Executive Recruiter

Role Overview:
We are seeking a seasoned and strategic Executive Recruiter to identify, engage, and close exceptional leadership talent for our growing organization. As a Senior Executive Recruiter, you'll partner closely with our executive team, hiring managers, and other key stakeholders to build strong pipelines of senior and executive talent aligned with our mission and values. If you're passionate about landing transformative leaders and contributing to groundbreaking advancements in defense technology, we want to hear from you!

Responsibilities:

• Partner with executives, hiring managers, and the Recruiting Lead to deeply understand the leadership requirements, team dynamics, and strategic goals for each executive search
• Develop and execute comprehensive search strategies for senior and C-suite level roles, leveraging market mapping, executive networks, referrals, and targeted outreach
• Proactively identify, engage, and cultivate relationships with passive executive candidates through sophisticated sourcing and direct approach techniques
• Manage the full-cycle executive search process, including in-depth candidate assessment, interview coordination, and offer negotiation
• Serve as a trusted advisor to hiring managers and leadership, providing market intelligence, compensation benchmarking, and search strategy guidance
• Partner with Recruiting Coordinators, HR, and Operations to ensure seamless and confidential search processes
• Maintain and analyze pipeline metrics for executive searches, providing regular updates and insights to leadership stakeholders
• Recommend and implement process improvements to enhance executive search effectiveness and efficiency
• Build deep expertise in the competitive landscape, target companies, and industry trends to guide executive search strategy and inform leadership hiring decisions
• Utilize data and analytics to influence senior-level hiring strategies, ensure data integrity, and track progress toward organizational goals
• Work 4-5 days onsite out of our office in El Segundo, California

Minimum Requirements:

• 7+ years of proven experience in executive/leadership-level search, ideally within a startup, aerospace/defense, or fast-paced technical environment
• Strong track record of successfully closing senior leadership and executive-level hires, including VP and C-suite roles
• Experience with Greenhouse ATS
• Experience partnering directly with C-suite or founder-level stakeholders on critical hires
• Deep understanding of leadership competencies and organizational fit across functions such as engineering, operations, product, and business leadership
• Proficiency in executive sourcing tools and techniques, including LinkedIn Recruiter, market mapping, and ATS platforms
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to advise and influence senior stakeholders
• Analytical mindset with experience using data to inform executive hiring decisions and optimize search strategy
• A confident, discreet, and consultative approach to executive engagement and pipeline development
• Demonstrated ability to manage confidential and high-stakes searches

Preferred Requirements:

• Existing network of senior leaders and executives within aerospace, defense, or deep tech