Senior Recruiter

Job Title: Senior Recruiter

Department/Location: Human Resources, St. Louis, MO

Position Type: Full-time, 12-month

Summary

The Senior Recruiter on Principia’s HR team is a hands‑on, full‑cycle recruiting partner who owns searches from intake to offer across Principia (School, College, and our Shared Services team). Reporting directly to the Chief Human Resources Officer, and in close partnership with hiring managers and HR Generalists, this role launches searches, actively sources and screens talent, and guides hiring managers, search committees, and candidates with care at every step. The Senior Recruiter maintains impeccable ATS/CRM records, provides clear and consistent recruiting updates, and ensures timely, values‑centered communications that reflect Principia’s mission and commitment to an inclusive and excellent candidate experience. 

The role collaborates with Career Services, Admissions, Alumni/Field Relations, and Marketing to extend reach for current openings and near‑term searches, with occasional travel for relationship building in key locations and specific events. Success in this role draws on impeccable follow‑through and responsiveness, resourcefulness, and creativity in sourcing hard‑to‑find talent, collaboration and service‑orientation with hiring managers and HR Generalists, and dedication and follow-through to improving both the candidate and the hiring team experience. 

Who We Are

At our award-winning Early Childhood through grade 12 Principia School in St. Louis, Missouri, and top-ranked Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, Principia faculty and staff make up a close-knit community of educators, coaches, and professionals taking a distinct approach to education—blending academic excellence with Christian Science-based character education. Principia’s team of over 500 employees supports not only Principia School and Principia College, but also a worldwide network of alumni and friends. 

Principia employees are part of an engaging academic community preparing students to be tomorrow’s leaders, thinkers, and changemakers. We strive to create a collaborative and inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong and are valued.

Primary Responsibilities

• Builds and cultivates relationships internally and externally, recruiting not just for immediate needs but also for future, potential needs
• Develops a pool of qualified candidates, proactively searching for top talent using various recruiting methods, including direct sourcing through networking, internal recruitment, web-based tools, and social media
• Partners with Marketing to create and maintain recruiting collateral, including the careers page, LinkedIn presence and activity, regular outreach to the field (such as quarterly careers emails), flyers, postcards, and other materials
• Conducts timely intake and kickoff meetings with hiring managers and search committees to align on role profile, selection criteria, interview panel, timeline, and communication norms
• Posts job requests to approved channels and coordinates role-specific visibility with Marketing as needed
• Actively sources and nurtures candidates via ATS/CRM, referrals, networking, alumni and community channels, and job boards for immediate and near-term pipelines
• Reviews applications and conducts structured phone or video screens; presents qualified candidates to hiring managers
• Serves as the primary point of contact for candidates, providing caring, timely communications and setting clear expectations for next steps
• Maintains accurate, compliant ATS/CRM records, including notes, stages, documents, and disposition reasons, and monitors requisition and candidate movement
• Provides regular recruiting updates to hiring teams and HR/campus leadership, highlighting progress and next steps
• Captures candidate and hiring manager feedback; documents and refines recruiting processes with HR leadership for continuous improvement
• Aligns near-term recruiting priorities with the CHRO and HR Directors; rebalances as needed to meet expectations
• Partners with Career Services, Alumni/Field Relations, Admissions, and Marketing to expand reach for active roles and near-term pipelines
• In coordination with CHRO, participates in recruiting events and occasional travel to support high-priority searches and relationship-building
• In partnership with key leaders and marketing, develops and maintains a strong employer brand for Principia
• Tracks and reports on key recruiting metrics to support data-informed decisions and continuous improvement 
• Stays current on recruiting and relationship‑building best practices, market trends, and relevant compliance considerations; shares insights and training with hiring teams to continuously improve outcomes

Core Competencies

• Relationship Builder: Builds and sustains strong connections with a genuine interest in others
• Interpersonal Skills: Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively and professionally with candidates and staff at all levels and build strong relationships.
• Results Driven and Productivity: Ability to prioritize and deliver results in a high-volume environment.
• Communication: Communicates well (written and verbal), delivers compelling presentations, has strong listening skills, passion and drive, and both intellectual and emotional intelligence.
• Inclusive: Demonstrates awareness and respect for cultural differences, actively seeks to understand diverse perspectives, and supports cross-cultural interactions. Fosters an inclusive environment where individuals of all backgrounds feel valued and respected.
• Project Management: Monitors status of projects, thoroughly deals with project details, holds project owners accountable, delivers clear, accurate depiction of status.
• Problem Solving: Critical thinker and high-level problem-solver.
• Innovation and Adaptability: Inspires and welcomes change and innovation, open to new ideas and responsibilities in an entrepreneurial and rapidly evolving setting with a “can-do” attitude, team spirit, good humor, flexibility, and enthusiasm.
• Teamwork: Accountable to team, works to meet established deliverables, appreciates view of team members, respectful.

Role Requirements

• Student of Christian Science
• Supportive of Principia’s guiding statements as articulated here https://www.principia.edu/about/guiding-statements 
• A strong, established network within the Principia and Christian Science community, and a passionate commitment to liberal arts education and the Cause of Christian Science
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in recruiting or other related position (sales, development), effectively building networks and recruiting strategies
• Demonstrated experience in partnering with all types of teams and levels of professionals
• Proven background in using innovative research and sourcing methods to hire for niche areas and hard-to-fill roles
• Ability to work either in-person in St. Louis or Elsah or remotely, with the ability to travel. Regardless of work location, travel will be required up to 10% of the time (though could be higher during busier seasons).
• Professional human resources or relevant certification preferred

The statements above describe the general nature and level of work but are not a complete list of responsibilities and are subject to change at the discretion of Principia. 

Compensation and Benefits

We offer a competitive starting salary range for this position: $65,000 - $77,000 annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

In addition to salary, our comprehensive total rewards package includes:

• Generous Employee Tuition Discount: Enjoy a 90% discount on tuition (pro-rated for part-time staff) for your eligible children enrolled from Pre-K3 through College (infant and acorn programs excluded). 
• Relocation: Principia provides a relocation imbursement of up to 12% of your annual salary, when moving from outside a radius of more than 50 miles. 
• Professional Development: Access to learning opportunities, training programs, and career growth support.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Learn more about all our benefits here, including comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans, paid time off, a 403(b) retirement plan with Principia matching, and more. 

Equal Opportunity 

Principia, a mission-driven institution, believes every person has the right to an equitable and respectful educational environment and workplace. Principia does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender (identity or expression), sexual orientation, family status, disability, age, or military or veteran status. 

In hiring, admissions, and related decisions, Principia—as an institution with a religious mission—gives preference, where appropriate, to Christian Scientists.