Principal Technical Recruiter
Etsy is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods. We build, power, and evolve the tools and technologies that connect millions of entrepreneurs with millions of buyers around the world. As an Etsy Inc. employee, you will tackle unique, meaningful, and large-scale problems alongside passionate coworkers, all the while making a rewarding impact and Keeping Commerce Human.
About the role
We're looking for a Principal Recruiter to own full lifecycle recruiting for Data Science and Machine Learning at Etsy. This is a senior individual contributor role for someone who thrives in ambiguity, earns trust with deeply technical stakeholders, and holds a high bar for candidate quality. You'll partner closely with hiring managers across DS and ML to build pipelines, drive process, and close exceptional talent in a competitive market. This is a full-time position reporting to the Talent Acquisition Manager.
For this role, we are considering candidates based in the United States. Candidates living within commutable distance of Etsy’s Brooklyn Office Hub may be the first to be considered. For candidates within commutable distance, Etsy requires in-office attendance once or twice per week depending on your proximity to the office.
About the team
You'll join a Talent Acquisition team that takes craft seriously — we care about candidate experience, data-informed decisions, and earning our seat at the table with the business. We're a collaborative team that shares market intelligence, calibrates together, and holds each other to a high bar. You'll be embedded in Etsy's broader People + Workplace organization, with strong cross-functional ties to Compensation, People Business Partners, and Workforce Planning.
Etsy's DS and ML org is doing real work: building recommendation systems, search ranking, and personalization at scale — you'll need to understand what you're recruiting for.
Responsibilities
- Own the full recruiting lifecycle for Data Science and Machine Learning roles — from intake through offer — with minimal direction.
- Build and execute sourcing strategies for senior and highly technical talent, including applied scientists, ML engineers, and data scientists at all levels.
- Act as a true partner to hiring managers: challenge misaligned expectations, bring market data, and push back when the process isn't set up to succeed.
- Develop and maintain talent pipelines for roles that recur or require long lead times.
- Track and report on pipeline health, time-to-fill, and quality-of-hire metrics using Workday Recruit.
- Contribute to team-level improvements — process, tooling, or sourcing — not just your own desk.
- Represent Etsy well at every candidate touchpoint. DS and ML candidates talk to each other.
- Assume that your role will encompass other tasks, and that your job duties and responsibilities may change from time to time at Etsy's discretion.
Requirements
- 8+ years of full lifecycle recruiting experience, with significant time spent on technical roles in Data Science, Machine Learning, or AI.
- You can hold a credible conversation about DS/ML — model types, research vs. applied roles, the difference between a data scientist and an ML engineer.
- Strong client management: you run the process, you don't just support it. Hiring managers trust your judgment.
- Track record of closing senior candidates in competitive markets (FAANG-adjacent or research-heavy environments).
- Data fluency: you use pipeline metrics to diagnose problems and make the case for process changes.
- Experience with Workday Recruit or a comparable enterprise ATS (Applicant Tracking System).
- You know when to push back, and you do it well — with data, not just opinion.
- Comfortable with ambiguity and able to prioritize across multiple open searches without losing quality.
Pay
Salary Range: $149,000.00 - $193,000.00
Benefits
- Equity package
- Annual performance bonus
- Competitive benefits that support you and your family as part of your total rewards package at Etsy