Principal Recruiter, Strategic AI Talent
Strategic recruiter focused on high-touch, bespoke searches for exceptional AI research talent, technical leaders, and special-interest candidates. Works closely with research leadership on confidential outreach and complex hiring strategies.
About the job
Responsibilities
- Partner directly with the Head of Research Recruiting and research leadership team to define priority talent targets and shape bespoke engagement strategies
- Build and maintain deep market intelligence across frontier AI, research, engineering, and adjacent talent ecosystems, including competitor movement, candidate motivations, and relationship context
- Proactively identify, map, and cultivate exceptional high-profile talent before there is a formal or standard hiring process attached
- Translate weak signals, network intelligence, and market gossip into concrete recruiting actions, outreach plans, and leadership recommendations
- Manage highly tailored candidate journeys that may involve confidential outreach, senior stakeholder alignment, custom evaluation paths, and complex closing strategy
- Coordinate with executive search firms, sourcers, recruiting coordinators, and internal networks to move priority searches forward with speed and discretion
- Serve as a trusted advisor on candidate positioning, timing, risk, compensation, and closing strategy for especially sensitive or high-impact hires
Requirements
- Significant experience recruiting for highly technical, senior, executive, or otherwise specialized talent
- Strong judgment and discretion in handling sensitive candidate conversations and confidential searches
- Strong instinct for talent intelligence: ability to gather market context, read between the lines, and turn incomplete information into useful action
- Track record of building relationships with hard-to-reach candidates who are not actively looking or who require a highly personalized process
- Experience partnering closely with senior leaders and influencing recruiting strategy in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
- Comfort operating outside the standard process when needed, while still bringing structure, follow-through, and sound judgment
- Deep interest in AI research, technical talent markets, and the broader ecosystem of labs, companies, and people shaping the frontier
Skills
Technical Recruiting, Executive Search, Talent Intelligence, Sourcing, Stakeholder Management, Confidential Search Management, Market Intelligence, Relationship Building, Compensation Strategy, Ai Research Talent
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