Director, Executive Talent Insights & Research

Director, Executive Talent Insights & Research

As part of Talent Acquisition, Capital One’s Executive Recruiting team is a premier in-house search team partnering directly with senior enterprise leadership to identify, cultivate, and land transformative executive talent that drives impact for our business and accelerates our mission.

You will lead the Executive Talent Insights & Research function, serving as the strategic engine for our executive search process. In this highly visible leadership role, you will define, develop, and launch emerging technologies (e.g., AI-based recruitment platforms, Workday, Canvas, etc.) to innovate and deliver on our talent agenda. You will bridge specialized research and full-lifecycle recruiting—translating complex data, talent mappings, and market intelligence into high-impact recruiting strategies and clear narratives for executive business leaders.

If you thrive on ownership, analytical rigor, and working creatively and collaboratively across a matrixed organization to make a real impact on the business, this is the role for you!

The Ideal Candidate

• Trusted Executive Advisor: Operates as a true consultative partner to VP-to-EVP leadership and cross-functional partners. Brings executive presence, business acumen, and consultative confidence to challenge assumptions, guide expectations, and use market realities to steer leaders toward optimal talent strategies.

• Curious & Intellectually Rigorous: Driven by a passion for understanding people, corporate structures, and market dynamics. Understands what is required to get quality insights and deconstruct complex organizational landscapes.

• Data-Driven Storyteller & Architect: Skilled at interpreting, manipulating, and packaging first- and third-party data into polished, high-impact deliverables (e.g., market maps, data visualizations) that make competitive markets immediately understandable to senior audiences.

• Bias for Action & Strategic Agility: A motivated self-starter who knows how to make trade-offs between speed and quality. Demonstrates resilience to pivot search strategies based on real-time market feedback without losing momentum.

• Innovator & Problem-Solver: Loves breaking down ambiguous "0-to-1" problems and artfully pushing toward solutions. Eager to test emerging technologies, AI sourcing tools, and modern methodologies to optimize workflows and disrupt the TA lifecycle.

• Empowered Collaborator & People Leader: Dedicated to building a win-as-a-team environment. Brings a positive attitude, draws connections across diverse matrixed teams, and focuses on developing a highly sought-after team of associates.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Team Development

• Lead & Develop Talent: Direct a high-performing team of associates and researchers; mentor, coach, and grow strong talent with the potential to scale into broader organizational roles.

• Capability Transformation: Understand the design, delivery, and execution of full life-cycle TA technology and service delivery transformation programs. Partner across extended teams (People Analytics, Product Management, TA Shared Services, HRBPs, Compensation, Legal, Risk) to align on strategic priorities.

Market Intelligence, Research & Bench Building

• Direct Sourcing & Talent Mapping: Drive direct sourcing strategies, high-touch talent attraction, and best-in-class 0-to-1 talent mappings across competitive landscapes (Tech, Product, Risk, Legal, HR, Financial Services).

• Proactive Bench Strength: Move beyond active searches to architect talent ecosystems and build bench strength 12–24+ months ahead of open executive needs.

• Cross-Functional & Referral Alignment: Partner with hiring teams and stakeholders to drive proactive research, establish referral strategies, and align candidate engagement plans in highly competitive markets.

Data Storytelling & Executive Advisory

• Insight Translation: Integrate primary research, internal data, secondary sources, competitor org designs, and marketplace intelligence to deliver actionable analyses that drive executive business decisions.

• Stakeholder Consultation: Confidently present and defend research methodologies to VP+ business leaders, pushing back on unrealistic candidate profiles using data-driven insights rather than defaulting to order-taking.

Technology, AI & Process Innovation

• Tech Lifecycle Optimization: Stay current on emerging technologies and disruptive talent tools; leverage AI-driven sourcing platforms, advanced Boolean/OSINT techniques, and data visualization tools to drive operational efficiency.

• Process Refinement: Champion modern talent insight visualizations and refine research toolkits to maximize productivity and insight quality.

What You’ll Need to be Successful

• Executive Presence & Communication: Exceptionally strong written, verbal, and presentation skills with an ability to present complex topics clearly, concisely, and persuasively.

• Strategic Intuition & Judgment: Impeccable judgment to balance organizational, leader, and associate needs. Ability to assess candidate fit based on competencies and culture, knowing when to push back and when to adapt.

• High Agility & Innovation Mindset: Comfort bringing bold, non-traditional ideas to the table, rapidly building a case for testing, and scaling or abandoning based on quantified risk/reward.

• Matrix Collaboration: Deep commitment to team orientation; ability to coordinate efforts across diverse functional groups (Comp, Legal, HRBPs, CoS) and foster a "wisdom of the crowd" approach to executive hiring.

• Technology Aptitude: Proven agility with technology and AI tools in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

• Culture Carrier: Diligent listening skills, resilience, and a penchant for laughing often while celebrating team wins—both big and small.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or Military Experience.

• At least 7 years of experience in executive research, talent intelligence, executive recruiting, or talent acquisition management.

Preferred Qualifications

• At least 9 years of experience advising and influencing executive leadership

• At least 9 years of management consulting experience

• At least 9 years of recruiting or research experience at a global in-house recruiting team, executive search firm, or a large multinational organization

At this time, Capital One will not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization for this position.

The minimum and maximum full-time annual salaries for this role are listed below, by location. Please note that this salary information is solely for candidates hired to perform work within one of these locations, and refers to the amount Capital One is willing to pay at the time of this posting. Salaries for part-time roles will be prorated based upon the agreed upon number of hours to be regularly worked.

McLean, VA: $206,000 - $235,100 for Director, RecruitingRichmond, VA: $187,300 - $213,700 for Director, Recruiting

Candidates hired to work in other locations will be subject to the pay range associated with that location, and the actual annualized salary amount offered to any candidate at the time of hire will be reflected solely in the candidate’s offer letter.

This role is also eligible to earn performance based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonus(es) and/or long term incentives (LTI). Incentives could be discretionary or non discretionary depending on the plan.

Capital One offers a comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive set of health, financial and other benefits that support your total well-being. Learn more at the Capital One Careers website. Eligibility varies based on full or part-time status, exempt or non-exempt status, and management level.

This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days.No agencies please. Capital One is an equal opportunity employer (EOE, including disability/vet) committed to non-discrimination in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Capital One promotes a drug-free workplace. Capital One will consider for employment qualified applicants with a criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable laws regarding criminal background inquiries, including, to the extent applicable, Article 23-A of the New York Correction Law; San Francisco, California Police Code Article 49, Sections 4901-4920; New York City’s Fair Chance Act; Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Records Screening Act; and other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding criminal background inquiries.

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Capital One Financial is made up of several different entities. Please note that any position posted in Canada is for Capital One Canada, any position posted in the United Kingdom is for Capital One Europe and any position posted in the Philippines is for Capital One Philippines Service Corp. (COPSSC).