Director, Recruiting & Candidate Experience at Chess

About Chess.com

Chess.com stands as one of the world's largest gaming sites and the leading platform for playing, learning, and enjoying chess. Our team comprises over 600 fully remote individuals across more than 60 countries, all dedicated to serving the global chess community. We are committed to supporting over 200 million chess players worldwide by providing the best possible product, content, and tools. We are a dynamic tech company, a gaming company, and a content company, driven by passion and commitment to the game. Above all, we cherish our mission-driven, flat, life-celebrating, and non-corporate culture, and we are eager to connect with you and discover what you can bring to our team.

About the Role

As the Director, Recruiting & Candidate Experience, you will be instrumental in defining the 'how' behind our team's growth and ensuring an exceptional experience for all prospective Chess.com employees. You will strategize our entire recruiting function and lead the full hiring lifecycle, guaranteeing a scalable approach that offers every candidate a clear, respectful, and positive journey. At Chess.com, leaders are also active contributors, so you will manage a small portfolio of roles yourself to stay connected to the work. You will collaborate closely with leaders across the organization to ensure our hiring practices align with our culture and attract individuals who significantly enhance our ability to serve the global chess community. A critical aspect of this role involves developing a more data-informed recruiting function, using internal metrics and market insights to identify successes, areas for improvement, and thoughtful scaling strategies without compromising quality or humanity. We are seeking a leader who can expertly balance strategic planning with practical execution, and who deeply values the human element of the recruiting process.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Lead and manage recruiting efforts across a globally distributed, fully remote organization, adeptly navigating regional market differences and scaling responsibilities.
• Design and direct a multi-year talent acquisition strategy that is closely aligned with our company's mission and long-term business objectives.
• Take ownership of company-wide hiring outcomes, striking a balance between speed, quality, and the long-term health of our talent pipeline.
• Lead and expand a high-performing recruiting organization, fostering strong mentors and leaders, and building a best-in-class internal function.
• Architect and continuously refine our end-to-end recruitment infrastructure, from workforce planning to onboarding, in close partnership with People Operations.
• Lead high-impact or critically important searches as required, managing sensitive and complex roles while demonstrating best practices for the broader team.
• Collaborate intimately with department leaders, executives, and People Business Partners (PBPs) to offer expert insights on overall talent strategy, role design, and talent assessment.
• Utilize recruiting analytics to generate clear, actionable insights that inform crucial company-wide decisions.
• Lead employer branding initiatives in collaboration with our Marketing and Communications teams, positioning Chess.com as a prime destination for top talent in the tech and gaming sectors.
• Design equitable hiring frameworks that broaden our reach and promote fair, consistent candidate evaluation processes.
• Elevate the company's hiring standards by educating teams on effective interviewing, assessment, and modern hiring practices.
• Stay abreast of global talent market trends and emerging recruiting technologies to maintain our competitive edge.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in talent acquisition, with a minimum of 4 years specifically dedicated to leading teams and shaping recruiting strategy. You should possess a proven track record of not just managing recruiters, but developing them into high-performing strategic partners.
• Demonstrated experience leading recruitment for remote and globally distributed teams.
• Strong background in the tech or gaming industries, with an understanding of the unique challenges involved in hiring for specialized roles (such as software engineering and product management) within highly competitive markets.
• Expertise in auditing, implementing, and optimizing a complete recruitment tech stack (including ATS, sourcing tools, and data platforms) to establish seamless workflows for your team.
• Comfortable and effective communicator with diverse stakeholders, including executive leadership. You can translate complex recruiting data into clear business cases and influence decision-making at the highest levels.
• Highly analytical and comfortable navigating the ambiguities of a fast-paced, global environment. You leverage metrics to identify trends and gaps and are quick to adapt strategies as business needs evolve.
• Experience designing equitable hiring practices that measurably improve candidate quality, reach, and fairness throughout the hiring funnel.
• A genuine interest in the gaming world and Chess.com's mission. You understand the nuances of game development and can effectively communicate with the talent we aim to hire.

Preferred Skills

• Degrees in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related fields are a plus, but not mandatory.
• An existing professional network within the gaming or tech communities (e.g., connections at game studios, tech hubs, or specialized engineering communities).
• Experience in Global Scaling: Experience managing recruitment across multiple time zones or for a company that has undergone significant transformation.
• Hands-on experience with data visualization tools (such as Tableau, Looker, or advanced Excel) for building custom recruiting dashboards and reporting suites.
• Employer Brand Portfolio: A track record of successfully building an employer brand through engaging content, compelling storytelling, or active community engagement.
• Knowledge of unconventional sourcing methods beyond LinkedIn, including platforms like GitHub, Discord, or niche gaming forums.

About the Opportunity

• This is a full-time employment opportunity.
• We are 100% remote, allowing you to work from anywhere in the world!