Principal Recruiter

seattlesoundersfc; Renton (WA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC seek a Principal Recruiter to lead talent acquisition across the clubs and RAVE Foundation. You will drive senior and executive searches, shape hiring strategies, and partner with executive leadership to build strong, diverse teams.

You will guide recruiting practices, implement responsible use of AI and automation, and create scalable processes that improve candidate experiences and outcomes across the organization.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience including leadership and executive hires.
• Experience raising hiring standards by improving processes and systems.
• Experience leading complex, confidential searches and advising senior leaders.
• Strong knowledge of structured interviewing and candidate assessment.

Responsibilities

• Lead talent acquisition and hiring across Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle Reign FC, and the RAVE Foundation.
• Run complex searches with discretion and build trusted relationships with leaders and candidates.
• Define behaviors and cultural fit; assess candidates with structured evaluation.
• Advise executive leadership on workforce planning and hiring priorities.
• Set and uphold hiring standards with the Chief People Officer using consistent practices.
• Lead responsible AI, automation, and recruiting technology adoption to improve effectiveness.
• Establish recruiting metrics and reporting to inform decisions and improvements.
• Equip hiring managers to hire better, faster with guidance and coaching.
• Build proactive talent pipelines across both clubs; mentor junior team members.
• Partner to align recruiting with compensation practices and organizational priorities.
• Champion compliant recruiting with privacy and accountability; perform other duties.

Skills

Full-cycle recruiting

Talent acquisition

Leadership experience

Strategic thinking

Hiring process optimization

Structured interviewing

Job description

Principal Recruiter

DEPARTMENT: People and Culture

REPORTS TO: Chief People Officer

TYPE: Full-Time Regular

FLSA : Exempt

ROLE TYPE: Individual Contributor

OUR CLUBS

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. Each club has independently forged a rich history of performance while connecting deeply with the community. Our clubs are continually pushing the boundaries of what's possible while fostering an inclusive culture- championing causes and building community connections to expand our reach and impact. Each match is an opportunity to bring together our community, celebrating our resilience, inclusivity, and a commitment to excellence. United in professional dedication- we are two clubs with one shared vision of progress and greatness.

POSITION SUMMARY

The success of Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC starts with the people who make our clubs what they are, on and off the pitch. As two clubs united by a shared ambition, we're building a stronger organization for the future, starting with how we attract, develop, and bring talented people together.

As our Principal Recruiter , you'll be ou r lead expert in talent acquisition and hiring for Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle Reign FC and RAVE Foundation. You'll lead searches, own the hiring process , and set the standards and partnerships that make hiring more effective, consistent, and inclusive. This is a senior individual contributor position reporting to our Chief People Officer.

Working directly with executive leadership, you'll shape hiring strategies, advise on workforce planning, and introduce innovative approaches to recruiting, including responsible applications of AI and automation. You'll have the autonomy to challenge conventional thinking, improve the experience for candidates and hiring managers, and build systems that strengthen how our clubs hire for years to come.

This is an opportunity for a hands-on recruiter, strategic advisor, and builder who believes that assembling exceptional teams , grounded in shared values , is one of the most important ways to shape the future of our clubs.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead talent acquisition and hiring across Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle Reign FC, and the RAVE Foundation, owning the hiring process from role definition through offer for every hire.
• Run complex searches with discretion, building trusted relationships with leaders and candidates.
• Hire for the culture we are growing. In every search, partner with leadership to define the behaviors that strengthen our culture, describe what great looks like in each role, and assess candidates through structured, evidence-based evaluation.
• Advise executive leadership on workforce planning, hiring priorities, and talent decisions, bringing market insight, recruiting expertise, and sound judgment.
• Set and uphold the hiring standard, in partnership with the Chief People Officer, through consistent practices, tools, and workflows that keep hiring evidence-based, inclusive, and high quality across every department.
• Lead the use of responsible AI, automation, and recruiting technology to improve effectiveness, reduce unnecessary work, and create new opportunities to strengthen how our clubs attract and evaluate talent.
• Establish meaningful recruiting measurement and reporting capabilities that provide visibility into hiring performance, inform decisions, and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Equip hiring managers to make better hiring decisions and run more effective recruitments through training, guidance, coaching, and consistent evaluation practices.
• Build proactive talent pipelines and sourcing strategies across both clubs, including passive and hard-to-reach talent.
• Mentor and guide the Senior HR Generalist and People & Culture partners on recruiting practice, standards, and tools.
• Partner across People & Culture and the broader organization to align recruiting with business needs, compensation practices, and organizational priorities.
• Champion responsible, equitable, and compliant recruiting practices, maintaining appropriate human oversight, candidate privacy, and accountability in hiring decisions.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

We're looking for an experienced recruiter and talent acquisition expert who combines strong execution with strategic thinking, sound judgment, and passion for building better systems.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience, including hiring for individual contributor, leadership, and executive positions.
• A track record of raising the standard of hiring by designing, improving, or scaling recruiting processes and systems.
• Experience leading complex and confidential searches and advising senior leaders on hiring decisions.
• Strong knowledge of structured interviewing, candidate assessment, and consistent evalu