Areeba Khandwala
Richmond,TX
Summary
Senior Technical Recruiter with 11 years of experience in scaling engineering and R&D teams in dynamic environments. Specializes in full-cycle recruitment and strategic talent acquisition, collaborating with executive leadership to attract top-tier talent. Proficient in managing ATS and optimizing candidate experiences to streamline hiring processes. Extensive background in technical recruiting, startup and venture capital recruiting, leveraging AI tools for effective talent sourcing.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Technical Recruiter
Amazon
01.2022 - Current
- Delivered 550+ hires across four Alexa Devices orgs; managed 75+ technical reqs (Principal Engineers, SDE I–III, SDMs, SWE, TPMs, Data Engineer, AI/ML).
- Owned full-cycle recruiting for specialized engineering roles, building strong partnerships with engineering stakeholders and hiring managers.
- Raised candidate quality by 20% using market insights, competitive intel, talent mapping, and AI-driven sourcing.
- Developed data-driven hiring strategies with engineering teams to strengthen pipelines and improve predictability.
- Boosted sourcing velocity through AI tools, workflow automation, multi-channel outreach, and pipelines for niche technical roles.
- Led and developed a team of six recruiters, improving workflows and execution in a high-volume technical environment.
- Built and scaled talent programs (AI, DEI, global development, org effectiveness) driving a 15% lift in team capability and throughput.
- Consistently exceeded metrics across time-to-fill, candidate experience, funnel health, and quality-of-hire.
Talent Acquisition
ABM Industries
01.2020 - 01.2022
- Orchestrated end-to-end recruiting for 20+ high-growth clients—including enterprise leaders like Amazon, Tesla, Walmart, Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie, and CVS Health—as well as AI, blockchain, and venture-backed startups scaling their engineering and product teams from the ground up.
- Executed full-cycle recruiting across biotech, healthcare, AI/ML, blockchain engineering, and executive functions, consistently aligning talent profiles with each client’s technical roadmap, funding stage, and aggressive growth needs.
- Directed a team of 8 recruiters and successfully delivered 900+ hires for the Tesla Gigafactory expansion while simultaneously supporting emerging startup clients building AI infrastructure, crypto payment solutions, and decentralized applications.
- Built high-performing, diverse engineering teams by combining AI-enabled sourcing tools, competitive intelligence, and targeted outreach into VC networks, niche technical communities, and hard-to-access blockchain talent pools.
- Negotiated hiring frameworks and contracts with senior stakeholders, removing operational bottlenecks, improving time-to-hire, and enabling smoother market access for clients ranging from Fortune 100s to seed- and Series A–stage founders.
Manager Talent Acquisition
Astech
Plano, Texas
01.2018 - 01.2020
- Advised business leaders (C-Level & Directors) on market insights, competitive intelligence, and talent trends, shaping effective talent attraction strategies for new regions and profiles.
- Oversaw selection and offer process, including candidate compensation, benchmarking, benefits, relocation, negotiations, and closing to secure top talent.
- Developed and implemented strategic plans to enhance service delivery and client satisfaction.
- Led cross-functional teams to improve operational efficiency and drive project success.
- Managed resource allocation to ensure optimal workflow across various departments.
Senior Technical Recruiter
Saudi Aramco
Houston, TX
01.2013 - 01.2018
- Managed full-cycle recruitment for executive, technology, and non-technology roles.
- Partnered with executive leaders to build high-performing teams by sourcing candidates through networking and managing assessment evaluations to meet strict timelines.
- Fostered relationships with c-level and executive leaders to implement leadership capability strategies, including succession planning and learning initiatives.
Education
BBA - Business Administration
University of Houston
Houston, Texas05-2016
Skills
- Technical recruiting and candidate management
- Stakeholder engagement
- Expert sourcing techniques
- LinkedIn Recruiter proficiency
- ATS Expert (Greenhouse, Ashby, Lever, ICIMS, GEM)
- Advanced Boolean search
- AI and machine learning applications
- Team leadership and negotiation
- Marketing strategies for recruitment
- Venture capital and startup recruitment
- Full-cycle recruiting
- AI-driven sourcing
- Project Management
Timeline
Senior Technical Recruiter
Amazon
01.2022 - Current
Talent Acquisition
ABM Industries
01.2020 - 01.2022
Manager Talent Acquisition
Astech
01.2018 - 01.2020
Senior Technical Recruiter
Saudi Aramco
01.2013 - 01.2018
BBA - Business Administration
University of Houston