Head - Talent Acquisition - Leadership Hiring - Technology

Role Overview:

We are seeking a senior, hands-on Talent Acquisition leader to own and deliver technology leadership, executive, and CXO hiring across Engineering, Product, Data, AI/ML, Cloud, Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, and other technology functions.

This is a pure individual contributor role with a strong focus on executive search, headhunting, confidential mandates, passive talent engagement, and senior-level candidate closure.

The role will work directly with founders, CEOs, CTOs, technology leaders, boards, and senior HR stakeholders to identify and close high-impact technology leaders who can shape the organization's long-term growth.

The ideal candidate is an exceptional executive recruiter who enjoys deep research, market mapping, relationship building, and closing complex technology leadership mandates, rather than managing a recruitment team.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Technology Leadership & CXO Hiring:

Own end-to-end executive search for senior technology positions including CTO, CIO, CPO, VP Engineering, VP Product, Engineering Director, Product Director, Head of Engineering, Head of Product, Head of Data/Analytics, Head of AI/ML, Head of Cloud/Infrastructure, Head of Cybersecurity, Principal/Distinguished Engineering roles, and Technology Transformation/Digital Leadership roles.

- Partner with founders and senior leadership to understand the business context behind each mandate.

- Define detailed role charters, leadership competencies, success metrics, reporting structures, and candidate specifications.

- Manage confidential and highly sensitive leadership searches with complete discretion.

2. Executive Headhunting & Talent Mapping:

- Drive proactive executive headhunting through LinkedIn Recruiter, professional networks, referrals, industry communities, and advanced research techniques.

- Conduct deep talent mapping across technology companies, product organizations, SaaS companies, Fintech, E-commerce, Consumer technology, IT services, and Startups/scale-ups.

- Perform organization mapping and competitor analysis to identify relevant leadership talent.

- Build comprehensive talent maps covering current role, career history, technology expertise, organizational scale, team size, compensation, location, and leadership experience.

- Build and maintain long-term relationships with passive technology leaders.

3. Candidate Assessment & Engagement:

- Conduct detailed executive-level conversations to evaluate leadership capability, technology depth, product/engineering orientation, team-building experience, scale-up experience, business impact, strategic thinking, cultural alignment, and career motivations.

- Develop highly personalized outreach strategies for senior technology professionals.

- Position opportunities effectively based on the candidate's career aspirations and business impact.

- Act as a trusted career advisor throughout the hiring process.

4. Executive Closure & Negotiation:

- Own the candidate journey from initial approach through joining.

- Lead complex compensation and offer negotiations.

- Manage competing offers, counteroffers, notice periods, relocation, and other executive-level considerations.

- Develop customized closing strategies for critical leadership candidates.

- Maintain consistent engagement throughout the notice and pre-joining period.

- Maximize offer acceptance and joining conversion.

5. Founder & Leadership Advisory:

- Work directly with Founders, CEOs, CTOs, CPOs, Boards, and senior HR leadership.

- Provide market intelligence on availability of technology leaders, compensation benchmarks, competitor leadership talent, talent migration, leadership supply and demand, hiring risks, and location considerations.

- Challenge and refine candidate specifications based on actual market availability.

- Provide informed recommendations on candidate positioning, compensation, and search strategy.

6. Executive Search Strategy & Delivery:

- Independently manage multiple confidential leadership searches.

- Develop search strategies, target-company lists, talent maps, and candidate pipelines.

- Maintain clear search progress and stakeholder communication.

- Present high-quality executive profiles with detailed candidate assessments.

- Maintain strong documentation and search intelligence throughout each mandate.

- Ensure leadership searches are executed with speed, rigor, discretion, and quality.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

- 8 - 15+ years of experience in Executive Search, Leadership Hiring, Technology Talent Acquisition, or senior recruitment.

- Proven track record of closing CTO, VP, Director, Head, and other senior technology leadership positions.

- Strong experience in technology executive search and passive talent engagement.

- Exceptional LinkedIn Recruiter and headhunting expertise.

- Strong ability to conduct talent mapping, organization mapping, and competitor research.

- Experience hiring for startups, scale-ups, product companies, SaaS, fintech, e-commerce, or high-growth technology businesses.

- Strong network among senior technology professionals.

- Excellent communication, influencing, negotiation, and executive-level relationship management skills.

- Proven ability to work directly with founders and senior leadership.

- Strong commercial orientation and understanding of executive hiring.

- High level of ownership, confidentiality, discretion, and professionalism.