Principal, Executive Recruiter, Global Specialty Recruiting

Amazon is hiring a Principal, Executive Recruiter, Global Specialty Recruiting in Seattle, United States. It pays $187k-$253k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Amazon.

Level's read on this job

Little AI ●○○○ is how Level rates this HR role: aI is not part of the work.
Pay on this posting starts 56% higher than the typical HR posting on Level.
Level classes it as an executive role.
Amazon has 21,000+ other open roles on Level.
Posted in the last few days.

AI in this role

Few companies on earth move at Amazon's scale and speed, and few searches carry the weight of the ones you'll own here. Amazon is constantly reinventing itself, and the leaders who steer that reinvention don't come from a résumé database; they have to be found, understood, and won. That's where you come in.

We're looking for a Principal Executive Recruiter to help the business scale by identifying and landing exceptional leaders across a broad portfolio of executive roles -- both technical and non-technical. You'll own Director- and Vice President-level searches end to end, partnering directly with Amazon's most senior executives to shape the teams that will define the next decade of the business. There is no greater reward in search than watching a leader you placed go on to have a significant, lasting impact -- and here, that impact is felt by hundreds of millions of customers.

Key job responsibilities
The Principal Executive Recruiter owns Amazon's most complex, confidential, and consequential Director- and Vice President-level searches across a diverse portfolio of technical and non-technical roles. This leader operates as a strategic advisor to senior executives, a recognized authority on the external talent market, and a force multiplier who raises the bar for how Amazon identifies and attracts leadership talent. Responsibilities include:

* Serving as a trusted talent advisor to VP and SVP hiring leaders — shaping role definition, influencing org design and leadership bar, and guiding go/no-go and selection decisions on the highest-stakes searches.
* Setting the search strategy and market point of view for ambiguous, first-of-their-kind, or business-critical mandates where no clear talent pool exists.
* Developing deep, differentiated market intelligence on industries, competitors, and leadership talent — and translating it into insights that shape Amazon's hiring and org strategy.
* Building and sustaining long-term relationships with senior leaders in the external market, creating durable talent networks that Amazon can draw on over time.
* Personally engaging, assessing, and winning the most senior and hardest-to-reach candidates, representing Amazon credibly at the executive level.
* Raising the bar on the craft of executive search — introducing new approaches, assessment frameworks, and mechanisms that improve quality, speed, and judgment across the recruiting team.
* Mentoring and elevating other recruiters, and acting as an escalation point and thought leader on complex searches, offers, and negotiations.
* Partnering with executive leadership as a true strategic partner — providing candid counsel on talent, market realities, and the tradeoffs behind critical hiring decisions.

About the team
You will join Amazon's Executive Recruiting organization — a tight-knit team of seasoned search professionals who operate as trusted advisors to the company's most senior leaders. We function like a best-in-class retained search firm, but with the unique advantage of being on the inside: we know the business deeply, we live the Leadership Principles, and we are personally invested in the long-term success of every leader we hire.

Basic qualifications

- 10+ years of progressive corporate or search firm recruiting at executive level experience
- 5+ years of advising and influencing executive leadership experience
- 5+ years of advising and influencing leadership experience
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Preferred qualifications

- Demonstrated ability to work in team environments as both leader and collaborative member
- Data-driven approach to talent acquisition with ability to provide market intelligence and competitive insights

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.

USA, CA, SANTA CLARA - 187,000.00 - 252,900.00 USD annually
USA, NY, New York - 187,000.00 - 252,900.00 USD annually
USA, VA, Arlington - 170,000.00 - 230,000.00 USD annually
USA, WA, Seattle - 170,000.00 - 230,000.00 USD annually

How we rate this

Principal, Executive Recruiter, Global Specialty Recruiting at Amazon rates 36 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Little AI. AI is not part of the work.

●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.

Key facts

Principal, Executive Recruiter, Global Specialty Recruiting is an open job at Amazon.
Level rates this role AI Level 1 of 4: Little AI.
The listed salary is $187k-$253k a year.
The role is based in US, WA, Seattle.
The job was posted on October 27, 2026.
Seniority: executive.
Applications are handled by Amazon. Apply on Amazon