Principal Sourcing Strategist - India

About Toptal

Toptal is an exclusive network of the world’s top 3% freelance talent in business, design, and technology. We enable companies to scale their teams on demand with elite professionals. As we expand our presence in India, we are seeking a visionary

Talent Sourcing Lead

to accelerate the growth of our talent pipeline in one of the world’s most dynamic tech ecosystems.

The Role As the

Talent Sourcing Lead (India)

, you will design and execute Toptal’s talent acquisition strategy across the Indian subcontinent. This is not a traditional recruiting role—you will act as a market expert, skilled in attracting top-tier developers and specialists while engaging them effectively. This position is unique: you will lead the sourcing engine and also serve as a client-facing ambassador, meeting with clients to understand their technical needs and showcasing the strength of Toptal’s Indian talent pool.

Key Responsibilities Strategic Pipeline Development:

Create and implement sourcing strategies to attract high-caliber freelance talent in software engineering, product, and design. Market Expertise:

Act as the subject matter expert on the Indian labor market, including salary benchmarks, trending tech stacks, and regional talent hubs (Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Gurgaon, Pune). Client Engagement:

Collaborate with global clients to translate requirements into localized sourcing profiles. Participate in client meetings to advocate for Toptal’s talent matching process. Cultural Alignment:

Uphold global standards while navigating local cultural nuances during screening and onboarding. Data-Driven Optimization:

Track and improve sourcing metrics, including pipeline volume, quality, and conversion rates. Negotiation & Contracting:

Negotiate competitive rates with talent while ensuring alignment with client contractual obligations.

Qualifications & Requirements Experience:

Experience: 7+ years in Full Cycle IT Recruitment including Direct Talent Sourcing within the Indian Tech/Professional Services Sector. Must be adept at client interaction and aligning talent acquisition with client needs. Location:

Based in India; Hyderabad preferred. Freelance Opportunity:

In order to qualify for the role, please apply only if you are eligible to work as a freelancer in India. Local Knowledge:

Deep understanding of India’s academic institutions (IITs, NITs, BITS, IIMs), Tier-1 tech firms, and the startup ecosystem. Client-Facing Skills:

Exceptional communication and presentation abilities; comfortable engaging with CTOs and VPs of Engineering at Fortune 500 companies. Growth Mindset:

Target-driven and motivated by a performance-based, uncapped bonus structure.

Compensation & Perks Base Salary:

USD 15/hr Variable Bonus:

Significant performance-based bonuses tied to successful onboarding of high-quality talent by the client. Up to USD 50 per hire. Remote Flexibility:

Work from home with periodic in-person client meetings (once or twice a month).