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

Capital One • McLean, VA

3d • $138,100 - $173,400 • Hybrid

About The Position

Capital One is seeking an experienced Manager, Senior Technical Recruiter (Individual Contributor) for its Enterprise AI Talent Acquisition team. The role supports the company’s expansion of AI, Deep Learning, and Applied Research capabilities by sourcing, engaging, and closing specialized talent across AI Engineering, Machine Learning Infrastructure, Applied Research, and Advanced Data Science. The recruiter serves as a strategic advisor to senior engineering and research leaders in highly competitive talent markets.

The position involves full-lifecycle technical recruiting, advanced sourcing through research papers, academic channels, unconventional platforms, and technology communities, and partnership with Engineering Directors, VPs, and Research Leads to refine job profiles, interview rubrics, and data-driven hiring workflows. The recruiter also develops candidate closing strategies, negotiates complex offer packages, maps competitor ecosystems, and shares market intelligence with internal partners.

This is a hybrid position, subject to Capital One’s hybrid policy and required on-site presence at the designated office. The listed annual salary ranges are $151,900–$173,400 in McLean, Virginia, and $138,100–$157,700 in Richmond, Virginia. The role is also eligible for performance-based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonuses and/or long-term incentives. Capital One states it will not provide immigration-related support for a new applicant 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.
• Commitment to providing a high-touch, differentiated candidate experience.
• An established network within key East Coast and national AI hubs and top PhD programs.

Nice To Haves

• 5+ years of technical recruiting experience in high-growth enterprise, Big Tech, or specialized executive search environments.
• A proven track record 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.

Responsibilities

• Drive full-lifecycle technical recruiting for specialized talent in AI Engineering, Machine Learning, Applied Research, and Data Science.
• Use unconventional sourcing platforms, research papers, academic channels, and technology communities such as GitHub, Google Scholar, arXiv, NeurIPS, ICML, and CVPR to identify and engage highly qualified 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 candidate closing strategies, including navigating complex multi-year equity buyouts, sign-on structures, and competing offers.
• Map competitor ecosystems—including Big Tech, research labs, and AI startups—to identify emerging 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.

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