Recruitment Operations Manager – Tech, Philanthropy

EQL Tech (sales & engineering talent)

Operational Manager managing search strategies and client outputs for executive search firm in tech and philanthropy. Collaborating with senior teams to enhance candidate experience and streamline processes.

Posted 6/21/2026full-timeSan Francisco • California, New York • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSeniorWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Run the operational backbone of every retained search - co-develop the search strategy, collate all necessary materials & outreach collateral, stand it up in the ATS, structure the pipeline, hold the research and outreach cadence, and keep each search on track against its milestones from brief to onboarding.
Own and continuously improve our tooling stack. Design the workflows, templates and trackers that let a small senior team punch far above its size. Build the playbook that makes our quality repeatable rather than heroic.
Produce and quality-control the artefacts clients see - search strategy overviews, marketing materials, process documents, calibration lists, dedicated search dashboards & trackers, long-lists with assessment summaries, shortlist documents, candidate write-ups, interview preparation notes, reference summaries, status reports. Everything that leaves the firm should look like it came from the market leader in our space.
Manage extensive correspondence, coordinate scheduling across timezones, deliver decisions/outcomes, manage feedback processes. Help ensure that every person we touch - placed or not - comes away with a high opinion of us.
Maintain pipeline metrics and search dashboards, run the firm's reporting rhythm, and turn search data into something the founder and clients can act on.
Own data protection, candidate data hygiene, vendor onboarding and the operational admin that keeps a cross-border firm clean and credible.

Requirements

What you’ll need

4+ years in a role that demanded exceptional structure and judgement - management consulting, strategy, chief-of-staff or operations roles, executive search, or in-house talent at an organisation with an unusually high bar. We care far more about how you think and operate than about which industry you come from; recruitment experience is welcome but not required.
A systems-builder. You have stood up or rebuilt a process, a workflow or an operations function - not just worked within one someone else designed. An ATS or search process is a plus; the underlying instinct matters more than the specific tool. You're excited about using AI to build, refine and scale workstreams, not resistant to it.
Exceptional organisation and judgement. You hold many moving parts at once and drop nothing. When priorities collide, you make the right call and move.
Client-grade written communication. Your documents are clear, precise and considered. People assume you are more senior than you are.
High agency, used to operating with a sense of urgency and comfortable with ambiguity. You are energised, not unsettled, by building the thing that doesn't exist yet.
Discretion. You will sit close to senior, sensitive and confidential networks and treat them accordingly.
Bonus: exposure to frontier tech, science or philanthropy; fluency with AI & tech platforms; genuine data fluency; a track record at an organisation known for operational excellence.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Competitive salary calibrated to the cost of living in your home town/city.
Pension/401k contributions
Health insurance
Enhanced holidays
Professional development budget

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools

search strategyworkflow designdata protectioncandidate data hygienereportingprocess documentationquality controlpipeline managementdata analysisproject management

Soft Skills

exceptional organisationjudgementclient-grade written communicationhigh agencydiscretionability to manage multiple prioritiesadaptabilitysense of urgencyattention to detailinterpersonal skills