders and have full ownership of your accounts from day one.

Cantera is a technology company. We are building AI tools to assess candidates, standardize matching, and scale our compliance workflows. This role is deeply operational — but we expect the person in it to be a fast learner and an active user of those tools as they develop. Over time, you will also contribute to improving them: flagging what works, what doesn't, and what we should build next. If you are curious about how AI can make your work better, you will thrive here. If you prefer to keep things manual, this is not the right fit.

What you'll do

Client relationships

• Own 5–8 client accounts end-to-end — engineering firms, construction companies, and infrastructure owners across the U.S.

• Build trusted relationships with HR directors, hiring managers, and senior client contacts

• Run intake calls to understand open roles, calibrate on candidate profiles, and manage expectations on timelines

• Present candidate shortlists and manage client feedback through to offer and placement

Talent sourcing and assessment

• Source candidates across LinkedIn, referral networks, university partnerships, and Cantera's growing talent community

• Screen candidates for technical fit, English proficiency, motivation to relocate, and TN visa eligibility

• Conduct structured conversations with candidates to assess fit — and give them honest, constructive feedback

• Maintain a high-quality pipeline: fewer, better candidates over high volume

Placement operations

• Coordinate with our legal team and immigration counsel to support TN visa processes for placed candidates

• Track placement status across all accounts — from first submission to engineer on-site

• Manage documentation, timelines, and communication across candidates, clients, and internal teams

• Flag risks early and solve problems before they become crises

Who you are

• Bilingual in Spanish and English — you can run a client call in English and a candidate conversation in Spanish without missing a beat

• Based in Mexico City or willing to relocate there — this role is CDMX-based

• You have 2–6 years of experience in consulting, client services, business development, recruiting, or a combination

• You are an exceptional communicator — clear, direct, and able to adjust your register from a senior VP to a first-generation professional considering a life-changing move

• You are disciplined and organized — you can manage multiple accounts and moving parts without dropping anything

• You have high EQ — you read rooms, build trust quickly, and handle difficult conversations with grace

• You are genuinely motivated by the mission — connecting Latin American talent with opportunity while helping build critical infrastructure is something you find meaningful, not just interesting

• You are comfortable with ambiguity — this is an early-stage company and the playbook is still being written

• You are tech-curious and a fast learner — you embrace new tools, learn them quickly, and actively look for ways to work smarter. We are building AI-powered recruiting and assessment tools and we expect this person to use them, improve them, and help shape what we build next

You'll be a great fit if:

• You have experience living or working in both the U.S. and Latin America

• You get energy from working in high-performance environments and take ownership of your work

• You connect with the mission: enabling millions of talented people to access life-changing opportunities

Nice to have

• Exposure to construction, engineering, or infrastructure environments

• Prior experience in talent, recruiting, or HR

• Familiarity with visa or immigration processes

• Network in Mexican and Latin American engineering communities

Location

• This role is based in Mexico City (CDMX).

• The position is open to candidates currently based in Mexico, as well as those willing to relocate to Mexico City.

What we offer

• $60,000 – $80,000 USD base salary — depending on experience

• Equity participation — you will be an early employee with meaningful upside

• Direct access to and mentorship from the founding team

• Ownership from day one — your accounts are yours

• Front-row seat to one of the most important infrastructure buildouts in modern history

• A team that takes the work seriously and the culture seriously

One More Thing

The person who gets this role will have a measurable impact on two groups of people: Latin American engineers whose lives will change when they get access to opportunities they couldn't reach before, and U.S. companies trying to build infrastructure that the country depends on.

If that sounds like the kind of work you want to do, we want to hear from you.