Principal Recruiter, Strategic AI Talent

OpenAI

. Partner directly with the Head of Research Recruiting and research leadership team to define priority talent targets and shape bespoke engagement strategies.

Posted 5/20/2026full-timeSan Francisco • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $216,000 - $240,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Partner directly with the Head of Research Recruiting and research leadership team to define priority talent targets and shape bespoke engagement strategies.
Build and maintain deep market intelligence across frontier AI, research, engineering, and adjacent talent ecosystems, including competitor movement, candidate motivations, and relationship context.
Proactively identify, map, and cultivate exceptional high-profile talent before there is a formal or standard hiring process attached.
Translate weak signals, network intelligence, and market gossip into concrete recruiting actions, outreach plans, and leadership recommendations.
Manage highly tailored candidate journeys that may involve confidential outreach, senior stakeholder alignment, custom evaluation paths, and complex closing strategy.
Coordinate with executive search firms, sourcers, recruiting coordinators, and internal networks to move priority searches forward with speed and discretion.
Serve as a trusted advisor on candidate positioning, timing, risk, compensation, and closing strategy for especially sensitive or high-impact hires.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Significant experience recruiting for highly technical, senior, executive, or otherwise specialized talent.
Strong judgment and discretion in handling sensitive candidate conversations and confidential searches.
A real instinct for talent intelligence: you know how to gather market context, read between the lines, and turn incomplete information into useful action.
Track record of building relationships with hard-to-reach candidates who are not actively looking or who require a highly personalized process.
Experience partnering closely with senior leaders and influencing recruiting strategy in ambiguous, fast-moving environments.
Comfort operating outside the standard process when needed, while still bringing structure, follow-through, and sound judgment.
Deep interest in AI research, technical talent markets, and the broader ecosystem of labs, companies, and people shaping the frontier.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts
Pre-tax accounts for Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and commuter expenses (parking and transit)
401(k) retirement plan with employer match
Paid parental leave (up to 24 weeks for birth parents and 20 weeks for non-birthing parents), plus paid medical and caregiver leave (up to 8 weeks)
Paid time off: flexible PTO for exempt employees and up to 15 days annually for non-exempt employees
13+ paid company holidays, and multiple paid coordinated company office closures throughout the year for focus and recharge, plus paid sick or safe time (1 hour per 30 hours worked, or more, as required by applicable state or local law)
Mental health and wellness support
Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage
Annual learning and development stipend to fuel your professional growth
Daily meals in our offices, and meal delivery credits as eligible
Relocation support for eligible employees
Additional taxable fringe benefits, such as charitable donation matching and wellness stipends, may also be provided.

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Soft Skills

judgmentdiscretiontalent intelligencerelationship buildinginfluencing strategycomfort with ambiguitypersonalizationconfidentialitystakeholder alignmentclosing strategy