Executive Talent Acquisition Lead

About the role

As an Executive Talent Acquisition Lead, you will own end-to-end executive and senior leadership hiring, from intake to close. You will build and activate a strong network of off-market executive talent across technical, product, go-to-market, and corporate functions. You will act as a strategic advisor to hiring leaders on market insights and closing strategy, represent the company externally at industry events, and develop repeatable executive search playbooks to scale hiring effectively.

• Own executive hiring end-to-end for critical leadership roles (VP/CxO and senior ICs), from intake to close.
• Build and activate a high-quality network of executive talent across AI/ML, product, engineering, data, go-to-market, strategy, operations, and corporate functions as needed.
• Proactively source and engage “off-market” candidates through warm outreach, referrals, and targeted networking.
• Represent the company externally at industry events (roadshows, exhibitions, consortiums, symposiums, private gatherings), initiating conversations and building credibility fast.
• Advise hiring leaders on market mapping, talent availability, competitive intelligence, outreach strategy, and closing approach.
• Create repeatable executive search playbooks (market mapping, outreach scripts, event-driven sourcing, referral loops, candidate experience).

• 8–10 years of experience in executive recruiting/executive search within tech and AI business sectors.
• Deep network in tech/AI and a track record of recruiting senior leaders through relationship-based methods.
• Native/near-native English fluency with executive-level presence and communication.
• Mandarin fluency is a strong plus (especially for engaging bilingual talent markets).
• Elite networking and social fluency: can initiate small talk, build trust quickly, and navigate varied professional settings with ease.
• Technical and domain credibility: able to engage AI/engineering/product leaders intelligently (no “keyword” recruiting).
• High discretion and maturity handling sensitive searches, confidential conversations, and executive negotiations.
• Strong closing instincts: compensation storytelling, stakeholder alignment, and objection handling for top-tier talent.
• Self-starter mindset: proactive, resilient, resourceful, and comfortable operating with high autonomy.

• Meaningful Ownership – An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) that gives a real stake in Plaud’s long-term success.
• High-Impact Environment – Work in a fast-moving, product-driven environment where your ideas directly shape the future of AI productivity.
• Comprehensive Health & Retirement Benefits – Top-tier medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents, supported by a generous employer subsidy, plus a 401(k) retirement plan with company matching for full‑time employees.
• Time Off & Workplace Benefits – Unlimited PTO, plus 13 paid holidays, 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave for all parents, a hybrid work model with a minimum of three in‑office days per week, and access to high-quality office snacks, drinks, and equipment.
• Cutting-Edge AI Tools for Productivity – Access to best-in-class AI tools, including Cursor, GPT models, Gemini, Claude, and other frontier AI systems to maximize engineering and execution efficiency.
• Best-in-Class Equipment – Choice of top‑spec laptops, high‑performance workstation setups, and cutting‑edge Plaud devices for all new hires.
• Team & Culture – Annual company offsites, team events, and a culture that values craftsmanship, ownership, and velocity.

Plaud is building the world's most trusted AI work companion for professionals to elevate productivity and performance through note‑taking solutions, loved by over 1,000,000 users worldwide since 2023. With a mission to amplify human intelligence, Plaud is building the next‑generation intelligence infrastructure and interfaces to capture, extract, and utilize what you say, hear, see, and think.

Plaud Inc. is a Delaware‑incorporated, San Francisco‑based company pushing the boundary of human–AI intelligence through a hardware–software…