Principal Recruiter

Nxt Level Civil Engineering; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Nxt Level Civil Engineering is seeking a Principal Recruiter to manage the full recruitment lifecycle, from intake to placement, for civil engineering and AEC roles. You will build search strategies, source top candidates, qualify talent, manage interview processes, and close offers with clients and candidates alike.

You bring a proven track record of high-volume, high-value placements, strong client relationships, and the ability to work independently in a fast-paced, commission-based

Qualifications

• Proven full-cycle recruiting experience in civil engineering, architecture, construction, or AEC.
• Consistent track record of producing $300,000+ annually in placements.
• 3+ consecutive years of strong recruiting production.
• Ability to manage searches independently from start to finish.
• Strong skills in qualifying both clients and candidates.
• Deep understanding of specialized hiring markets, compensation trends, and candidate motivations.

Responsibilities

• Manage the full recruitment lifecycle from intake to placement.
• Partner with clients to understand role requirements, compensation, and urgency.
• Build and execute sourcing strategies across civil engineering, architecture, construction, and related AEC verticals.
• Identify, engage, qualify, and present high-quality candidates.
• Negotiate offers and close placements with strong relationship management.

Skills

Full-cycle recruiting

AEC recruiting

Sourcing & outreach

Client & candidate management

Tools

LinkedIn

Databases

Job description

We’re bring on Principal Recruiters

You’ll be responsible for managing the full recruitment lifecycle from intake to placement. That includes understanding client needs, building search strategy, sourcing candidates, qualifying talent, managing interviews, closing offers, and maintaining long‑term relationships with both clients and candidates.

The ideal person has consistently produced at least $300,000 annually in placements for 3+ consecutive years and knows what it takes to build trust in a specialized market.

What You’ll Own

You will:

• Own full‑cycle recruiting searches from intake through offer acceptance
• Partner with clients to understand role requirements, hiring pain, compensation, urgency, and ideal candidate profiles
• Build and execute sourcing strategies across civil engineering, architecture, construction, and related AEC verticals
• Identify, engage, qualify, and present high‑quality candidates
• Manage candidate relationships with urgency, professionalism, and care
• Drive interview processes forward and keep both clients and candidates aligned
• Negotiate offers, close placements, and reduce fallof risk
• Maintain accurate pipeline, activity, and search data inside the recruiting platform
• Build long‑term relationships that lead to repeat business, referrals, and market credibility
• Operate with high ownership, high accountability, and minimal hand‑holding

What We’re Looking For

You’re a strong fit if you have:

• Proven full‑cycle recruiting experience in civil engineering, architecture, construction, or AEC
• A consistent track record of producing $300,000+ annually in placements
• At least 3 consecutive years of strong recruiting production
• Experience managing searches independently from start to finish
• Strong ability to qualify both clients and candidates
• Deep understanding of specialized hiring markets, compensation trends, and candidate motivations
• Strong sourcing ability across LinkedIn, databases, referrals, and direct outreach
• Excellent communication, follow‑up, and process management skills
• Confidence speaking with hiring managers, executives, and senior‑level candidates
• The ability to balance speed, quality, and relationship‑building
• A self‑driven mindset with the discipline to manage your own pipeline

The best Principal Recruiters are not just order‑takers.

They know how to pressure‑test a search, challenge weak hiring assumptions, educate clients, and represent candidates with credibility.

You should be able to look at a role and quickly understand:

• Is this role fillable?
• Is the compensation aligned with the market?
• Is the client serious?
• Where do the best candidates live?
• What companies should we target?
• What story will actually make someone take the call?

We’re looking for someone who thinks like a market expert, not just a resume submitter.

Nice to Have

Bonus points if you have:

• Existing relationships in civil engineering, architecture, construction, infrastructure, land development, transportation, structural engineering, MEP, or general contracting
• Experience recruiting for PE firms, architecture studios, ENR firms, developers, construction management firms, or specialty contractors
• A portable book of candidate and client relationships
• Experience working in a commission‑driven or agency recruiting environment
• A history of building niche markets from scratch

What We Offer

We provide the infrastructure to help proven recruiters grow.

That includes:

• Access to quality roles and specialized markets
• Recruiting tools, systems, and operational support
• A platform and network designed to increase recruiter productivity
• More leverage to source, market, and deliver
• A performance‑driven environment built for experienced producers
• The opportunity to grow your desk without doing everything alone. We provide business development. You fill roles and keep 70% of placement fees.

Who This Is Not For

This role is probably not the right fit if you:

• Need heavy training on full‑cycle recruiting
• Uncomfortable with 100% commission / 1099 work
• Have not owned searches independently
• Are uncomfortable with outbound sourcing
• Struggle with urgency, follow‑up, or pipeline discipline
• Prefer transactional recruiting over relationship‑driven recruiting
• Have not consistently produced at a high level

Success Looks Like

In this role, success means:

• Consistently producing high‑quality placements
• Building trusted relationships with clients and candidates
• Running searches with speed, precision, and ownership
• Delivering at least $300,000 annually in placement revenue
• Becoming a go‑to recruiter within your AEC specialization