Principal Recruitment Consultant

Company Description

Empiric is a global recruitment agency dedicated to technology and business transformation sectors. With a presence in six offices worldwide, Empiric connects top-tier talent with leading organizations. The company provides tailored contract, permanent, and project-based recruitment solutions across more than 40 countries. As a trusted partner, Empiric is committed to fostering innovation and growth by aligning industry-leading professionals with cutting-edge opportunities.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced 360 Principal Recruitment Consultant to spearhead and grow our Data & AI recruiting practice in the U.S. This is a high-ownership role for a proven biller who thrives in a relationship-driven market, understands the nuances of contract hiring, and is motivated by building a business unit from the ground up.

You will drive new business development, deepen long-term client partnerships, source and deliver top-tier Data & AI talent, and play a key role in shaping our go-to-market strategy. This is an opportunity to be an influential leader within a fast-scaling, high-performance environment.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Strategy

• Own and execute a 360 recruitment model across client acquisition, candidate delivery, and account growth
• Build and scale a Data & AI contract talent portfolio and market presence
• Identify, develop, and nurture long-term client relationships with startups, scale-ups, enterprise tech, consultancies, and financial services
• Lead commercial strategy, pricing, and talent delivery workflows in partnership with leadership

Delivery & Relationship Management

• Manage full recruitment lifecycle from requirement intake through placement and aftercare
• Build and maintain a high-quality specialist talent network across Data Science, Machine Learning, AI Engineering, MLOps, Analytics, Data Engineering, LLM & GenAI
• Provide consultative market insights and talent advisory to clients and candidates
• Deliver consistent pipeline activity, client meetings, and relationship-based business growth

Leadership & Practice Ownership

• Act as the subject-matter expert and brand representative for the Data & AI market
• Help drive operational excellence, recruitment best practices, and playbook creation
• Mentor junior consultants as the practice grows

Required Experience & Skills

• 3+ years of full-desk / 360 recruitment experience in technology (contract/interim preferred)
• Proven track record of consistent billing success in a competitive recruitment environment
• Expertise or prior specialization in Data, AI, Cloud, or adjacent technical fields
• Strong business development ability, with experience securing and scaling strategic accounts
• Entrepreneurial mindset, commercially driven, and comfortable with autonomy
• Outstanding communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills

What We Offer

• Opportunity to build and lead a high-growth Data & AI recruitment vertical
• Competitive compensation structure with uncapped earnings
• Autonomy, influence, and clear progression into leadership
• Collaborative, high-performance culture with global support and investment
• Modern tools, data-driven recruitment technology, and marketing support