Iron Recruit
INSIGHTS

AI hiring, from people who do it daily.

Compensation data, market movement and hiring playbooks for AI, machine learning, MLOps and LLM teams — written by the consultants running the searches.

MARKET
AI engineering compensation benchmarks: mid-2026

What ML engineers, MLOps and LLM specialists are actually being paid across labs, scale-ups and enterprise — base, equity and the premiums that move offers.

Jul 2026 · 6 min read
HIRING
How to screen LLM engineers when every CV lists RAG

A practical rubric for separating people who've shipped production LLM systems from people who've read about them.

Jul 2026 · 8 min read
MLOPS
The MLOps hiring gap nobody is budgeting for

Models in production need owners. Why teams under-hire for MLOps — and what it costs them six months later.

Jun 2026 · 5 min read
LEADERSHIP
Your first AI hire sets the ceiling for the next ten

Getting the first machine learning hire right matters more than any process you'll build afterwards.

Jun 2026 · 7 min read
MARKET
Where AI talent is actually moving in 2026

Foundation model labs, applied GenAI startups, or enterprise AI teams — a look at where engineers are landing and why.

May 2026 · 6 min read
HIRING
Why 2–3 candidates beats a shortlist of ten

The case for high-signal shortlists in AI hiring, and how a focused search saves your team weeks of interviews.

May 2026 · 4 min read

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