PhD Recruiter

We're excited to grow our Early Career team with a unique opportunity! Figma's AI and research strategy is a critical company priority, and attracting exceptional research talent is central to how we deliver on it. We're looking for an experienced PhD Recruiter to own hiring strategy across Engineering and evolve our existing program into a scalable, year-round function. In this role, you'll lead end-to-end recruiting, shape hiring strategy with engineering leaders, and drive Figma's presence at top research conferences. You'll be a trusted strategic partner with a genuine seat at the table, helping define how Figma competes for some of the most sought-after AI and research talent in the world.

This is a full time role that can be held from one of our US hubs or remotely in the United States.

What you'll do at Figma:

• Manage the full-cycle recruiting process for intern and full-time PhD roles across Engineering including but not limited to Data, AI, Graphics, and Security
• Partner with Eng VPs and Directors to own PhD hiring strategy, shaping how Figma approaches and scales research talent across the org
• Lead Figma's presence at research conferences like NeurIPS, aligning stakeholders and running on-site logistics from booth setup to interviewer prep
• Own the publication process for PhD roles, partnering with hiring teams, legal, and senior leadership
• Mentor recruiters on the team supporting PhD efforts, growing the bench as the function scales
• Lead the strategic direction of the PhD recruiting function, building processes from scratch and closing offers with a rare, highly sought-after pool of research talent

We'd love to hear from you if you have:

• 6+ years of full-lifecycle technical recruiting experience in a high-growth organization, including 3+ years focused on PhD/research hiring
• A track record of hiring PhD candidates through self-sourced pipelines, including conferences, research labs, and professor connections
• Experience building and running PhD programs
• Demonstrated success partnering with senior engineering leaders and executives on high-priority, high-touch candidate and offer scenarios
• Willingness to travel internationally to conferences, universities, and labs, roughly 3-4 trips per year

While it's not required, it's an added plus if you also have:

• Familiar with Figma & FigJam

At Figma, one of our values is Grow as you go. We believe in hiring smart, curious people who are excited to learn and develop their skills. If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with the points outlined in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.