Depending on the situation, directly reaching out to the actual decision maker is far more effective.
Every applicant is bombarding the recruiters with resumes, and it can sometimes be a black hole. If you directly send a message to the CTO/VP/Director of Engineering, introducing yourself, briefly describing why the company appeals to you and how your skills line up, you're far more likely to get noticed. Yeah, it's bold, but you know what they say :)
Leave it open by saying you're interested in an informational chat just to learn more about the company and his job.
He gets that you're basically applying, given your background; but this softer approach communicates "I'm also interested in you and your company" versus "I didn't hear from the recruiter, here's my application."
This will set you apart and, worst case, he says no. But you may have a new networking contact for the future.
