Catalyst Talent

Recruiting at the intersection of talent, technology, and innovation

Catalyst Talent was founded in 2022 as a partnership between Jamie Durfee and Jett Metcalf to help find qualified talent for mission-oriented companies with a focus on geospatial, aerospace, analytics and climate-centric technologies. From building a recruiting process from scratch to finding executive talent, their mission is to help companies and the planet by finding the best people to fit the needs and goals of the organization. Jamie and Jett have placed over 500 professionals in some of the world’s leading technology companies.

About Us

Jamie


After spending the last 10 years recruiting for mission-driven geospatial companies Jamie has gained a deep understanding and commitment to making an impact, both for the business and each individual candidate, through the robust, meaningful, and data-driven hiring processes she’s established and implemented. She prides herself on her ability to successfully partner with mid-level and executive leadership hiring managers in order to fill highly-technical and unique roles that range from individual contributor to executive-level (across Engineering, Product, Science, Sales, and G&M). She has a deep passion for being a culture-builder and loves to create a sense of belonging both through high-touch recruiting and onboarding, and in-person and virtual events.

Jett


Dad first, recruiter second. Jett brings 12+ years of recruiting expertise across agency, Google, and most recently early-stage VC-backed firms with a focus on geospatial technologies, machine learning and climate. Centering on the candidate experience, he has proven the ability to scale basic recruiting function to high-level talent acquisition that is focused on performance and business impact. From customer support representatives to technical executive talent, Jett treats every individual as they are, people first. He is committed to furthering technology for the benefit of the world (and selfishly for his wife Emma and their beautiful little girls).

[Jett is currently pursuing some personal opportunities…like fatherhood and a current full-time position leading recruiting efforts at Pacific Fusion]

Open roles

Closed Roles

Testimonials

Funga

Erika Randolph, COO

After working with Jamie and Jett as in-house recruiters for several years, I jumped at the opportunity to work with Catalyst Talent to identify candidates for several high priority roles at Funga PBC. Jamie and Jett each bring an incredible network from their prior roles, are incredible at building and sustaining relationships, and know exactly where to look to find the ideal combination of experience and mindset that a role may need. They also supported everything from market-based feedback on compensation and job descriptions to final contract negotiations, resulting in the addition of three mission-aligned hires to our team. I look forward to working with them as our team grows.”

Brightband

Daniel Rothenberg, Co-Founder, Head of Data & Weather

Finding and recruiting talent to work on geospatial data or machine learning for weather and climate is extremely tough. Most recruiters don't have deep knowledge of these niche domains and struggle to source relevant engineers and scientists. But Jamie and Jett were immediately able to take my job description for a staff-level engineer and tap strong talent practically overnight. Their professionalism and diligence helped us land an outstanding team member and I look forward to working with them again!”

Pachama

Diego Saez Gil, CEO

Working with Jamie has been an extraordinary experience. Her talent and work ethic are matched only by her kindness and integrity. Jamie consistently delivered exceptional work helping recruit an incredible team, all while driving other projects forward with innovation and diligence. Moreover, her positive demeanor and willingness to help others made a significant impact on our team's morale and success. You'll be lucky to get to work with her.”

Michael Wang, VP of Finance

“Jamie is one of the best recruiters I've ever worked with, in my decade+ at technology companies and startups. She's an exceptional seller who truly cares about candidates, communicates masterfully with hiring managers, and has unparalleled tenacity in closing unique roles. Moreover, she helped build and elevate the culture at Pachama, and was instrumental in facilitating our all-company retreat and many social events. I can't recommend Jamie enough!”

Skytruth

Jason Schatz, CTO

If you're looking to fill critical roles with great people, you truly won’t find a better recruiter than Jamie. I worked with her for five years at Descartes Labs, and again in her role as an independent contractor, and she has sourced superb candidates for every role, every time. Jamie is incredibly organized, a clear and caring communicator, and is genuinely driven to find the right match between candidate and team. Her dedication and expertise make her an invaluable asset to any hiring process.”

Descartes Labs

Caitlin Kontgis, Former Applied Science Lead

“For any organization in need of recruiting, Jamie is the best in the biz - she's an organized and effective communicator, cares deeply about the roles she's filling, and exudes positivity and warmth in all of her interactions. She's a delight, and I highly recommend her to everyone in my network.”