Head of Strategic & Executive Recruiting

At IDEXX, our innovations help millions of pets live healthier lives—and behind that impact is exceptional talent. We’re seeking a Head of Strategic & Executive Recruiting to lead hiring of Director-level and above roles, and build the analytics capability that powers smarter, faster, and more inclusive hiring decisions.

This newly created role blends executive recruiting expertise with data-driven insights to shape IDEXX’s talent acquisition strategy and elevate leadership hiring. This strategic individual contributor role offers future leadership potential as the function scales.

This is a hybrid role, requiring at least two days a week onsite. We welcome candidates within a commutable distance to our Westbrook location or open to relocation.

• Serve as the strategic lead for Director+ hiring at IDEXX, ensuring consistency, quality, and alignment with business priorities.

• Partner with senior business leaders, HRBPs, recruiters, and external firms to guide full-cycle recruitment for Director+ roles—leading some searches directly and advising on others.

• Develop and maintain a standardized intake, assessment, and decision-making process for Director+ hiring.

• Cultivate trusted relationships with senior executives, managing expectations and driving alignment on hiring decisions.

• Build and nurture pipelines of leadership talent through proactive sourcing and relationship management.

• Deliver a high-touch and inclusive candidate experience that reflects IDEXX’s EVP.

• Establish governance frameworks for Director+ hiring, including intake protocols, SLAs, and decision-making workflows.

• Define engagement models for external search partners; negotiate and manage vendor relationships and performance.

• Develop toolkits and best practices to ensure consistency and efficiency.

• Ensure compliance with internal policies and external regulations throughout the hiring process.

• Partner closely with HRBPs to align Director+ hiring strategies with organizational priorities and succession plans.

• Collaborate with the Talent Development COE to integrate leadership hiring with development and succession initiatives.

• Work with Compensation, Legal, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment on offers, compliance, and onboarding.

• Define and evolve TA measurement framework to assess business impact and other critical priorities like candidate experience and diversity outcomes.

• Build and maintain TA reporting and analytics that provide consistent, timely insights to inform strategic and operational decisions.

• Deliver market and internal insights—including leadership talent trends, pay benchmarks, competitive dynamics, and TA performance—to guide Director+ hiring strategies and overall TA improvements.

• 8+ years of progressive experience in talent acquisition, including 3+ years focused on executive or Director+ hiring.

• Proven ability to manage complex, high-visibility searches and influence senior stakeholders.

• Experience designing and implementing recruiting processes, governance, or workflows at scale.

• Strong analytical skills with experience in building reporting frameworks, defining metrics, and leveraging data visualization tools.

• Demonstrated ability to influence and challenge senior executives with confidence and credibility, balancing business priorities with sound hiring practices.

• Expertise in executive compensation, search firm partnerships, and candidate evaluation.

• Proven track record of maintaining composure and sound judgment in high-stakes, fast-paced environments.

• Familiarity with TA technology platforms like Workday, Phenom, and LinkedIn Recruiter.

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree and/or executive search firm experience preferred.

• Strategic thinker with a builder’s mindset—comfortable being hands-on and creating structure in ambiguity.

• Trusted advisor with executive presence, sound judgment, resiliency, and ability to challenge and advise senior leaders.

• Passionate about inclusive hiring and leadership excellence.

• Curious, collaborative, and committed to continuous improvement.

What You Can Expect From Us:

• Base salary target $140-$160k

• Opportunity for an annual bonus and equity

• Health / Dental / Vision Benefits Day-One   

• 5% matching 401k   

• Additional benefits including but not limited to financial support, pet insurance, mental health resources, volunteer paid days off, employee stock program, foundation donation matching, and much more

Why IDEXX?

We’re proud of the work we do, because our work matters. An innovation leader in every industry we serve, we follow our Purpose and Guiding Principles to help pet owners worldwide keep their companion animals healthy and happy, to ensure safe drinking water for billions, and to help farmers protect livestock and poultry from disease. We have customers in over 175 countries and a global workforce of over 10,000 talented people. 

So, what does that mean for you? We enrich the livelihoods of our employees with a positive and respectful work culture that embraces challenges and encourages learning and discovery. At IDEXX, you will be supported by competitive compensation, incentives, and benefits while enjoying purposeful work that drives improvement. 
  
Let’s pursue what matters together.  

IDEXX values a diverse workforce and workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply.  

IDEXX is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any protected category prohibited by local, state, or federal laws.

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