Principal Recruiter

Seattle Sounders FC & Seattle Reign FC•Renton, WA

3d•$140,000 - $190,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle Reign FC, and RAVE Foundation are seeking a senior individual-contributor recruiter to lead talent acquisition and hiring across the organizations. Reporting to the Chief People Officer, the Principal Recruiter owns searches from role definition through offer and partners with executive leadership on hiring strategy, workforce planning, and talent decisions. The role combines hands-on recruiting with strategic advising and building effective, consistent, and inclusive hiring systems. The Principal Recruiter will establish hiring standards and practices, lead complex searches, build talent pipelines, improve recruiting measurement and reporting, and equip hiring managers through training and coaching. The role will also lead responsible use of AI, automation, and recruiting technology, with appropriate human oversight, candidate privacy, and accountability. The position is based at the Providence Swedish Performance Center & Clubhouse in Renton, Washington. The team works in person Monday through Thursday, with flexibility to work remotely on Fridays. Occasional evening and weekend work is part of the role, and workloads may vary with the soccer calendar and peak hiring periods.

Requirements

At least 10 years of full-cycle recruiting experience, including hiring individual contributors, leaders, and executives.
A track record of raising hiring standards 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 to automate or improve complex, multistep work processes.
Hands-on proficiency using AI assistants, automation platforms, and connected tools to improve productivity and organizational effectiveness, with sound judgment in evaluating outputs and maintaining human oversight.
Experience partnering with leadership on hiring strategy, workforce planning, and talent priorities.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to influence, coach, and build trust across 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, and judgment about when to involve Legal.
Commitment to fair, inclusive, and responsible hiring practices.
Must reside in Washington state upon date of hire.
Must be able to facilitate own local travel.
Must be eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship.
Able to work outdoors regularly, stand for long periods, and lift up to 20 pounds.

Responsibilities

Lead talent acquisition and hiring across Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle Reign FC, and RAVE Foundation, owning the process from role definition through offer.
Run complex and confidential searches, building trusted relationships with leaders and candidates.
Partner with leadership to define role expectations and culture-related behaviors, and assess candidates through structured, evidence-based evaluation.
Advise executive leadership on workforce planning, hiring priorities, and talent decisions using market insight, recruiting expertise, and sound judgment.
Partner with the Chief People Officer to establish and uphold consistent hiring practices, tools, and workflows across departments.
Lead responsible use of AI, automation, and recruiting technology to improve effectiveness and hiring outcomes.
Develop recruiting measurement and reporting capabilities to show hiring performance, inform decisions, and identify improvements.
Train, guide, and coach hiring managers to support effective recruitments and better hiring decisions.
Build proactive talent pipelines and sourcing strategies, including for passive and hard-to-reach talent.
Mentor and guide the Senior HR Generalist and People & Culture partners on recruiting practices, standards, and tools.
Partner across People & Culture and the broader organization to align recruiting with business needs, compensation practices, and organizational priorities.
Champion equitable, responsible, and compliant recruiting, maintaining appropriate human oversight, candidate privacy, and accountability.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

100% employer-sponsored medical, dental, and vision premiums for employees and dependents.
Employer contributions to a Health Savings Account for employees enrolled in the HSA healthcare plan: $1,000 annually for employee-only coverage or $2,000 for spouse or family coverage.
Unlimited paid vacation, paid company holidays, and paid sick leave in compliance with Seattle’s Paid Sick and Safe Time ordinance.
Paid bereavement leave and paid jury duty leave.
401(k) retirement plan matching.
A $10,000 lifetime maximum fertility benefit through the healthcare plan, covering specified fertility treatments and related medications.
Gender-neutral paid parental leave of 12–16 weeks, inclusive of Washington Paid Family & Medical Leave.
Employer-paid long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment coverage.
Complimentary tickets to matches.
Employer-funded ORCA cards for public transit.
Learning and development programs and resources.
Volunteer opportunities aligned with social impact goals and RAVE Foundation initiatives.