Nikita Kathuria

Tech Recruitment Lead | Hiring Expert – Software Engineering & Data Engineering & AI | US & Canada

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

About

Talent Acquisition lead with 12 years of experience, recruiting across the U.S. and Canada for roles in Software Engineering and Data & AI. My expertise spans full-cycle hiring across levels(L11- L7) from Associate to Managers—for clients in financial services, tech, and consulting. I’ve scaled Data Engineering practices, built strong pipelines for mission-critical AI talent, and recruited security-cleared professionals for Software Engineering & Data. I have recruited for multiple roles including- SWE (Full Stack, Backend, Frontend, DevOps, SRE, QA, UI/UX, Mobile Developers) and Data & AI roles (Data Engineering, Data Science, Analytics, AI/ML, Big Data, ETL, Prompt Engineering, GenAI, Deep Learning) I also specialize in executive/leadership hiring for Director and Senior Director roles (L6 & L5), delivering white-glove and data-driven search experiences. My approach blends personalized outreach, strategic storytelling, and a deep understanding of leadership impact to build lasting trust with passive talent. I’ve led confidential searches, navigated internal mobility with sensitivity, and used cost-of-vacancy analysis to shape offers and influence hiring decisions at the highest levels. I've successfully led searches for roles such as Solution Architect, Go-to-Market Strategy Lead, Sales and Pre-Sales Executives, and Technology & Digital Transformation Leaders. Key Expertise: ✔End-to-End Talent Acquisition – From job launch to sourcing, offer shaping, and closing. ✔Stakeholder & Client Management – Trusted advisor to Directors and VP level leaders, managing complex hiring needs and capacity planning. ✔Talent Strategy & Market Intelligence – Workforce planning, and demand forecasting to inform hiring plans. ✔Executive Search & Leadership Hiring – Director & Sr, Director roles across tech, digital transformation, sales, and GTM. ✔White-Glove Candidate Experience – Personalized, high-touch executive engagement for both internal and external talent. ✔Employer Branding – Representing TA function at events, building pipelines through storytelling and market presence. ✔Data-Driven Decision Making – Skilled in recruitment analytics, offer shaping, and cost-of-vacancy insights to influence outcomes. ✔ATS & Systems – Workday, Taleo, Avature, PowerBI, LinkedIn Talent Insights; building reports and maintaining data integrity for hiring transparency. ✔Team Lead - people manager; continuous development aligned with business goals. Interested in opportunities as a Technical Recruiter, Executive Recruiter (Tech), or Recruitment Manager. Let's Connect!

Experience

  • Associate Manager at Accenture
    May 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 2 mos

    Transitioned to full time Accenture employee through Avanade's Corporate Function evolution.

  • Recruitment Lead at Avanade
    Feb 2021 - May 2022 · 1 yr 4 mos

    ✔End-to-End Talent Acquisition – From job launch to sourcing, offer shaping, and closing. ✔Stakeholder & Client Management – Trusted advisor to Directors and VP level leaders, managing complex hiring needs and capacity planning. ✔Talent Strategy & Market Intelligence – Workforce planning, and demand forecasting to inform hiring plans. ✔Executive Search & Leadership Hiring – Director & Sr, Director roles across tech, digital transformation, sales, and GTM. ✔White-Glove Candidate Experience – Personalized, high-touch executive engagement for both internal and external talent. ✔Employer Branding – Representing TA function at events, building pipelines through storytelling and market presence. ✔Data-Driven Decision Making – Skilled in recruitment analytics, offer shaping, and cost-of-vacancy insights to influence outcomes. ✔ATS & Systems – Workday, Taleo, Avature, PowerBI, LinkedIn Talent Insights; building reports and maintaining data integrity for hiring transparency. ✔Team Lead - people manager; continuous development aligned with business goals. Key Projects: 📌 Global Job Description Optimization – Standardized job descriptions for better talent attraction. 📌 New Joiner Training (Contractors) – Designed & delivered structured onboarding programs. 📌 International Transfers & Mobility – Created an employee handbook to support global transfers. 📌 Playbook Development – Maintained best practices & documentation for recruitment operations. 📌 PERM Case Immigration Review – Improved compliance and process efficiency. 📌 Employee Referral Process Revamp – Enhanced referral programs for better engagement.

  • KPMG (8 yrs 2 mos)
    • Senior Consultant
      Jan 2017 - Feb 2020 · 3 yrs 2 mos

    • Consultant
      Jan 2015 - Dec 2016 · 2 yrs

    • People Operation Assistant & Talent Acquisition specialist
      Jan 2012 - Dec 2014 · 3 yrs