Senior IT Recruiter

CATHEXIS•Tysons, VA

4d•$115,000 - $125,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Team CATHEXIS elevates the government contracting experience through rapid response, deep skill, and thoughtful problem-solving and communication. Our core capabilities are our top-tier program and project management, data analytics, and audit services, the backbone of which is our integrated approach to operational excellence. We are seeking an exceptional Senior IT Recruiter to join our growing Talent Acquisition team. This is a senior, strategic role — not a transactional recruiting seat. You will own full-lifecycle recruiting for cleared technical positions across our federal client portfolio, with immediate ownership of surge requisitions for AI/ML Engineers and Data Scientists. The ideal candidate is a top performer who operates with a high degree of autonomy, hunts passive cleared talent rather than waiting for applicants, closes offers quickly in a market where every strong candidate has alternatives, and brings a data-driven mindset to every conversation — presenting pipeline insights, market intelligence, and strategic recommendations. This will be a hybrid role with 3 days a week onsite in Tysons, VA.

Requirements

8+ years of full-lifecycle IT/technical recruiting experience with a documented record of excellence
5+ years of experience recruiting in a government contracting (GovCon) environment.
Proven AI/ML recruiting depth: successful placements of machine learning engineers, data scientists, or AI researchers/engineers, with the technical fluency to screen credibly for ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow), data pipelines, MLOps, and model deployment.
Demonstrated cleared-talent recruiting experience (Secret/TS/TS-SCI): command of clearance types and timelines, crossover and reciprocity dynamics, and cleared-market compensation.
Elite direct-sourcing craft — advanced Boolean/x-ray search, talent mapping, competitor intelligence, and outreach that converts passive, in-demand candidates.
Breadth across technical domains — software engineering, cloud/DevOps, data engineering, and/or cybersecurity — sufficient to carry a mixed requisition load.
Offer-stage excellence: a track record of constructing competitive offers, pre-closing candidates, and defending against counteroffers in high-demand markets.
Operational discipline: ATS fluency (Workable or similar) and sourcing tools (LinkedIn Recruiter, ClearanceJobs, etc.), with rigorous, same-day documentation habits.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the confidence to present market intelligence and pipeline strategy to hiring managers, stakeholders, and senior leadership.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, a technical field, or a related field (or equivalent work experience).
Professional recruiting certifications — AIRS Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR) or Advanced CIR, AIRS Professional Recruiter Certification (PRC), LinkedIn Certified Professional–Recruiter, ASA Certified Staffing Professional (CSP), or NAPS Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC).
HR credentials such as SHRM-CP/SCP or HRCI PHR/aPHR, with working familiarity of OFCCP-compliant recruiting and documentation practices in a federal contractor environment.
Experience delivering surge or high-volume technical campaigns under compressed timelines.
Experience recruiting for AI/data programs specifically (e.g., ML platforms, analytics modernization, mission AI applications).

Responsibilities

Own full-lifecycle delivery for assigned cleared technical requisitions — structured intake, market mapping and sourcing strategy, outreach, technical screening, interview coordination and velocity management, and offers and negotiations.
Hunt passive cleared talent — AI/ML Engineers, Data Scientists, and adjacent domains (software engineering, cloud/DevOps, data engineering, etc.) through ClearanceJobs, LinkedIn Recruiter, Boolean search, professional networks, etc.
Recruit across clearance levels (Secret through TS/SCI), with a solid understanding of clearance eligibility.
Screen with technical credibility — assess ML frameworks, data pipelines, model deployment, and cloud architecture experience well enough to earn the respect of hiring managers and candidates alike.
Run offers like a closer: cleared-market compensation intelligence, expectation-setting from first contact, pre-closing before the offer stage, and structured counteroffer negotiations.
Build and maintain a talent pipeline of cleared AI/ML and data science talent — and deliver reporting metrics.
Architect durable, always-on talent pipelines — tiered engagement of prior contacts, networks, referral cultivation, and employer-brand touchpoints — so surge demand is met from warm pipeline rather than cold-start sourcing.
Partner with hiring managers — structured intake meetings, weekly data-backed pipeline reviews, market feedback, and proposed resolutions.
Provide consultative guidance to hiring managers on interview best practices, offer strategy, talent/req activity, candidate experience, etc.
Influence and advise when necessary — advocating for competitive offers, realistic timelines, and process improvements that protect candidate quality and business outcomes.
Represent CATHEXIS credibly to every candidate.
Own your numbers — time-to-fill, source-of-hire, submittal-to-interview and interview-to-offer ratios, and offer acceptance.
Present market intelligence, pipeline insights, and recruitment performance summaries to stakeholders and the Director, Talent Acquisition with clear, actionable recommendations.
Operate established Talent Acquisition standards from day one — same-day documentation of candidate outreach and responses in the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), published engagement cadence and release standards, and defined pipeline ownership lanes.
Partner collaboratively with fellow TA team members, agency partners, and HR to ensure a seamless candidate and hiring manager experience.