The Executive Recruiter will drive the entire executive recruitment lifecycle, manage high-level stakeholder relationships, and engage top executive talent in a fast-paced environment.
Zoox is seeking a strategic and experienced Executive Recruiting Lead to build and scale our in-house executive search function. In this critical player-coach role, you will act as a trusted thought partner to the C-suite, shape the executive recruiting strategy and infrastructure, personally lead high-impact Director+ searches, and manage a dedicated team to deliver our most mission-critical hiring needs.
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.
- Hands-on Executive Search: While leading the function and team, remain actively involved in the full-cycle execution of high-priority, mission-critical searches, personally driving candidate generation, engagement, and closing for select senior-level roles.
- 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, Co-Founder, 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: 8+ years of experience with executive searches (Director+) and 15+ total recruiting experience.
- Technical 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.
- Closing: 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
- Interest in the autonomous and electric vehicle industry.
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.
Zoox Foster City, California, USA Office
4000 E 3rd Ave, Foster City, CA, United States, 94404
Zoox Foster City, California, USA Office
1149 Chess Drive, Foster City, CA, United States, 94404
Zoox Fremont, California, USA Office
47540 Kato Road, Fremont, CA, United States, 94538
Zoox San Francisco, California, USA Office
60 Broadway St, San Francisco, CA, United States, 94111
Similar Jobs
Aerospace • Artificial Intelligence • Machine Learning • Robotics • Software
Lead integration of autonomy software onto diverse platforms by designing and implementing interfaces between autonomy, vehicle subsystems, sensors, payloads, and communications. Configure Linux mission environments, middleware, containers, and deployment pipelines; support SIL/HIL/VIL validation, field tests, demonstrations, troubleshooting, and cross-team coordination while mentoring junior engineers.
Top Skills:
ArdupilotC++Ci/CdContainersLinuxMiddlewarePx4PythonRosRtos
Aerospace • Hardware • Information Technology • Security • Software • Cybersecurity • Defense
Lead design, implementation, and maintenance of on-premises and cloud infrastructure, build CI/CD pipelines, automate provisioning and configuration, monitor and optimize system performance, enforce DevSecOps security practices, troubleshoot production incidents, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve reliability and scalability.
Top Skills:
AnsibleAws Gc (Govcloud)BashChefDockerDocker SwarmElkGitlabKubernetesLinuxNagiosPowershellPrometheusPuppetPythonRancherUnixVirtualization
Aerospace • Hardware • Information Technology • Security • Software • Cybersecurity • Defense
Lead and develop on-premises and cloud platform infrastructure with a focus on security, scalability, and performance. Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines, automate provisioning/configuration, monitor systems, troubleshoot incidents, and implement DevSecOps best practices across containerized and air-gapped environments while collaborating with cross-functional teams.
Top Skills:
Air-Gapped EnvironmentsAnsibleAws GcBashChefCloud ServicesDockerDocker SwarmElkGitlabKubernetesLinuxNagiosPowershellPrometheusPuppetPythonRancherUnixVirtualization
What you need to know about the San Francisco Tech Scene
San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area attracts more startup funding than any other region in the world. Home to Stanford University and UC Berkeley, leading VC firms and several of the world’s most valuable companies, the Bay Area is the place to go for anyone looking to make it big in the tech industry. That said, San Francisco has a lot to offer beyond technology thanks to a thriving art and music scene, excellent food and a short drive to several of the country’s most beautiful recreational areas.
Key Facts About San Francisco Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 365,500; 13.9% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Google, Apple, Salesforce, Meta
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech, consumer technology, software
- Funding Landscape: $50.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins
- Research Centers and Universities: Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; University of San Francisco; Santa Clara University; Ames Research Center; Center for AI Safety; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine


