Senior Recruiter

Job Overview Highwire is seeking a Senior Recruiter to lead full-cycle recruitment, develop proactive sourcing strategies, and build long-term talent pipelines across agency and corporate functions. As a key member of the People team, this role will partner closely with leaders to understand business needs, identify exceptional talent, and strengthen Highwire’s ability to attract and engage candidates for both current and future opportunities. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in passive candidate sourcing, talent market research, and relationship building, with the ability to translate business needs into effective recruiting strategies. This role will serve as a trusted talent advisor to hiring leaders while developing relationships with qualified candidates beyond traditional applicant pools and positioning Highwire to proactively access top talent. Success in this role requires strong recruiting judgment, exceptional relationship-building skills, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving agency environment where priorities and hiring needs can shift quickly. Key Responsibilities Strategic Sourcing & Talent Pipeline Development Develop and execute proactive sourcing strategies across PR, communications, marketing, digital, creative, and corporate functions. Build and maintain talent pipelines for current, anticipated, hard-to-fill, and recurring roles, cultivating relationships with qualified candidates before positions become available. Leverage LinkedIn Recruiter, Boolean search, talent mapping, referrals, networking, and other sourcing techniques to identify passive candidates beyond traditional applicant pools. Conduct talent market research to understand candidate availability, competitive landscapes, and effective sourcing channels; use these insights to evaluate pipeline health and refine sourcing strategies. Serve as a trusted talent advisor to hiring leaders, developing a strong understanding of business objectives, team dynamics, and talent needs. Translate business priorities into clear role requirements and recruiting strategies while advising on talent availability, candidate expectations, market trends, and competitive positioning. Guide interview strategy, candidate assessment, and hiring decisions, offering alternative approaches when candidate profiles or expectations need to be recalibrated. Build strong hiring manager partnerships through regular communication and weekly updates on search progress, pipeline activity, candidate feedback, and next steps. Partner with the Director of Talent Strategy to anticipate hiring needs and align recruiting priorities with broader business goals. Full-Cycle Recruitment Lead full-cycle recruitment across agency and corporate functions, including PR, integrated communications, digital, creative, and corporate roles, managing searches from kickoff through offer. Identify and assess talent through proactive sourcing, networking, referrals, and inbound applicants while maintaining search momentum and keeping hiring teams aligned. Deliver an exceptional candidate experience through thoughtful engagement, timely communication, transparency, and consistent follow-through. Develop a strong understanding of Highwire’s compensation structure, salary bands, and benefits offerings to communicate total rewards and set clear candidate expectations throughout the process. Lead offer discussions and negotiations, partnering with hiring leaders and the Director of Talent Strategy to develop competitive offers, balance candidate expectations with compensation guidelines and internal equity, address concerns, and successfully close candidates. Recruiting Strategy & Process Improvement Partner with the Director of Talent Strategy to strengthen recruiting practices, sourcing approaches, and scalable processes across the agency. Maintain accurate, up-to-date candidate, search, and pipeline information in Greenhouse (ATS) and supporting trackers, ensuring data integrity and visibility into recruiting activity and hiring progress. Track key recruiting metrics, including pipeline development, sourcing effectiveness, time to fill, and candidate conversion, using insights to inform decisions and identify opportunities for improvement. Identify opportunities to streamline recruiting workflows and improve the candidate experience. Collaborate with the People team on employer branding, job descriptions, and hiring communications while supporting inclusive hiring through broader sourcing channels and diverse talent networks. Lead sourcing and recruitment for the agency’s internship program, identifying early-career talent aligned with Highwire’s needs. Build relationships with universities, career centers, and relevant professional organizations to strengthen early-career pipelines. Manage the intern recruitment process with hiring teams, delivering a coordinated candidate experience and developing sustainable pipelines for future agency needs. Success Factors 5+ years of recruiting experience: Ideally within PR, communications, marketing, creative, digital, agency, or professional services environments. Deep sourcing expertise: Proven ability to identify and engage high-quality passive candidates through targeted, research-driven sourcing strategies. Pipeline development: Experience building talent pipelines that support immediate hiring needs and long-term workforce planning. Strategic talent partnership: Ability to build credibility with senior leaders, understand business needs, and translate them into effective recruiting strategies. Market intelligence: Ability to research talent markets and advise hiring teams on candidate availability, competitive dynamics, profiles, and expectations. Full-cycle recruiting: Experience managing searches from intake through offer while balancing candidate experience, hiring team partnership, and recruiting outcomes. Compensation negotiation: Strong negotiation skills and experience extending offers, navigating compensation discussions, and balancing candidate expectations with salary bands and internal equity. Candidate experience: Commitment to delivering a thoughtful, engaging, and transparent candidate experience through timely communication and consistent follow-through. Data-informed decision-making: Comfort using recruiting metrics and pipeline insights to evaluate effectiveness, identify challenges, and adjust strategies. Relationship-building and communication: Ability to engage candidates, influence hiring decisions, and build trusted partnerships across teams and leadership levels. Adaptability and agility: Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment where priorities and hiring needs change quickly, shifting focus and reprioritizing while maintaining organization and momentum. Proactive, resourceful mindset: Takes ownership of searches, anticipates hiring needs, and consistently explores new ways to identify and attract talent. Commitment to inclusive hiring: Experience broadening talent networks and creating equitable, thoughtful candidate experiences. Recruiting technology: Experience with applicant tracking systems (Greenhouse experience preferred), LinkedIn Recruiter, and advanced search techniques. Proficiency in Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel for pipeline tracking, reporting, and recruiting data management. The salary range for this position is $80,000 to $105,000, with the final offer based on a combination of factors, including education, relevant experience, skills, prior training, internal equity, and local geographic market data. This role also includes a competitive benefits package with medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) matching, generous paid time off, and additional perks designed to support your overall well-being and growth. #LI-Hybrid About Highwire Highwire is a strategic marketing communications agency at the intersection of innovation and industry. We partner with ambitious companies and established brands to navigate complexity, lead markets, and grow with purpose. With integrated expertise in strategic marketing and communications, corporate reputation, creative, and insights, we cut through the noise to deliver bold ideas and measurable impact across B2B technology, healthcare, cybersecurity, energy, professional and financial services, and more. At Highwire, we believe that storytelling fuels transformation. We know that the most impactful stories represent all voices and perspectives. As a values-driven agency, we foster an inclusive environment where everyone—regardless of age, race/ethnicity, size, shape, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and different abilities–can feel safe, celebrated and worthy. We ensure that every Highwire Walker has the requisite support to soar in their careers. Our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging is foundational and embedded in our business and culture. We aspire to change our industry and build a better future for all. Our people-first culture is driven by four core values: Team Empowerment Growth Mindset Inclusion Always Fierce Distinction We’re looking for individuals with big ideas, strong opinions, and the energy to bring them to life. If you thrive in an environment that values personal accountability, high standards, and boundless motivation, this is the opportunity for you. Be part of our award-winning culture and contribute to an exciting and growing business where you can make a real impact. Our people-first culture is reflected in the meaningful benefits, flexibility, and support we offer: Competitive salary with merit-based opportunities for growth Flexible hybrid work model tailored to your schedule and lifestyle Generous vacation policy, including extended summer and winter breaks Early log-off on Fridays through our Empower Hours program 401(k) plan with employer matching Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus FSA options Paid parental leave benefits Annual Growth Mindset stipend for books, events, or learning experiences Monthly technology reimbursement Wellness benefit program for mental and physical health 501c3 donation matching program Mentorship and ongoing professional development opportunities Monthly recognition and team celebrations Employee referral and new business referral bonuses Quarterly Highwire events and team gatherings Dog-friendly office environment A supportive, inclusive, and collaborative workplace where you can grow and do your best work Highwire offers both remote and hybrid work options, depending on where you live. Hybrid: Candidates located within commuting distance of our New York, NY or San Francisco, CA offices follow a hybrid schedule, with three in-office days per week. Remote: We hire for fully remote roles in the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C.. Please note: We are only able to consider candidates who reside in one of the locations listed above at the time of hire. Join the Highwire team U.S. Standard Demographic Questions We invite applicants to share their demographic background. If you choose to complete this survey, your responses may be used to identify areas of improvement in our hiring process. How would you describe your gender identity? Select... How would you describe your racial/ethnic background? 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