Executive Search, Lead

About Us:

Here at Ambience, we never set out to be just another scribe. We’re building the AI intelligence platform that restores humanity to healthcare and drives meaningful ROI for health systems across the country.

Our technology helps providers focus on delivering great care by removing the administrative burden that pulls them away from patients and away from their most impactful work. Ambience delivers real-time coding-aware documentation and clinical workflow support across ambulatory, emergency and inpatient settings at the top health systems in North America.

Our teams operate relentlessly with extreme ownership to build the best solutions for our health system partners. We value candor, positivity and deep thought — and we expect a lot from each other because we know the problems we’re solving truly matter.

Ambience was ranked #1 for Improving the Clinician Experience in the KLAS Research Emerging Solutions Top 20 Report, recognized by Fast Company as one of the Next Big Things in Tech, named one of the best AI companies in healthcare by Inc., and selected as a LinkedIn Top Startup in 2024 and 2025. We’re backed by Oak HC/FT, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), OpenAI Startup Fund, and Kleiner Perkins — and we’re just getting started.

Location: SF, CA | Reports to: VP of People & Talent

The Role

The Executive Search Lead at Ambience owns executive-level hiring for the Office of the President and CEO. You'll design the search process, personally source and engage candidates, manage external firm relationships, and drive closing motions — all in close partnership with the CEO, President, and VP of People & Talent.

There is no inherited playbook here. You're building Ambience's executive hiring capability from the ground up — the architecture, the relationships, the pipeline, the closing motions. The work is demanding, the hours aren't always predictable, and the bar is high. Executive searches don't run on a 9-to-5 schedule, and neither will you. This is a role for someone who thrives in ambiguity, moves fast without sacrificing craft, and treats every open search like their reputation depends on it — because at this level, it does.

What you get in return is uncommon: direct partnership with the CEO and President on the hires that will shape this company, full ownership of a function you'll build from the ground up, and the autonomy to build it your way, with the expectation that your way produces exceptional results. Few search professionals get this kind of access, scope, or seat at the table, especially at a company growing this fast in a space this consequential. If you want to put your name on something meaningful, keep reading.

Who Thrives Here

The people who do their best work at Ambience operate at every altitude, designing the strategy and doing the work, often in the same day. They execute relentlessly, own outcomes end to end, and communicate with sharp clarity in writing and in person. They don't wait for direction and they drive things to completion through ambiguity and setbacks, not because someone is checking, but because they can't operate any other way. If something is broken, they fix it. If something is unclear, they bring structure. If that sounds like you, you'll love it here.

What You'll Accomplish

• Design comprehensive search architectures (MOCs, scorecards, interview processes) for every executive and OOTP role — bringing structure and rigor where ambiguity exists, before any sourcing begins

• Personally source, research, and engage executive-level candidates — owning full-cycle top-of-funnel through activation. This is a hands-on role, not a delegation role.

• Select, engage, and manage external search firms, VC talent partners, and professional networks — owning all relationships, communications, and performance management. You hold firms to a high bar and aren't afraid to pull a search back when they're not delivering.

• Proactively build and maintain a passive talent pipeline — mapping the market, cultivating relationships, and surfacing high-caliber talent to executives before roles open

• Design and execute closing mechanics in partnership with the VP of People & Talent, CEO, and President — ensuring a compelling, well-orchestrated close for every executive hire

• Provide market intelligence on executive talent trends, compensation benchmarks, and competitive landscape — you don't wait to be asked, you surface what leadership needs to know

What We're Looking For

• 7+ years in executive recruiting or executive search, with significant experience personally sourcing and closing senior-level roles

• Experience designing end-to-end search processes with structured evaluation frameworks

• Track record of managing external search firm relationships and holding firms to a high bar

• Strong network in technology, AI/ML, or healthcare, or demonstrated ability to build one quickly

• Ability to operate as a credible peer to C-suite executives, not a transactional recruiter

• Comfort managing multiple concurrent high-stakes searches with composure and discipline

• Excellent written and verbal communication. You can brief a CEO, write a compelling outreach, and produce a sharp written assessment in the same afternoon. We believe writing is thinking, and this role requires both.

• Experience in high-growth startup environments strongly preferred. Backgrounds in management consulting, investment banking, private equity, or venture capital are a plus.

• Altitude flexibility. You can design the strategy and sweep the floors. Early-stage means wearing every hat until the team is built around you.

Pay Transparency

The base compensation for this role is approximately $175,000–$225,000 per year, excluding equity or bonus targets. We intentionally offer a wide range to support flexibility around cash and equity. We believe strongly in equity ownership and want team members to share meaningfully in the impact they create.

If you're outside this range, we still encourage you to apply — we take an individualized approach to compensation that considers the full picture.

Life at Ambience

Working at Ambience means opting into a high-ownership, high-trust environment built for people who want to grow fast, operate decisively and focus on work that matters. This could be the right place for you if you want to

• Work on mission-critical AI technology that directly improves clinicians’ day-to-day lives and health system financial health across some of the most complex, high-stakes workflows in the world.

• Join a “dream team” culture where we hire exceptional people, expect exceptional outcomes and invest deeply in feedback and continuous growth. We operate as a championship team, and that means being ok with hard, uncomfortable, ambiguous problems that lead to real greatness.

• Operate with real ownership and accountability in an environment where there are no bystanders: If something is broken, we fix it! You will have meaningful autonomy and be expected to drive work to completion.

To help you do your best work, we pair these expectations with benefits intentionally designed to help you feel supported and safe at Ambience and beyond. Some of our key benefits include

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents

• 401(k) with a company match of up to 3% of base salary

• A remote-friendly culture (with a San Francisco HQ) and full equipment provisioning to ensure you can work effectively from wherever you’re based.

• Parental leave to support your family needs

• Annual company-wide off-sites, team off-sites and regular team lunches and all-hands gatherings, with travel, lodging and meals covered

• Flexible time off with no annual cap, company-wide holidays and an annual holiday shutdown from December 24–January 1 designed to support real rest and long-term sustainability.

Ambience Healthcare is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply.

Ambience is committed to supporting every candidate’s ability to fully participate in our hiring process. If you need any accommodations during your application or interviews, please reach out to our Recruiting team at [email protected]. We’ll handle your request confidentially and work with you to ensure an accessible and equitable experience for all candidates.

Ambience Healthcare has become aware of scams targeting jobseekers with fake jobs and even interviewing people. Our emails will always come from @ambiencehealthcare.com. We would never our ask candidates to download apps or make any form of payment(s). If you are contacted through WhatsApp, Telegram, similar but fake email domains, or asked to make a payment, these contacts are not legitimate. Report the issue immediately to LinkedIn and the FBI.