Principal Recruiter, Principal Engineer Recruiting, PE Recruiting

Amazon; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Parental leave

Job summary

A leading technology company seeks a Client Lead Recruiter in Seattle to shape the future of its senior engineering community. The ideal candidate will advise directors and VPs on talent acquisition, define recruiting strategies, and engage passive candidates. The role requires over 10 years of recruiting experience at the executive level, a strong network in technology sectors, and the ability to provide market insights. This position offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits packages, including health insurance and parental leave.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive corporate or search firm recruiting at executive level experience.
• 5+ years of progressive technical recruiting at executive level experience.
• Experience mentoring and developing other recruiters.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary talent advisor to Directors and VPs.
• Lead client update meetings on active searches.
• Conduct thorough candidate assessments and present offers.

Skills

Talent acquisition

Executive recruitment

Technical recruiting

Data-driven decision making

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Description

As a client lead recruiter, you'll have the unique opportunity to impact leadership teams across Amazon's diverse technology landscape, building relationships with Directors and VPs while shaping the future of Amazon's senior engineering community.

Key job responsibilities

• Serve as the primary talent advisor to Directors and VPs, educating leaders on the external senior engineering talent landscape and market dynamics
• Define and deliver recruiting strategies for highly‑critical, sometimes confidential roles with broad cross‑organizational impact
• Identify and engage highly passive senior engineering candidates through creative, research‑driven sourcing strategies
• Build and cultivate robust talent networks across technology sectors, leveraging deep industry knowledge and relationships
• Lead client update meetings on active searches, providing clear, data‑driven insights on progress and market conditions
• Provide candid guidance to executive leadership on matters related to top technical talent
• Make sound judgments about candidate fit based on comprehensive analysis of technical depth and leadership impact
• Conduct thorough candidate assessments, participate in debriefs, perform comprehensive reference checks, and present/negotiate employment offers
• Coach leaders to continuously improve their talent acquisition capabilities at the senior level
• Set exceptionally high standards for search quality, candidate experience, and recruiting excellence
• Investigate deeply into technical domains, candidate backgrounds, and market trends to inform strategy
• Operate with independence and discretion on searches where strategy has not yet been defined

A day in the life

Your day begins with strategic planning sessions discussing talent gaps and market intelligence for critical Principal Engineer searches. You'll spend time researching and engaging passive candidates through personalized outreach, leveraging your extensive network and industry knowledge. Mid‑day might involve leading a client update meeting where you present market analysis and candidate pipeline progress, followed by conducting in‑depth technical assessments with potential candidates. You'll collaborate with your team of recruiters and researchers, sharing insights on emerging talent pools and coaching colleagues. Afternoons often include candidate debriefs with hiring teams, where you provide perspective on technical depth and leadership potential. You'll also dedicate time to building relationships with industry leaders and technical communities, staying ahead of market trends. Throughout the day, you'll make high‑stakes decisions with incomplete information, balancing urgency with thoroughness to secure world‑class engineering talent.

About the team

The Global Specialty Recruiting (GSR) team partners with technical and business leaders across all of Amazon's businesses to hire the company's most senior engineering talent. Our team specializes in recruiting Principal Engineers and Senior Principal Engineers—Amazon's most senior technical contributors who set the standard for engineering excellence and drive innovation across the company.

Basic Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive corporate or search firm recruiting at executive level experience
• 5+ years of progressive technical recruiting at executive level experience
• 5+ years advising and influencing executive leadership experience
• 5+ years of advising and influencing leadership experience
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent
• Experience mentoring and developing other recruiters

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of at least one relevant technology domain area (e.g., compute, hardware, network, software, big data, security, etc.)
• Experience working with, presenting to and influencing senior executives up to VP level
• Experience communicating clearly and concisely with leadership, stakeholders, and cross‑functional teams
• Experience handling ambiguous or undefined challenges through strong problem‑solving abilities
• Track record of building and maintaining extensive talent networks in specialized technical domains
• Research acumen and creativity in crafting effective search strategies within complex technical domains
• Intellectual curiosity about emerging technologies, talent trends, and competitive landscape
• Demonstrated ability to work in team environments as both leader and collaborative member
• Data‑driven approach to talent acquisition with ability to provide market intelligence and competitive insights

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you're applying in isn't listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign‑on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.

USA, WA, Seattle - 170,000.00 - 230,000.00 USD annually