Executive Search Lead

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in California.

📋 Description

• Take ownership of the entire executive recruiting process across the Payward platform, which includes C-level, Board, VP+, and customized Advisor assignments.

• Collaborate directly with the Co-CEOs and the executive team on key searches.

• Manage board and advisory assignments with the necessary confidentiality.

• Establish how executive hiring can scale as a shared service within a growing, multi-brand platform.

• Develop the external search partner strategy and oversee relationships with retained firms.

• Ensure a smooth collaboration with external search firms when engaged.

• Report to the Global Head of Talent Acquisition and participate in the talent leadership team.

• Maintain a dotted-line reporting relationship with the Chief People Officer.

• Work closely with the Board, C-Suite, and the wider Payward leadership team.

⛳️ Requirements

• A minimum of 6 years of experience in executive recruiting.

• Proven track record of managing VP, C-level, and Board executive searches from the mandate stage through to closure.

• Ability to assess candidates in alignment with business strategy and defend shortlisted candidates to executive stakeholders.

• Strong skills in executive-level closing and negotiation, including pre-closing, offer creation, equity, and compensation complexities.

• Experience working alongside Compensation & Benefits and HR business partners.

• Business insight to understand and effectively communicate about a complex platform business.

• Demonstrated management of agency and retained-firm relationships, including briefing, accountability, and budget oversight.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English suitable for executive-level discussions.

• A history of handling executive searches with discretion.

• Ability to operate comfortably in ambiguous situations and maintain responsiveness across all time zones.

• Reside in the San Francisco Bay Area.

• Experience in in-house executive recruiting at a fintech, brokerage, exchange, or payments company (preferred).

• Background in a retained executive search firm in addition to in-house experience (preferred).

• Experience in developing executive recruiting as a shared service across multiple entities or portfolio companies (preferred).

• Familiarity with cryptocurrency or digital assets (preferred).

🏝️ Benefits

• Equity program.

• Bonus program.

• Wellness allowance.

• Medical insurance [US Only].

• Dental insurance [US Only].

• Vision insurance [US Only].

• 401(k) [US Only].

• Global, distributed work environment.

• Job-related skills or work-style assessments applied consistently across candidates.