PhD Recruiter

About this role

Figma is growing our team of passionate creatives and builders on a mission to make design accessible to all. Figma’s platform helps teams bring ideas to life—whether you're brainstorming, creating a prototype, translating designs into code, or iterating with AI. From idea to product, Figma empowers teams to streamline workflows, move faster, and work together in real time from anywhere in the world. If you're excited to shape the future of design and collaboration, join us!

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. Pay Transparency Disclosure

If based in Figma’s San Francisco or New York hub offices, this role has the annual base salary range stated below.

Job level and actual compensation will be decided based on factors including, but not limited to, individual qualifications objectively assessed during the interview process (including skills and prior relevant experience, potential impact, and scope of role), market demands, and specific work location. The listed range is a guideline, and the range for this role may be modified. For roles that are available to be filled remotely, the pay range is localized according to employee work location by a factor of between 80% and 100% of range. Please discuss your specific work location with your recruiter for more information.

Figma offers equity to employees, as well a competitive package of additional benefits, including health, dental & vision, retirement with company contribution, parental leave & reproductive or family planning support, mental health & wellness benefits, generous PTO, company recharge days, a learning & development stipend, a work from home stipend, and cell phone reimbursement. Figma also offers sales incentive pay for most sales roles and an annual bonus plan for eligible non-sales roles. Figma’s compensation and benefits are subject to change and may be modified in the future.

Annual Base Salary Range: $140,000 — $210,000 USD

At Figma we celebrate and support our differences. We know employing a team rich in diverse thoughts, experiences, and opinions allows our employees, our product and our community to flourish. Figma is an equal opportunity workplace - we are dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity/expression, veteran status , or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

We will work to ensure individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to apply for a role, participate in the interview process, perform essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. If you require accommodation, please reach out to accommodations-ext@figma.com . These modifications enable an individual with a disability to have an equal opportunity not only to get a job, but successfully perform their job tasks to the same extent as people without disabilities.

Examples of accommodations include but are not limited to:

• Holding interviews in an accessible location

• Enabling closed captioning on video conferencing

• Ensuring all written communication be compatible wi

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