Head of Talent Acquisition (San Mateo)

Foster City, CAPeople Experience – Talent /Full-time /HybridAt Zoox, we are seeking a Head of Talent Acquisition to architect our global scaling strategy and lead a high-performing, 50+ person cross-functional organization. As a key member of the People Experience (PEx) leadership team, you will oversee the end-to-end talent lifecycle (from early career to executive search) ensuring our recruitment engine is a high-performance, scalable ecosystem. In this role, you will leverage innovative technology and visionary leadership to ensure our talent acquisition strategies remain as cutting-edge as our autonomous technology.In this role, you will...Strategic Talent Architecture & Vision: Create and execute Zoox’s end-to-end talent strategy, both proactive and reactive external recruiting, encompassing company-wide hiring, which includes the university program, internal mobility initiatives, and executive recruiting. Team Development & Leadership: Lead a high-performing cross-functional recruiting organization of at least 50+, fostering a culture of excellence and accountability through dedicated mentorship, coaching, and a focus on continuous operational improvementOperational Scaling & Excellence: Engineer scalable talent processes, from initial sourcing to offer delivery, ensuring seamless, consistent candidate experience across all organizational levels and recruitment stagesTalent Intelligence & Data Storytelling: Establish a data-driven recruitment culture by architecting organization-wide reporting frameworks; translate complex talent metrics into high-impact narratives that empower executive leadership to optimize workforce planning and sourcing strategiesTechnology Enablement & Innovation: Partner with the Manager of HR Technology to architect and evolve a scalable talent ecosystem and leverage AI as a strategic lever, driving enterprise-wide streamline and shifting organization’s capacity toward high-impact human judgment and relationship-building.Strategic Partnership & Executive Influence: Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the CEO, C-suite, and other senior business leaders, influencing talent-related decisions by aligning acquisition strategies with long-term workforce planning and business objectives.Organizational Leadership: Act as core partner on the People Experience (PEx) leadership team, contributing to the development and execution of a comprehensive, company-wide PEx strategy.QualificationsTeam Leadership: 15+ years of TA leadership experience, including 3+ years at the Senior Director level leading organizations of 50+; proven expertise in a 'leader of leaders' model, managing 5+ direct report managers to drive high-performance cultures.Strategic Execution: Extensive experience developing and executing end-to-end talent strategies for top talent built on proven experience recruiting in a complex, high-growth technical environment (Autonomous Systems, AI/ML, Hardware).Change & Operational Leadership: Data-driven decision-maker with track record designing and implementing talent ecosystems (e.g. KPIs, scorecards, and metrics) to optimize TA effectiveness; preferred experience of pioneering use of AI as a strategic lever. Executive Presence & Influencing: Exceptional executive presence, with strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and present to C-level executives.Collaboration: Track record of building deep, trusted cross-functional relationships across all functional areas to drive a unified PEx strategy.Problem Solving: Proven ability to navigate ambiguity and fast-paced environments, excelling at thinking critically to solve complex organizational bottlenecks and taking decisive action in a high-stakes, evolving industry.Functional Expertise: Strong familiarity with the external technology talent market, with a deep understanding of emerging trends in talent acquisition and workforce planning (eg. VNDLY, Lever, Workday (WD), ServiceNow, and other industry-leading software platforms.)Education: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field.$291,000 - $369,000 a yearThe expected base salary range for this full-time position is listed below. Actual starting pay will be based on job-related factors, including experience, skill level, and interview performance and skill level. Employees are also eligible to participate in Waymo’s discretionary annual bonus program, equity incentive plan, and generous Company benefits program, subject to eligibility requirements.We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.