Principal Executive Recruiter

Aurora; Bozeman (MT); On-site; USD 189,000 - 303,000; Full time

Job summary

Aurora is seeking a Principal Executive Recruiter to own executive and leadership hiring across the company. You will report to the Head of Talent Acquisition and manage end-to-end searches for Director-and-above roles, advising Aurora’s executive team on org design, market intelligence, and compensation.

As the senior-most recruiter, you will set the standard for executive search practice and help shape the leadership bench for the next growth phase at Aurora.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of recruiting experience with significant executive search ownership.
• Experience handling end-to-end Director- to C-level searches for senior leaders.
• Partnering with C-suite and VP-level leaders to shape scope and hiring decisions using data.
• Experience structuring and closing executive compensation packages (base, bonus, equity, sign-on).
• Deep sourcing expertise, talent maps, and market intelligence for senior talent pools.
• Tool-agnostic and capable of independent, high-quality searches.
• Ability to run confidential executive searches with discretion.
• Proficient in using AI to accelerate research and sourcing with quality output.
• Proven ability to build peer relationships and drive initiatives within recruiting teams.
• Experience coaching TA teams or building training programs.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end search lifecycle for all Director+ roles across Aurora's business groups.
• Design and calibration of executive interview processes and candidate summaries.
• Advise executives with talent intelligence, market mapping, and hiring strategy.
• Structure and negotiate executive offers with Total Rewards and Finance.
• Collaborate on succession planning and leadership workforce planning.
• Share market learnings with the broader TA team to strengthen hiring.
• Mentor recruiters and sourcers; lead training to raise hiring standards.

Skills

Executive search

Director-level hiring

C-suite partnerships

Talent intelligence

Market mapping

Offer negotiation

Confidential searches

Leadership coaching

AI-assisted sourcing

Stakeholder management

Job description

Who We Are

Aurora’s mission is to deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly.

The Aurora Driver will create a new era in mobility and logistics, one that will bring a safer, more efficient, and more accessible future to everyone.

At Aurora, you will tackle massively complex problems alongside other passionate, intelligent individuals, growing as an expert while expanding your knowledge. For the latest news from Aurora, visit aurora.tech or follow us on LinkedIn.

What We Are Looking For

Aurora hires talented people with diverse backgrounds who are ready to help build an ecosystem that will make our roads safer, get crucial goods where they need to go, and make mobility more efficient and accessible for all.

We’re searching for a Principal Executive Recruiter to own executive and leadership hiring across Aurora. Reporting to the Head of Talent Acquisition, you'll own end-to-end search for Director-and-above roles and serve as a trusted advisor to Aurora’s executive team on org design, role scoping, market intelligence, and executive compensation. As the senior-most recruiter on the team, you'll set the standard for executive search practice and help shape the leadership bench that takes Aurora through our next phases of growth.

In this role you will

• Own the end-to-end search lifecycle for all Director+ roles across Aurora's business groups, from kickoff and calibration through offer and close
• Design and calibrate executive interview processes, produce clear and thorough search briefs and candidate summaries for interviewers and leaders
• Advise executive leaders with talent intelligence, market mapping, and competitive insights that shape org design, role scope, and hiring strategy
• Structure and negotiate executive offers in partnership with Total Rewards and Finance, including cash, equity, and sign-on components
• Partner with People Business Partners, Finance, and TA leadership on succession planning and company-wide leadership workforce planning
• Share market intelligence and search learnings with broader TA team, strengthening hiring across all hiring
• Mentor and coach recruiters and sourcers, and lead training that raises the bar for our hiring practices across the broader Talent Acquisition team

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of recruiting experience, with significant time owning executive search
• 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, influencing role scope and hiring decisions with data
• Hands-on experience structuring and closing executive compensation packages (base, bonus, equity, sign-on)
• Deep sourcing expertise, including experience building talent maps and market intelligence for niche and senior talent pools
• Tool agnostic - you can run an effective search independent of any specific tool
• Proven ability to run highly confidential executive searches with discretion and sound judgment
• Hands-on use of AI to accelerate research and sourcing, with a high degree of quality in all output produced
• 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

Desirable Qualifications

• 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

For roles based in San Francisco, CA, Mountain View, CA, and Seattle, WA: The salary range for this position is $210,000 - $336,000 per year.

For roles based in Bozeman, MT, Pittsburgh, PA, and Coppell, TX: The salary range for this position is $189,000 - $303,000 per year.

Aurora’s pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, the successful candidate’s starting base pay will be determined based on factors including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, relevant education or training, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future. The successful candidate will also be eligible for an annual bonus, equity compensation, and benefits.

Working at Aurora

At Aurora, we bring together extraordinarily talented and experienced people united by the strength of our values. We operate with integrity, set outrageous goals, and build a culture where we win together — all without any jerks.

We believe in-person work increases collaboration, empathy, and our ability to lead effectively. As a result, Aurorans are expected to work from the office at least 3 days per week, with some roles requiring more frequent in-office presence, up to 5 days per week, based on operational needs.

Our Careers page provides insight into what it is like to work at Aurora, and you can find all the latest updates in our Newsroom.

Our commitment to safety

At the core of everything we do is our commitment to safety. Building best-in-class self-driving technology will take time, and we believe that each employee at Aurora has a role in contributing to safety, every step of the way. Aurora expects commitment to our safety policies from every employee, and seeks candidates who take an active responsibility, can contribute to building an atmosphere of trust, and invest in the organization’s long-term success by prioritizing working safely, no matter what.

Our commitment to inclusion

Aurora considers candidates without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy status, parent or caregiver status, ancestry, political affiliation, veteran and/or military status, physical or mental disability, or any other status protected by federal or state law. Aurora considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [e-mail].

For California applicants, information collected and processed as part of your application and any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Aurora’s California Employment Privacy Policy.