Who’s Hiring AWS Talent Right: The Best 15 Recruiters
Explore the top AWS recruiters & headhunters who are transforming cloud hiring. ↓
As the demand for AWS talent continues to surge, organizations are increasingly turning to top-tier recruiters to help them secure the best cloud professionals. From AWS-certified engineers to AI/ML specialists, these recruiters have redefined the landscape by matching companies with the talent that drives cloud innovation and scalability.
Below, we present an updated and curated list of the best recruiters in the AWS ecosystem, each selected for their expertise in sourcing the world’s top cloud talent and their strategic impact on the AWS hiring process.
- Mark Metz
- Heather van Maarth
- Jay Shankar
- Stephen Telford
- Shanna Salazar
- Becky Laurence
- Jake Jorgovan
- Brittany Fox
- Navya Nagendra Kumar
- Anthony Dixon
- Zoë Morris
- Chase Parlee
- Holly Lee
- Kelly Zhou
- Nicky Ngo
Below we provide more detailed profiles of each recruiter.
Mark Metz
Nationality: American
Founder of NerdRabbit, Mark pioneered a tech-driven approach to AWS staffing. NerdRabbit (a ReluTech company he founded) is a platform that connects organizations with top AWS-certified professionals on contract and full-time projects.
Mark’s vision has been to blend machine learning with recruiting to more efficiently match cloud engineers and AWS DevOps talent to employers. Under his leadership as former CEO (now Chairman), NerdRabbit gained traction in the AWS partner community for addressing the cloud skills gap. Mark frequently speaks about cloud hiring trends and innovative staffing solutions in the AWS ecosystem.
- LinkedIn: Mark Metz
Heather van Maarth
Nationality: Dutch
Creative hiring strategies are essential in today’s tech landscape. At AWS, we’re not just looking for talent, we’re seeking innovators who can push the boundaries of what cloud AI can achieve.
AWS Talent Acquisition Leader (Generative AI), Heather heads recruiting for AWS’s Generative AI Innovation Center in EMEA.
With deep experience in technical recruitment, she builds teams of machine learning scientists, cloud AI engineers, and data experts pushing the forefront of AWS AI services. Heather is a champion of creative hiring strategies, often sharing about aligning hiring processes with cutting-edge tech domains. Her role bridges leadership and hands-on recruiting – she not only manages recruitment strategy but also actively engages top AI talent to join AWS.
- LinkedIn: Heather van Maarth
Jay Shankar
Nationality: American
Vice President of Global Talent Acquisition at AWS, Jay oversees hiring across all of Amazon Web Services.
With a focus on scaling AWS’s workforce globally, she drives strategic growth and a strong candidate experience for roles ranging from cloud engineers to leadership positions. Jay is known for championing inclusive hiring practices and nurturing a culture of continuous learning at AWS.
Under her guidance, AWS’s talent acquisition team has expanded rapidly to meet the surging demand for cloud talent.
- LinkedIn: Jay Shankar
Stephen Telford
Nationality: British
Independent “Reverse Recruiter” and Career Coach (formerly an AWS recruiter), Stephen helps cloud professionals land their dream jobs.
He leverages experience as an AWS recruiter and military veteran to advise candidates on personal branding and job search strategy. Stephen is a LinkedIn Top Voice in Careers, known for his humorous yet practical content about AWS career paths and hiring trends. He has built a sizable following by sharing insider tips, CV advice, and interview prep guidance for roles like AWS engineers and architects.
- LinkedIn: Stephen Telford
Shanna Salazar
Nationality: American
Executive Recruiter at AWS, Shanna leads searches for senior leadership (Director and VP-level) roles in AWS’s business units. Renowned internally as a top performer, she was the highest-producing recruiter in her division, quickly rising through the ranks.
Shanna’s focus includes identifying seasoned cloud executives and technical leaders who align with Amazon’s leadership principles. She is also featured in AWS Talent Acquisition spotlights as a model of recruiting excellence. Her colleagues praise her consistency and speed in closing critical hires for AWS’s most strategic positions.
- LinkedIn: Shanna Salazar
Becky Laurence
Nationality: American
AWS Recruiter and Content Contributor, Becky focuses on hiring for AWS’s Cloud Support and infrastructure teams.
She gained visibility by collaborating on AWS’s official “Cloud Support Engineering Careers” YouTube series, where she provided a recruiter’s perspective to aspiring AWS engineers. Becky’s candidate-centric approach is evident in how she shares interview tips and career advice publicly. With experience filling roles in AWS operations and support, she is known for her ability to spot talent that will thrive in AWS’s customer-obsessed culture.
Her social media posts often celebrate new hires and offer pointers on succeeding in AWS interviews.
- LinkedIn: Becky Laurence
Jake Jorgovan
Nationality: American
Tech Recruiter-Turned-Content Creator, Jake is an agency owner who has profiled the AWS recruiting landscape in depth. Founder of an executive search firm, he authored a widely read list of top AWS recruiters and agencies, showcasing his insight into connecting cloud talent with employers.
Jake’s background in B2B consulting and podcasting enables him to spot industry trends, and he often advises companies on optimizing their AWS talent acquisition strategies. He emphasizes strategic staffing – understanding both the technology and business needs – to successfully place AWS experts in roles from DevOps to cloud consultancy.
- LinkedIn: Jake Jorgovan
Brittany Fox
Nationality: American
Co-Founder & CEO of Focus GTS, Brittany leads a niche cloud recruiting agency and is recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice in recruitment.
Her firm specializes in AWS and cloud talent solutions, and she personally consults companies on hiring DevOps engineers, cloud architects, and AI specialists. Brittany is also the founder of “She Created”, an initiative empowering women in tech careers. Known for her influential posts and thought leadership, she has built Focus GTS into an award-winning team connecting diverse AWS talent with employers nationwide.
- LinkedIn: Brittany Fox
Navya Nagendra Kumar
Nationality: Indian
Technical Recruiter at AWS, Navya is passionate about finding “the best talent for the world’s leading cloud platform”. She manages recruitment for AWS IT and engineering roles, often serving as a candidate’s first point of contact.
Navya’s approach is highly engaging – she proactively sources diverse candidates and mentors them through AWS’s rigorous hiring steps. With experience in both agency and corporate recruiting, she brings a broad perspective and has successfully filled roles in cloud support, development, and product management at AWS. Her LinkedIn features testimonials to her diligence and personable style in matching AWS opportunities with candidate aspirations.
- LinkedIn: Navya Nagendra Kumar
Anthony Dixon
Nationality: American
Technical Recruiting Leader at AWS, Anthony heads a team of recruiters focused on cloud computing roles. A self-described people-connector, he has a track record of helping top tech talent “find their path in cloud computing”.
Anthony’s scope covers a range of AWS divisions – from utility computing (infrastructure) to emerging tech – ensuring key projects are staffed with the right expertise. He is actively involved in employer branding for AWS, often speaking at university career fairs and industry panels about careers in cloud. Colleagues commend his strategic thinking in recruitment and his mentorship of junior recruiters within AWS’s talent organization.
- LinkedIn: Anthony Dixon
Zoë Morris
Nationality: British
President of Frank Recruitment Group (AWS recruiters), Zoë leads one of the world’s largest cloud talent staffing firms, which includes the AWS-specialist brand Jefferson Frank. She oversees global operations and has expanded FRG to 20+ offices worldwide, focusing on AWS, Azure, and Salesforce recruitment.
Zoë has been recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as an influential leader in staffing, especially for driving diversity and inclusion initiatives. Under her leadership, Jefferson Frank has connected thousands of AWS professionals with employers, leveraging insights from their annual AWS careers survey. Zoë is a frequent speaker on tech hiring trends and women in tech, bringing over two decades of recruitment expertise.
- LinkedIn: Zoë Morris
Chase Parlee
Nationality: American
Hiring for AI and Machine Learning is about more than just technical expertise. It’s about finding people who are truly passionate about pushing the boundaries of innovation and making a real impact in the cloud space.
Client Lead Recruiter at AWS (AI/ML), Chase spearheads recruiting for AWS’s AI and Machine Learning teams, acting as the bridge between candidates and hiring managers. Based in California, he manages end-to-end hiring for roles like Applied Scientists, ML Engineers, and AI Product Managers.
Chase is lauded for his white-glove candidate experience – from prepping talent for technical interviews to negotiating offers – ensuring AWS secures top innovators in AI. Featured in an AWS recruiting showcase, he shared insights into the intricacies of hiring in cutting-edge domains. His deep understanding of AWS’s interview process and ability to close niche talent make him a key player in scaling AWS’s AI initiatives.
- LinkedIn: Chase Parlee
Holly Lee
Nationality: American
Former AWS Recruiting Leader & Career Coach, Holly is famous for her YouTube channel where she coaches candidates on Amazon’s hiring process and Leadership Principles. She spent over 20 years as a recruiting manager at Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft, training hiring teams and bar raisers.
Now running her own coaching business, Holly has helped countless engineers and PMs land AWS roles through her detailed videos on interview prep, resume writing, and salary negotiation. With ~50k subscribers, she’s one of the most prominent public voices on Amazon/AWS careers. Her no-nonsense advice (often delivered live in her “AMA Fridays”) has made her a go-to resource for demystifying AWS and FAANG interviews.
- LinkedIn: Holly Lee
Kelly Zhou
Nationality: Chinese
Senior Sourcing Recruiter at AWS, Kelly specializes in finding top-tier cloud engineering talent for AWS’s Utility Computing division. She has been awarded as a Top Sourcing Recruiter at AWS in 2024 for her exceptional ability to uncover and engage scarce talent.
Kelly focuses on roles in infrastructure, data center operations, and research science, often tapping into global talent pools. Bilingual and analytically minded, she leverages data to refine sourcing strategies and ensure a diverse pipeline. Her accolades and leadership in sourcing underscore her reputation in AWS for delivering quality hires in a competitive market.
- LinkedIn: Kelly Zhou
Nicky Ngo
Nationality: American
AWS AI/ML Recruiter and AWS-Certified Cloud Practitioner, Nicky is uniquely credentialed in the tech she hires for. She recruits specialized talent in artificial intelligence and machine learning for AWS, and proudly lists her AWS Cloud certifications as part of understanding candidates’ skillsets.
Nicky’s tech-savvy approach builds credibility with highly skilled candidates (e.g. those with AWS SageMaker or deep learning expertise). Active in community events, she advises on how to break into AWS AI roles and often celebrates the success of hires she’s placed. Nicky’s blend of technical knowledge and recruiting skill exemplifies the new breed of recruiter in the cloud domain.
- LinkedIn: Nicky Ngo
Sum Up
These standout recruiters have redefined how companies attract AWS talent—placing top engineers, cloud architects, and DevOps leaders who drive innovation and scale. But working directly with them isn’t always easy—they’re often selective, booked solid, or come at a premium.
That’s where EchoGlobal comes in. With specialized cloud hiring expertise and a global reach, we help fast-growing companies efficiently connect with the right AWS professionals to accelerate their success.
Note: We’ve dedicated significant time and effort to creating and verifying this curated list of top professionals. However, if you believe a correction or addition is needed, feel free to reach out. We’ll gladly review and update the page.
Lou Reverchuk