Principal Leadership Recruiter in Manchester

About Us

At Booking.com, data drives our decisions. Technology is at our core. And innovation is everywhere. But our company is more than datasets, lines of code or A/B tests. We’re the thrill of the first night in a new place. The excitement of the next morning. The friends you encounter. The journeys you take. The sights you see. And the memories you make. Through our products, partners and people, we make it easier for everyone to experience the world.

Role Description

Booking.com is going through a major transformation across its global TA function to align it to the future needs of the business. Significant investment is being made across people and technology. One strategic area of growth is Booking.com’s Executive Recruitment function, which operates across the Booking Holdings group, supporting all brands and leadership teams. Having established the Executive Recruitment function a couple of years ago it has built a strong internal reputation and delivered major senior mandates across Booking.com and other Booking Holdings brands. The function has evolved from a primarily search‑delivery team to an enterprise‑level strategic talent advisory function, with an expanded mandate across Executive Hiring and Succession Risk Management.

Principal Recruiter Overview

The Principal Recruiter is a high‑impact talent acquisition strategist partnering with senior leaders (Sr Director to VP/SVP and C‑level) across Booking.com and the wider Booking Holdings group. The role advises on long‑term executive talent acquisition programs, complex cross‑brand searches, and proactive succession planning initiatives that have significant impact on business continuity and performance. In addition to leading critical executive searches, this role contributes to the group’s Succession Risk Management agenda by proactively identifying leadership gaps, mapping internal and external talent, and mitigating succession risk for business‑critical roles. This will require influence across both senior business and People teams, while setting the benchmark for operational excellence, structured assessment and executive candidate experience. This role requires strong leadership traits including the ability to build relationships across brands, lead through strategic problem‑solving, communicate with clarity and credibility, and consistently maintain a high‑bar for execution in a complex global environment. This role reports into the Director Executive Recruitment.

Key Job Responsibilities and Duties

• Executive Talent Strategy & Partnership: Own and deepen relationships with SVP/VP and C‑level leaders across Booking.com and the wider Booking Holdings group, aligning executive hiring and succession strategy with business priorities and long‑term workforce planning.
• Executive Search Delivery: Lead highly complex, cross‑brand executive searches across geographies. Deliver rigorous assessment, structured process excellence and an exceptional executive candidate experience while balancing internal and external talent considerations.
• Succession Risk Management: Contribute to the group‑wide Succession Risk Management agenda by proactively identifying leadership gaps, assessing internal “ready now” and “ready soon” successors, and building external pipelines to mitigate risk for business‑critical roles.
• Market Intelligence & Strategic Advisory: Provide data‑driven insights on talent markets, competitor landscape, compensation trends and executive mobility to inform strategic hiring decisions and leadership planning. Act as a trusted advisor in leadership forums and annual planning cycles.
• Talent Ecosystem & Practice Excellence: Collaborate closely with Senior Leadership Sourcers, Lead Recruiters and People stakeholders to build sustainable executive talent pipelines across priority industries and functions. Continuously strengthen the Executive Recruitment function by driving best‑in‑class standards, scalable processes and disciplined governance, while leveraging external partners selectively and strategically where it adds clear value.

Qualifications & Skills

• Significant executive search experience, either within a leading search firm or as an in‑house Executive / Leadership Recruiter in a complex, global organisation.
• Proven track record of leading senior executive searches including direct sourcing of passive talent across technology‑driven, digital platform and global consumer businesses.
• Strong customer mindset, treats senior leaders and candidates as long‑term partners, not transactions.
• Demonstrates a consistent focus on delivering a high‑quality, structured and differentiated executive experience across every interaction.
• Credible advisor to executive leadership, with the ability to influence in high‑stakes, ambiguous and matrixed environments.
• Comfortable operating at enterprise level while balancing immediate delivery with long‑term succession and talent strategy.
• Commercially sharp and analytically strong. Able to translate market intelligence, talent data and competitive insights into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Excellent communicator with executive presence; able to challenge constructively, build trust quickly and navigate sensitive conversations with discretion.
• Highly organised and execution‑focused, with disciplined attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple complex searches simultaneously without compromising quality.
• Thrives in fast‑moving, evolving environments and is motivated by building and continuously elevating a high‑impact executive recruitment function.
• Able to function in a fast‑moving entrepreneurial environment.
• Humble yet confident, with high self‑awareness.
• A strategic thinker yet focused on execution; able to roll up their sleeves to get things done.
• Sound judgment when working through complex issues and when handling confidential information.
• Self‑starter with high energy and drive; fast‑paced and results‑driven; forward‑thinking.
• Experimental, ready to learn and open to change.
• Keep the customer at the centre of everything you do.
• Data‑driven.
• Committed to building a diverse, inclusive work environment.

Benefits & Perks - Global Impact, Personal Relevance

• Annual paid time off and generous paid leave scheme including parent, grandparent, bereavement, and care leave.
• Hybrid working including flexible working arrangements, and up to 20 days per year working from abroad (home country).
• Industry leading product discounts – up to 1400 per year – for yourself, including automatic Genius Level 3 status and Booking.com wallet credit.

Inclusion at Booking.com

Inclusion has been a core part of our company culture since day one. This ongoing journey starts with our very own employees, who represent over 140 nationalities and a wide range of ethnic and social backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations. Take it from our Chief People Officer, Paulo Pisano: “At Booking.com, the diversity of our people doesn’t just build an outstanding workplace, it also creates a better and more inclusive travel experience for everyone. Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. It’s a place where you can make your mark and have a real impact in travel and tech.” We ensure that colleagues with disabilities are provided the adjustments and tools they need to participate in the job application and interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Application Process

Let’s go places together: How we Hire. This role does not come with relocation assistance, therefore candidates must be currently based in the UK in order to be considered.

Booking.com is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We strive to move well beyond traditional equal opportunity and work to create an environment that allows everyone to thrive.

Pre‑Employment Screening

If your application is successful, your personal data may be used for a pre‑employment screening check by a third party as permitted by applicable law. Depending on the vacancy and applicable law, a pre‑employment screening may include employment history, education and other information (such as media information) that may be necessary for determining your qualifications and suitability for the position.