Senior Director, Talent Acquisition (AI, Product, Engineering & Experience), Santa Clara

Company Description

It all started when engineer Fred Luddy wrote code that automated a tedious task for his coworker, Phyllis. She cried tears of joy. That moment inspired Fred to build a company that could do that for everyone—freeing people from busywork so they could focus on meaningful work. Today, ServiceNow is the AI control tower for business reinvention. Our ServiceNow AI platform brings together any AI, any data, and any workflow— helping 85% of the Fortune 500® work smarter, faster, and better. We're building an AI-native culture where technology and talent are unstoppable together. And we're just getting started.

Join us to put AI to work for people.

Job Description

This leader will serve as a key strategic partner to the VP of Talent Acquisition, helping shape and execute our AI-native strategic recruiting agenda. This includes leading recruiting integration across acquisitions, including Moveworks and owning Workforce Planning & Budgeting (WPB) strategy and execution for APEX (AI, Product, Engineering & Experience)

In partnership with the VP, this Senior Director will also drive APEX-specific candidate assessment strategy and execution, with meaningful working-hours overlap with APEX leadership's time zone to support real-time collaboration on assessment and hiring decisions.

This is a hybrid role requiring a minimum of one day per week on-site at our Mountain View and/or Santa Clara offices.

What you get to do in this role:

The Senior Director, Talent Acquisition is responsible for designing and executing an industry-leading technical recruiting strategy that proactively identifies and engages transformative technical talent to support our business priorities. This role will be a core member of our technical talent acquisition leadership team and will provide direct leadership to the Americas-based tech recruiting team while driving global hiring strategy and alignment across one or more technical functions (for example Product, Tech, or Design)

As a thought leader and strategic business partner, this leader will work cross-functionally with business leaders, HRBPs, and fellow TA leaders to establish best-in-class recruiting practices, develop high-performing teams, and deliver exceptional outcomes that fuel our growth trajectory. This role requires a dynamic leader who can operate effectively across both direct management and indirect influence models, building enduring relationships with stakeholders globally while transforming recruiting operations into a strategic competitive advantage.

Strategic Leadership

· Develop and implement a global technical recruiting strategy for one or more technical functions (e.g., Product, Tech, Design), closely aligned with business objectives and growth initiatives.

· Partner with global TA leadership to establish best-in-class ways of working, driving standardization and innovation across recruiting practices.

· Provide indirect and cross-functional strategic leadership across assigned global technical functions, ensuring alignment with tech leaders and HRBPs worldwide.

· Establish domain-specific talent acquisition strategies for assigned regions and business units, translating business needs into actionable recruiting plans.

Direct Team Leadership

· Lead, inspire, and develop the Americas-based professional technical recruiting team, fostering high performance, engagement, and retention.

· Coach and upskill recruiters to operate as strategic business partners, elevating their impact and influence across the organization.

· Build scalable recruiting systems and processes that support high-volume hiring while maintaining quality and candidate experience.

· Drive team performance through clear goal-setting, accountability, and continuous development.

· Champion change management initiatives, creating a culture of adaptability and resiliency within the team and broader TA organization.

Operational Excellence

· Establish and optimize processes for candidate discovery and management, integrating demand forecasting and workforce planning in partnership with business and finance partners.

· Apply a product mindset to recruiting processes and strategy, thinking and re-envisioning recruiting from an experience-led perspective for both candidates and stakeholders.

· Continuously raise the bar for team performance, establishing a high-performance culture driven by excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Technology & Analytics

· Harness technology and analytics to drive recruiting efficiency and best practices, including workforce planning, capacity management, and funnel metrics.

· Demonstrate strong interest and ability in leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance recruiting outcomes, drive innovation, and deliver more effective talent solutions, always with candidate and stakeholder experience at the core.

· Utilize data-driven insights to inform strategy, identify trends, and continuously improve recruiting performance.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Influence

· Build consensus and work collaboratively across organizational boundaries, effectively influencing senior stakeholders and business leaders.

· Partner with HRBPs and business leaders across assigned technical functions to understand talent needs and market dynamics.

· Collaborate with global TA counterparts to ensure consistency, knowledge sharing, and alignment on global talent strategies.

· Build strong, collaborative relationships across TA Centers of Excellence (e.g. early-in-career, sourcing, executive recruiting) to ensure clear communication and updates across TA on business developments and maintain strategic alignment.

· Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership on technical talent market trends, competitive intelligence, and hiring strategies.

Culture & Talent Development

· Develop recruiting team members into strategic business partners with strong consultative and relationship-building capabilities.

· Foster a growth mindset culture within the team, encouraging innovation, learning, and adaptability.

· Champion inclusion, and belonging throughout all recruiting activities.

Qualifications

To be successful in this role you have:

· Experience in leveraging or critically thinking about how to integrate AI into work processes, decision-making, or problem-solving. This may include using AI-powered tools, automating workflows, analyzing AI-driven insights, or exploring AI's potential impact on the function or industry.

· 10+ years of progressive experience within recruitment and/or HR functions, including leading technical recruiting teams and preferred experience in AI-native organizations or recruiting AI/ML technical talent.

· Demonstrated experience building scalable recruiting systems and developing TA organizations into strategic business partners.

· Background spanning both large enterprise companies and fast-growth startups, OR experience leading recruiting for new fast-growing business units within large enterprise organizations.

· Deep understanding of global technology talent markets, competitive landscape, and leading companies in the sector.

· Demonstrated ability to lead both directly and indirectly with strong business partnership and relationship-building skills, proven track record of developing recruiting teams into strategic business partners, and excellent communication skills to gain buy-in from stakeholders across cultures and geographies.

· A growth-oriented leader who embraces change, thrives in dynamic environments, and exemplifies being customer-obsessed, collaborative, and inclusive.

· Strategic thinker who anticipates market changes and leads innovation with a product mindset, and frequently demonstrates adaptability, resourcefulness, and resiliency.

JV20

For positions in this location, we offer a base pay of $220,300 - $396,500, plus equity (when applicable), variable/incentive compensation and benefits. Sales positions generally offer a competitive On Target Earnings (OTE) incentive compensation structure. Please note that the base pay shown is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location. We also offer health plans, including flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) Plan with company match, ESPP, matching donations, a flexible time away plan and family leave programs. Compensation is based on the geographic location in which the role is located and is subject to change based on work location.

Additional Information

Work Personas

We approach our distributed world of work with flexibility and trust. Work personas (flexible, remote, or required in office) are categories that are assigned to ServiceNow employees depending on the nature of their work and their assigned work location. Learn more here. To determine eligibility for a work persona, ServiceNow may confirm the distance between your primary residence and the closest ServiceNow office using a third-party service.

Equal Opportunity Employer

ServiceNow is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, gender identity, veteran status, or any other category protected by law. In addition, all qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with legal requirements.

Accommodations

We strive to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or are unable to use this online application and need an alternative method to apply, please contact [email protected] for assistance.

Export Control Regulations

For positions requiring access to controlled technology subject to export control regulations, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR), ServiceNow may be required to obtain export control approval from government authorities for certain individuals. All employment is contingent upon ServiceNow obtaining any export license or other approval that may be required by relevant export control authorities.