Executive Recruiting Lead

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Principal, Executive Recruiting Lead to lead and manage the team at Zoox. In this critical role, you will act as a trusted strategic thought partner directly to the C-suite, successfully executing Director/VP+ leadership searches and driving infrastructure of our executive search function in-house. This role requires a proven track record of successfully executing searches for senior level roles, managing complex stakeholder relationships, and thriving in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. In this role, you will... Leadership: Design and scale a world-class executive search function, including managing/coaching a small team, development of internal executive research capabilities and long-term succession planning. End-to-End Recruitment: Own and drive the entire executive recruitment lifecycle, from initial strategy meeting to candidate offer and closing, ensuring a seamless and high-touch experience for all executive candidates. Market Mapping & Sourcing: Develop sophisticated, data-driven market maps of executive talent in relevant industries (e.g., autonomous technology, automotive, software, hardware engineering, operations, finance). Candidate Engagement: Articulate the Zoox mission, vision, and unique culture compellingly to high-profile executive candidates, often involving complex compensation, negotiation, and relocation strategies. Confidentiality & Discretion: Handle extremely sensitive and confidential candidate information and internal organizational details with the utmost professionalism and discretion. Partnering with Leadership: Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the CEO, C-suite, and other senior leaders on talent planning, and executive hiring best practices. Process Improvement: Drive continuous improvement in executive search processes, leveraging tools, metrics, and interview methodologies. Passive Candidate Conversion: Develop and execute tailored strategies to attract and successfully engage highly passive, hard-to-reach executive candidates, effectively converting passive interest into active candidacy. Qualifications Experience: 5+ years of experience with executive searches (Director+) and 15+ total recruiting experience. Domain Expertise: Proven experience recruiting executive talent in a highly technical and/or rapidly scaling environment (e.g., hardware, software, AI/ML, autonomous systems, high-growth tech). Leadership: Successful multi-year track record as a player-coach, managing small team/direct reports. Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and present to C-level executives. Negotiation: Expert-level negotiation and closing skills, particularly for complex executive compensation packages. Executive Sourcing & Talent Mapping: Providing real-time competitive intelligence and talent benchmarking to the executive team, identifying shifts in the talent landscapes that may necessitate pivots. Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience. Bonus Qualifications Experience at a retained executive search firm focused on technology (either companies or function). Interest in the autonomous and electric vehicle industry. Expertise in leveraging ATS (we use Lever) to build metrics, sourcing strategies, and talent pipelines. Location This role will report out of our Foster City, CA office in a hybrid capacity (minimum of 3 days onsite) About Zoox Zoox is developing the first ground-up, fully autonomous vehicle fleet and the supporting ecosystem required to bring this technology to market. Sitting at the intersection of robotics, machine learning, and design, Zoox aims to provide the next generation of mobility-as-a-service in urban environments. We’re looking for top talent that shares our passion and wants to be part of a fast-moving and highly execution-oriented team. Follow us on LinkedIn Accommodations If you need an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process please reach out to [email protected] or your assigned recruiter. A Final Note: You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. Here at Zoox, we know that diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful, and we are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.