Senior Executive Recruiter - Hivemind (R6523)

Job Description:

What you'll do:

Executive Search Strategy & Execution
• Independently manage complex executive and senior leadership searches from intake and position scoping through market mapping, assessment, offer negotiation, and acceptance.
• Partner with senior leaders to define role requirements, success profiles, assessment criteria, search strategies, and hiring milestones.
• Identify, engage, and cultivate relationships with high-caliber passive executive talent across aerospace and defense, AI, autonomy, robotics, software, and adjacent enterprise technology markets.
• Build targeted executive talent pipelines supporting immediate and anticipated leadership hiring needs.
• Execute searches across highly specialized software engineering disciplines, including Autonomy, Robotics, Perception, Planning, Controls, Embedded Software, Distributed Systems, Simulation, Machine Learning, Infrastructure, and related technical domains.
• Anticipate search challenges, adjust strategies, and maintain accountability for hiring outcomes.
Executive Stakeholder Partnership
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior business leaders, hiring managers, and PX Business Partners across assigned functions.
• Provide consultative guidance on talent availability, market dynamics, compensation expectations, and competitive positioning.
• Establish consistent communication and reporting cadences to maintain stakeholder alignment, transparency, and accountability.
• Influence hiring decisions through market intelligence, candidate insights, and evidence-based recommendations.
• Proactively manage expectations, resolve obstacles, and navigate competing priorities constructively.
Executive Assessment & Candidate Experience
• Conduct comprehensive executive assessments evaluating technical expertise, leadership capabilities, business impact, and alignment with Shield AI's mission and values.
• Apply structured interviews, competency frameworks, and assessment tools to support informed hiring decisions.
• Deliver clear, balanced candidate evaluations highlighting strengths, development areas, and potential risks.
• Partner with interview teams to drive consistent candidate calibration and effective selection decisions.
• Deliver an exceptional candidate experience while building long-term relationships with executive talent.
Market Intelligence & Talent Mapping
• Develop deep knowledge of executive talent markets across autonomy, robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, embedded software, and related software engineering disciplines.
• Partner with Global Talent Sourcing to execute targeted market mapping, competitive research, and candidate identification strategies.
• Provide actionable insights on talent availability, organizational structures, compensation trends, and competitive hiring practices.
• Leverage recruiting technology, research tools, and analytics to improve sourcing effectiveness, candidate engagement, and search outcomes.
Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement
• Execute searches using established executive recruiting processes, assessment methodologies, tools, and templates.
• Maintain accurate, timely candidate and pipeline information in applicant tracking and recruiting systems.
• Track and communicate search metrics, including pipeline health, candidate conversion, search velocity, and hiring outcomes.
• Identify opportunities to improve recruiting efficiency, assessment quality, and stakeholder and candidate experience.
• Contribute executive search expertise and best practices to strengthen team processes and execution.
• Collaborate with Talent Sourcing, Recruiting Operations, Total Rewards, PX, and business stakeholders to achieve shared hiring objectives.
Leverage AI to Raise the Bar
• Integrate AI and automation into recruiting workflows to improve speed, quality, and effectiveness throughout the executive search lifecycle.
• Apply AI to talent research, market mapping, sourcing strategy, intake preparation, candidate engagement, interview preparation, and recruiting analytics.
• Identify repetitive or low-value activities that can be automated, creating more capacity for strategic partnership, candidate relationships, and assessment.
• Experiment with emerging AI tools, evaluate their impact, and share successful practices across Talent Acquisition.
• Exercise sound judgment regarding where human expertise, discretion, relationship-building, and decision-making remain essential.
Teamwork & Collaboration
• Build trusted, collaborative relationships across Talent Acquisition, People Experience, Total Rewards, and business leadership.
• Share market intelligence, candidate insights, and executive search best practices to strengthen team effectiveness.
• Demonstrate humility, openness to feedback, and respect for diverse perspectives.
• Contribute to broader recruiting priorities while maintaining ownership and accountability for assigned searches.

Required qualifications:

Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant professional experience.
8+ years of progressive executive recruiting or search experience, including independently managing complex senior leadership searches.
Demonstrated experience recruiting VP+ and other senior technical executives across Autonomy, Robotics, Perception, Planning, Controls, Embedded Software, Distributed Systems, Simulation, Machine Learning, Infrastructure, or related software engineering disciplines.
Experience recruiting senior technical leaders within aerospace, defense, artificial intelligence, autonomy, software engineering, or related technology industries.
Proven ability to translate complex technical requirements into actionable recruiting and sourcing strategies across highly specialized software engineering disciplines.
Strong executive sourcing, market mapping, passive candidate engagement, and assessment capabilities.
Proven ability to build credibility, advise, and influence senior-level hiring stakeholders.
Strong business acumen, executive presence, communication, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
Experience applying structured executive assessments and competency-based interviewing methodologies.
Ability to manage multiple complex searches simultaneously while maintaining high standards of quality, execution, and candidate experience.
Proficiency with applicant tracking systems, candidate relationship management platforms, and recruiting analytics tools.

Preferred qualifications:

Experience recruiting executives within high-growth, mission-driven technology organizations.
Familiarity with executive compensation, equity programs, and complex offer negotiations.
Experience operating within global or matrixed organizations.
Demonstrated ability to build diverse executive talent pipelines and support equitable hiring practices.
Experience partnering with executive search firms and external research providers.
Strong understanding of organizational dynamics and technical leadership structures.
Ability to bring structure to ambiguity and thrive in fast-paced, evolving environments.
Collaborative, personable, adaptable, and calm under pressure, with a positive approach to changing priorities.

Shield AI Values & Leadership Principles:

We expect our Senior Executive Recruiters to demonstrate Shield AI's core values through their judgment, actions, and relationships.
Do What Honor Dictates
Demonstrate integrity, sound judgment, transparency, and accountability in candidate assessments, hiring recommendations, and search outcomes.
Communicate candidly, honor commitments, and take ownership of results.
Live as a Servant Leader
Build trusted partnerships through collaboration, humility, responsiveness, and respect for diverse perspectives.
Prioritize the success of candidates, hiring leaders, and the broader organization while contributing to shared team objectives.
Pursue Excellence
Maintain high standards for executive talent quality, search execution, and candidate experience.
Demonstrate urgency, persistence, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Continuously strengthen market expertise and leverage innovative tools, including AI, to improve hiring outcomes.

What success looks like:

Search Execution: Independently deliver complex executive searches, consistently building strong candidate pipelines and achieving high-quality hiring outcomes.
Strategic Partnership: Earn the confidence of senior leaders through business acumen, market intelligence, sound talent judgment, and proactive communication.
Operational Excellence: Demonstrate disciplined execution, accountability, and the ability to navigate ambiguity while managing competing priorities.
Innovation & Collaboration: Leverage AI and recruiting technology to improve efficiency and effectiveness while contributing to team success and continuous improvement.
This role requires substantial independence, strong functional expertise, and ownership of executive search outcomes while contributing to broader recruiting priorities within the strategic direction established by Talent Acquisition leadership.