Talent Acquisition Principal

The MITRE Corporation•McLean, VA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Why choose between doing meaningful work and having a fulfilling life? At MITRE, you can have both. That's because MITRE people are committed to tackling our nation's toughest challenges—and we're committed to the long-term well-being of our employees. MITRE is different from most technology companies. We are a not-for-profit corporation chartered to work for the public interest, with no commercial conflicts to influence what we do. The R&D centers we operate for the government create lasting impact in fields as diverse as cybersecurity, healthcare, aviation, defense, and enterprise transformation. We're making a difference every day—working for a safer, healthier, and more secure nation and world. Our workplace reflects our values. We offer competitive benefits, exceptional professional development opportunities for career growth, and a culture of innovation that embraces adaptability, collaboration, technical excellence, and people in partnership. If this sounds like the choice you want to make, then choose MITRE - and make a difference with us. MITRE is seeking an experienced Talent Acquisition Principal to join our team of talent strategists who connect extraordinary talent to MITRE’s mission. Reporting to the Talent Acquisition Senior Manager, our Talent Acquisition Principal leads the end-to-end recruitment lifecycle and partners closely with hiring teams to deliver a seamless, high-impact hiring experience. Aligned to a specific business unit, this role develops and executes talent attraction strategies, advises leaders on hiring decisions, manages their own set of requisitions, and leads a team of recruiters to ensure an exceptional candidate journey from outreach through onboarding.

Requirements

Typically requires a minimum of 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 8 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 5 years’ experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
Experience leading a team of recruiters and driving recruiting outcomes through direct leadership, collaboration, and influence.
Proven success managing and prioritizing a high-volume requisition load.
Strong communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills at all organizational levels.
Demonstrated ability to build trust, navigate complex dynamics, and adapt to changing priorities.
Proficiency with ATS and HCM systems; Workday and Phenom experience preferred.
Ability to travel occasionally; ability to work 2-3 days per week on site in McLean, VA

Nice To Haves

Experience recruiting within government contracting, FFRDCs, and/or non-profit organizations, demonstrating a strong understanding of government hiring practices and security clearance requirements.
Proven ability to design, manage, and execute full-cycle recruitment plans and talent acquisition strategies across complex business units, guiding the process from qualified lead through final offer.
Demonstrated skill in optimizing candidate pipeline health and flow, focusing on efficiency, conversion rates, and improving the candidate experience during the interview, assessment, and offer stages.
Strong analytical skills with experience in developing and presenting recruiting metrics and reports to inform hiring strategies and communicate progress to the business.
Experience partnering cross-functionally with marketing and communications teams to design, launch, and measure the effectiveness of targeted recruiting campaigns and employer branding initiatives.

Responsibilities

Serve as a consultative business partner to business leaders, collaborating with business leaders, HR and TA leadership to understand mission priorities and workforce needs.
Partner with the TA Senior Manager to align recruiting priorities, execution plans, and delivery against hiring goals.
Develop and execute targeted sourcing and attraction strategies leveraging tools, events, campaigns, and social platforms to build high-quality pipelines.
Use recruiting data and market insights (e.g., talent supply, sourcing channel effectiveness, pipeline health) to guide decision-making and continuously improve outcomes.
Provide regular updates, metrics, and progress reporting to hiring teams and leadership.
Build trusted partnerships with hiring managers through data-driven consultation on timelines, talent availability, and selection approaches.
Team with Recruiters to deliver an exceptional candidate experience through timely communication, transparency, and personalized engagement.
Guide the recruiters and recruiting coordinator/s on process execution to ensure operational excellence.
Participate in talent events and act as a MITRE brand ambassador to attract top talent as needed.
Partner with TA Leadership team to identify and drive TA operational excellence and process improvements that enhance recruiting speed, quality, and efficiency.
Own a portfolio of requisitions and delivers full life cycle recruiting services, to produce hires as needed.