Head of Executive Search, Business Recruiting

About the role

You will define and lead a centralized executive search practice dedicated to identifying and securing senior leadership for Datadog. You will architect the end-to-end strategy for critical global hires, establishing rigorous assessment methods and proactive talent pipelines. The position demands strategic ownership of complex searches while shaping long-term organizational capability through market intelligence and structured decision-making. You will operate with significant autonomy, navigating sensitive searches that require discretion and high-level judgment. The role is pivotal in translating business objectives into executable hiring strategies for the most critical leadership positions. You will be responsible for the full lifecycle of executive recruitment, ensuring alignment with Datadog's growth and cultural objectives. This position sets the standard for excellence in executive search within the organization.

Key facts

What you'll do

You will exercise full ownership over the end-to-end lifecycle for Senior Director, Vice President, and Senior Vice President searches, including coordination with APAC stakeholders. You will manage highly confidential searches, executing each phase of the search process and intervening directly when situations require hands-on involvement. You will build and lead a specialized, centralized search team, defining operating models, performance expectations, and standardized workflows. This includes establishing clear procedures, performance indicators, and routines to ensure scalable and consistent delivery. You will translate business needs into codified assessment frameworks, confidentiality protocols, and governance structures to streamline leadership hiring decisions. A core responsibility is aligning executive stakeholders, including C-suite, Vice President, and Senior Vice President leaders, to achieve calibration and consensus on high-quality hires. You will develop long-term leadership pipelines and generate market intelligence that directly informs talent strategy and organizational planning. In addition, you will refine agency engagement strategies and candidate closing methodologies to reduce external expenditure and elevate the candidate experience. The role requires actively sourcing candidates from diverse backgrounds and ecosystems to champion diversity of thought. You will leverage data and market insights to identify passive talent pools and competitive positioning for critical roles. You will partner closely with People Operations to ensure compliance, consistency, and integration with broader talent initiatives. You will own the negotiation of executive-level packages and ensure alignment with company policies and market standards. You will implement best practices in candidate experience, ensuring professionalism and respect throughout every interaction. You will continuously evaluate and optimize the recruitment process to improve quality, speed, and stakeholder satisfaction.

Requirements

You bring a proven track record of placing Senior Director+ roles within complex, global organizations. You design repeatable, scalable processes that maintain high standards of execution while adapting to evolving business needs. Your influence stems from strong judgment, clear communication, and the ability to navigate complex decision-making with senior executives. You evaluate talent using market mapping, executive assessment, and proactive pipeline development. Your approach is data-focused, using metrics and insights to improve hiring results and guide strategic choices. You manage sensitive, confidential searches with professionalism, integrity, and discretion. You demonstrate mastery in managing multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail. You possess a deep understanding of compensation structures and market trends relevant to executive talent. You are comfortable operating in ambiguous environments and driving forward with limited precedent. You exhibit a high level of ownership and accountability for outcomes and the success of the business.

Nice to have

Experience operating within hybrid environments that blend remote and office collaboration is valued.

Skills and tools

Proficiency with Salesforce, Greenhouse, and LinkedIn Recruiter is essential for success in this role.

Practical notes

Please This page provides an overview and does not replace official application materials.

What you'll do

• Meet the bar About the company

Datadog delivers an observability service for cloud-scale applications. Teams use the platform to monitor servers, databases, tools, and services through a SaaS-based data analytics platform. Roles span product, engineering, design, and operations.

Collaboration happens across teams that build and support the platform. You contribute to feature development, reliability, and usability. The company maintains a publicly traded listing on the Nasdaq stock exchange.