Manager, Senior Technical Recruiter - AI / ML & Data Science (IC)

Capital One • McLean, VA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

Capital One is seeking an experienced individual-contributor recruiter to join its Enterprise AI Talent Acquisition team. The role focuses on attracting and hiring specialized talent across AI Engineering, Machine Learning Infrastructure, Applied Research, and Advanced Data Science. The recruiter will source, engage, and close candidates while advising senior engineering leaders and navigating highly competitive technical talent markets.

The position partners with Engineering Directors, VPs, and Research Leads to refine job profiles, establish interview rubrics, and create efficient, data-driven hiring workflows. It also involves developing competitive offer strategies, including navigating complex equity buyouts and sign-on structures, and mapping competitors such as major technology companies, research labs, and AI startups.

This is a hybrid position subject to Capital One’s hybrid policy and required on-site presence at the designated office. The role is eligible for performance-based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonuses and/or long-term incentives. Capital One will not provide immigration-related support for this position.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or military experience.
• At least 7 years of full-lifecycle technical recruiting experience.
• At least 2 years of dedicated experience sourcing and recruiting specialized talent in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Applied Research, or Advanced Data Science.
• At least 2 years of experience negotiating complex offer packages, including base pay, performance bonuses, and equity structures, in high-tech or financial services sectors.
• Deep fluency in AI/ML terminology and the ability to distinguish among AI Engineers, Applied Researchers, Data Scientists, and Machine Learning Infrastructure Engineers.
• Experience using recruiting SLAs, funnel metrics, and candidate conversion data to improve recruiting outcomes.

Nice To Haves

• 5 or more years of technical recruiting experience in high-growth enterprise, Big Tech, or specialized executive search environments.
• A proven record of using advanced sourcing methods such as GitHub, arXiv, Google Scholar, and conference rosters to engage AI practitioners.
• A demonstrated history of achieving offer acceptance rates of 60% or higher in competitive, low-yield technical talent pools.
• Deep familiarity with NYC and East Coast technology and research talent ecosystems.
• An established network in key East Coast and national AI hubs and top PhD programs.

Responsibilities

• Drive full-lifecycle technical recruiting for specialized talent in AI Engineering, Machine Learning, Applied Research, and Data Science.
• Use advanced and unconventional sourcing channels, including GitHub, Google Scholar, arXiv, academic channels, research papers, and technical communities and conferences, to identify and engage AI talent.
• Partner with Engineering Directors, VPs, and Research Leads to refine job profiles, establish interview rubrics, and support efficient, data-driven hiring workflows.
• Develop and execute competitive closing strategies for elite candidates, including navigating complex equity buyouts, sign-on structures, and competing offers.
• Map competitor ecosystems, including major technology companies, research labs, and AI startups, to identify talent pools and share market insights with internal partners.
• Use recruiting SLAs, funnel metrics, and candidate conversion data to optimize pipeline velocity and offer acceptance.
• Provide a high-touch, differentiated candidate experience for sought-after researchers and engineers.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health, financial, and other benefits supporting total well-being.
• Eligibility for performance-based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonuses and/or long-term incentives.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior