Senior Technical Recruiter – Research Science

Jobtailor; California (MO); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Snorkel is seeking an experienced Talent Acquisition partner to lead full-cycle recruitment for PhD-level researchers in AI/ML across academia and industry, building a diverse, high-quality pipeline in a competitive market.

You will own sourcing, collaborate with research leadership, and coordinate interviews and conference representation (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL). This fast-paced Bay Area startup role emphasizes inclusion and strategic hiring.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience, with a strong focus on PhD-level Research Scientist or applied research roles in AI/ML, ideally within technology startups.
• Demonstrated success recruiting in high-growth, fast-paced startup environments.
• Strong familiarity with the San Francisco Bay Area academic and research talent landscape, including top university labs and research programs.
• Fluency in reading and evaluating research talent through publication history, conference presence, and academic pedigree.
• Proven ability to source and attract passive candidates, including current PhD students, postdocs, and researchers at competing labs, and build diverse, high-quality pipelines.
• Proficiency with modern recruiting tools and platforms (Greenhouse, ModernLoop, and Gem preferred).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, balancing professionalism with warmth, and comfortable speaking credibly with candidates about technical research areas
• Genuine passion for building and promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field; advanced degree or technical background a plus (preferred qualification)
• Experience recruiting for both research and applied science roles within a scaling organization (preferred)
• Existing network within the Bay Area AI/ML research community, including academic labs and PhD programs (preferred)

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute creative strategies for attracting PhD-level Research Scientist talent in a highly competitive market
• Own sourcing to build and maintain a robust, consistent, and diverse candidate pipeline, including representation from academia, top research labs, and PhD/postdoc programs
• Track and analyze recruiting funnel metrics to improve speed, efficiency, and outcomes
• Deliver a best-in-class candidate experience tailored to researchers considering academic and industry paths
• Partner with Research leadership and hiring managers to understand research areas, publication expectations, and technical requirements, and advise on hiring strategy and decisions
• Challenge hiring managers and the broader team toward better, more creative approaches to attracting research talent
• Monitor AI/ML research talent market trends, including compensation, publication trends, conference activity, and researcher movement, and share insights with People leadership
• Represent Snorkel at AI/ML conferences such as NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, and ACL and build relationships within the academic and research community
• Coordinate interviews including research talks, technical deep dives, and panel discussions; deliver timely feedback and ensure clear communication
• Assess and improve the research recruiting process operationally
• Partner with People and Research teams to support onboarding, including visa and immigration support where applicable

Skills

Full-Cycle Recruiting Experience

PhD-Level Research ScientistRecruit

AI/ML Research Landscape Knowledge

Recruiting Tools Proficiency

Strong Communication Skills

Sourcing Passive Candidates

Diversity and Inclusion

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources

Advanced Degree Preferred

Tools

Greenhouse

ModernLoop

Gem

Job description

• Develop and execute creative, effective strategies for attracting PhD-level Research Scientist talent in a highly competitive market


• Own sourcing to build and maintain a robust, consistent, and diverse candidate pipeline, including representation from academia, top research labs, and PhD/postdoc programs


• Track and analyze recruiting funnel metrics to improve speed, efficiency, and outcomes


• Deliver a best-in-class candidate experience tailored to researchers considering academic and industry paths


• Partner with Research leadership and hiring managers to understand research areas, publication expectations, and technical requirements, and advise on hiring strategy and decisions


• Challenge hiring managers and the broader team toward better, more creative approaches to attracting research talent


• Monitor AI/ML research talent market trends, including compensation, publication trends, conference activity, and researcher movement, and share insights with People leadership


• Represent Snorkel at AI/ML conferences such as NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, and ACL and build relationships within the academic and research community


• Coordinate interviews including research talks, technical deep dives, and panel discussions; deliver timely feedback and ensure clear communication


• Assess and improve the research recruiting process operationally


• Partner with People and Research teams to support onboarding, including visa and immigration support where applicable

Requirements

• 8+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience, with a strong focus on PhD-level Research Scientist or applied research roles in AI/ML, ideally within technology startups


• Demonstrated success recruiting in high-growth, fast-paced startup environments


• Strong familiarity with the San Francisco Bay Area academic and research talent landscape, including top university labs and research programs


• Fluency in reading and evaluating research talent through publication history, conference presence (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, etc.), and academic pedigree


• Proven ability to source and attract passive candidates, including current PhD students, postdocs, and researchers at competing labs, and build diverse, high-quality pipelines


• Proficiency with modern recruiting tools and platforms (Greenhouse, ModernLoop, and Gem preferred)


• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, balancing professionalism with warmth, and comfortable speaking credibly with candidates about technical research areas


• Skilled at building trust and credibility quickly, including the ability to coach and push back constructively on hiring managers and research leaders


• Deep understanding of the AI/ML research landscape and the unique considerations researchers weigh when moving from academia or research labs into industry


• Genuine passion for building and promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace


• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field; advanced degree or technical background a plus (preferred qualification)


• Experience recruiting for both research and applied science roles within a scaling organization (preferred)


• Existing network within the Bay Area AI/ML research community, including academic labs and PhD programs (preferred)

Core Competencies

Expertise in full-cycle recruiting for PhD-level Research Scientists in AI/ML, with a strong focus on building diverse candidate pipelines and improving recruiting processes. Proficient in leveraging modern recruiting tools and understanding the academic and research landscape to attract top talent.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Full-Cycle Recruiting Experience


• PhD-Level Research Scientist Recruitment


• AI/ML Research Landscape Knowledge


• Proficiency with Recruiting Tools


• Strong Communication Skills

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Full-Cycle Recruiting


• Sourcing Passive Candidates


• Recruiting Metrics Analysis


• Candidate Pipeline Development


• Research Talent Evaluation

Soft Skills

• Excellent Communication


• Trust Building


• Coaching and Constructive Feedback


• Creativity in Recruitment Strategies


• Passion for Diversity and Inclusion

Certifications & Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources


• Advanced Degree Preferred

Industry Keywords

• AI/ML Research


• PhD Programs


• Academic Labs


• Research Scientist


• Startup Environment

Tools & Technologies

• Greenhouse


• ModernLoop


• Gem