Senior Director/Director, Talent Acquisition & Culture - Engineering

AppLovin•Palo Alto, CA
•$200,000 - $330,000

About The Position

AppLovin is seeking a Talent Acquisition & Culture Leader to shape how the company attracts, engages, and retains talent across its global Engineering organization. Reporting directly to the CTO, this leader will manage a small global team spanning recruiting, talent operations, and events. The role oversees technical recruiting, university programs, campus employer branding, talent development, and employee engagement, and partners with the branding team on AppLovin’s broader employer brand. This is a hands-on leadership role embedded within Engineering. The leader will develop strategic priorities, build and support the team, and personally lead selected senior, business-critical, and hard-to-fill searches. In partnership with Engineering and HR leaders, the role will also advance programs and experiences that support employee well-being, strengthen belonging, and build meaningful connections across global teams.

Requirements

  • 10+ years of recruiting experience, including at least 5 years managing people.
  • Demonstrated success leading technical recruiting in a fast-moving, high-performing organization.
  • Ability to build, coach, and develop global talent teams spanning recruiting, programs, and events, with clear expectations and accountability for results.
  • Track record of personally attracting, assessing, and closing highly sought-after technical talent, including senior candidates and candidates for hard-to-fill roles.
  • Hands-on leadership approach combining strategic thinking with disciplined execution and the ability to balance team leadership with direct recruiting ownership.
  • Experience advising senior Engineering leaders across geographies, influencing decisions, aligning stakeholders, and navigating competing priorities.
  • Strong business acumen and analytical judgment, including the ability to challenge assumptions, anticipate talent needs, and connect recruiting priorities to business outcomes.
  • Sound judgment and discretion in sensitive people matters, with the ability to recognize concerns and engage appropriate HR or legal partners.

Nice To Haves

  • Experience building or scaling university recruiting, internship, and new-graduate programs that create lasting talent pipelines.

Responsibilities

  • Shape and drive the global technical recruiting strategy, aligning hiring priorities, university programs, and recruiting events with business goals.
  • Lead and develop a global team of recruiters, program managers, and events professionals, setting clear priorities and accountability.
  • Personally drive selected high-priority searches from sourcing through close.
  • Partner with the CTO and Engineering leaders as a trusted talent advisor, translating business strategy into actionable hiring plans and anticipating future talent needs.
  • Build and scale global university recruiting programs, deepen university partnerships, and create pathways from internships to full-time careers.
  • Contribute to AppLovin’s overall employer branding efforts in partnership with the branding team.
  • Lead campus employer branding through events and targeted campaigns that strengthen the university presence and connect with emerging talent.
  • In partnership with Engineering and HR leaders, bring to life programs and experiences that support employee well-being, strengthen belonging, and build connections across global teams.

Benefits

  • Equity eligibility and other forms of incentive compensation, as applicable to the position.
  • Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
  • 401(k) Retirement Plan.
  • Unlimited Discretionary Time Off.
  • 10 paid holidays per year.
  • 80 hours of paid sick leave per year.
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