Principal Recruiter (Head of Talent Acquisition)

The role

The Principal Recruiter owns talent acquisition for Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle Reign FC, and RAVE Foundation. You will lead searches, manage the hiring process, and set standards for effective, inclusive hiring. You will also advise executive leadership on hiring strategy, talent brand, and workforce planning.

What you will do

• Own talent acquisition strategy and execution across three organizations
• Lead talent brand and candidate experience
• Set and uphold hiring standards and workflows
• Run complex and confidential searches
• Partner with leadership to define culture-strengthening behaviors
• Advise executive leadership on workforce planning and talent decisions
• Lead the use of responsible AI, automation, and recruiting technology
• Establish recruiting measurement and reporting capabilities
• Equip hiring managers through training, guidance, and coaching
• Build proactive talent pipelines and sourcing strategies

Required qualifications

• 10+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience
• Experience hiring for individual contributor, leadership, and executive positions
• Track record of designing, improving, or scaling recruiting processes and systems
• Experience leading complex and confidential searches
• Experience advising senior leaders on hiring decisions
• Knowledge of structured interviewing, candidate assessment, and evaluation practices
• Hands-on experience evaluating or implementing recruiting tools, automation, or related technologies
• Experience designing, building, and implementing agentic AI workflows
• Proficiency using AI assistants, automation platforms, and connected tools
• Experience partnering with leadership on hiring strategy, workforce planning, and talent priorities
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local employment and hiring laws

Benefits

• 100% employer-sponsored medical, dental, and vision premiums for employees and dependents
• HSA employer contributions ($1,000 for employee-only; $2,000 for spouse/family)
• Unlimited paid vacation
• Paid company holidays
• Paid sick leave
• Paid bereavement leave
• Paid jury duty leave
• 401(k) retirement plan matching
• $10,000 lifetime maximum fertility benefit
• 12–16 weeks of paid gender-neutral parental leave
• Employer-paid long-term disability coverage
• Basic life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) coverage

Before you apply

• Must reside within Washington state upon date of hire
• Must be able to facilitate own local travel
• Must be eligible to work in the US without sponsorship

About the company

Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC are united as one soccer family, driven by a shared commitment to excellence, growth, and impact on and off the pitch.