Principal Recruiter

TITLE: 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 our 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 evaluation practices. 

• Hands-on experience evaluating or implementing recruiting tools, automation, or related technologies. 

• Demonstrated experience designing, building, and implementing agentic AI workflows that automate or improve complex, multistep work processes. 

• Hands-on proficiency using AI assistants, automation platforms, and connected tools to improve personal productivity and organizational effectiveness, with the judgment to evaluate outputs and maintain appropriate human oversight. 

• Experience partnering with leadership on hiring strategy, workforce planning, and talent priorities. 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence, coach, and build trust across different teams. 

• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local employment and hiring laws, including equal employment opportunity, pay transparency, fair chance hiring, and background check requirements, with the judgment to know when to involve Legal. 

• A commitment to fair, inclusive, and responsible hiring practices. 

A college degree is not required. We value demonstrated experience, sound judgment, and the ability to deliver meaningful results. 

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 

• Strategic Thinking and Judgment: Connects talent decisions to organizational priorities, anticipates future needs, and balances data, experience, and human judgment to make sound decisions. 

• Builder Mentality and Systems Thinking: Sees opportunities to improve how things work, creates structure where needed, and develops solutions that are practical, connected, and sustainable. 

• Curiosity and Innovation: Challenges conventional approaches, embraces emerging technologies, and identifies meaningful opportunities to improve outcomes. 

• Influence and Partnership: Builds trust across teams and with executive leadership, communicates with clarity, challenges assumptions constructively, and helps others make better decisions. 

• Ownership and Accountability: Takes initiative, follows through on commitments, measures impact, and demonstrates sound judgment, integrity, and a commitment to equitable and inclusive practices. 

• Demonstrates a commitment to our values and mission (Create Moments, Enrich Lives, and Unify & Uplift Through Soccer) in all interactions with colleagues, partners, vendors, and fans. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT    

This position is based at our headquarters and training facility, the Providence Swedish Performance Center & Clubhouse in Renton, Washington. 

We work together in person Monday through Thursday, with flexibility to work remotely on Fridays. Our work follows the rhythm of the soccer calendar, so occasional evenings and weekends are part of the role, and workloads may vary throughout the season, particularly during peak hiring periods. 

Additional requirements include: 

• 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.  

• Responsibilities may include regular work outdoors and require standing on feet for long periods of time, as well as some lifting of up to 20 pounds. 

COMPENSATION, BENEFITS AND PERKS  

We offer competitive compensation and an engaging, supportive environment that prioritizes the health and well-being of our people.