Head of Strategic & Executive Recruiting

Shape the Future of Leadership and Talent Strategy at IDEXX

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.

Location Requirement:

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.

What You’ll Do:

Leadership Hiring Strategy & Delivery

• 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.

Governance & Process Design

• 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.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• 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.

Talent Insights & Analytics

• 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.

What You’ll Bring:

• 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.

Preferred Attributes:

• 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