Principal Executive Recruiter

Aurora•San Francisco, CA

3d•$189,000 - $336,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Aurora is seeking a Principal Executive Recruiter to own executive and leadership hiring across the company. Reporting to the Head of Talent Acquisition, this senior-most recruiter on the team will lead end-to-end searches for Director-and-above roles and advise Aurora’s executive team on organizational design, role scoping, market intelligence, and executive compensation. The role will set standards for executive search practices and help build Aurora’s leadership bench as the company grows. The recruiter will work with executive leaders and partners across Talent Acquisition, People Business Partners, Finance, and Total Rewards. The position also includes mentoring recruiters and sourcers, sharing search insights across the Talent Acquisition team, and strengthening company-wide hiring practices. Aurora expects employees to work from the office at least three days per week; some roles may require up to five days based on operational needs.

Requirements

10+ years of recruiting experience, including significant experience owning executive searches.
Proven track record owning end-to-end Director- to C-level searches.
Experience serving as the primary search partner to C-suite and VP-level leaders and influencing role scope and hiring decisions with data.
Hands-on experience structuring and closing executive compensation packages, including base pay, bonus, equity, and sign-on components.
Deep sourcing expertise, including building talent maps and market intelligence for niche and senior talent pools.
Ability to run effective searches independently of any specific tool.
Proven ability to conduct highly confidential executive searches with discretion and sound judgment.
Hands-on use of AI to accelerate research and sourcing while maintaining high-quality output.
Track record of building strong peer relationships and driving shared initiatives within a recruiting team, not only with business stakeholders.
Experience coaching Talent Acquisition team members or building recruiting or sourcing training programs.

Nice To Haves

Experience partnering with founders or board members on C-level hires.
Experience hiring leaders in autonomy, AI/ML, robotics, or deep tech.
Experience partnering with People Business Partners on succession planning or leadership pipeline programs.

Responsibilities

Own the end-to-end search lifecycle for Director-and-above roles, from kickoff and calibration through offer and close.
Design and calibrate executive interview processes and prepare search briefs and candidate summaries for interviewers and leaders.
Advise executive leaders using talent intelligence, market mapping, and competitive insights to inform organizational design, role scope, and hiring strategy.
Structure and negotiate executive offers with Total Rewards and Finance, including cash, equity, and sign-on components.
Partner with People Business Partners, Finance, and Talent Acquisition leadership on succession planning and company-wide leadership workforce planning.
Share market intelligence and search learnings with the broader Talent Acquisition team.
Mentor and coach recruiters and sourcers, and lead training to strengthen hiring practices across Talent Acquisition.