Senior Recruiter (Contract)

American Operator is looking to add a Senior Recruiter for a 4-month contract to own full-cycle recruiting across our corporate team. This role will manage searches end-to-end, from sourcing and candidate engagement through interviews and offer execution, while partnering closely with hiring managers to drive hiring decisions, deliver an exceptional candidate experience, and maintain organized, well-documented pipelines to ensure a seamless transition. This role will report to our CEO. RESPONSIBILITIES - Run full-cycle recruiting for open AO corporate roles, from intake to signed offer - Partner with hiring managers on role scope, interview plans and scorecards - Source candidates proactively through LinkedIn, referrals and your own network - Screen candidates and present short, well-reasoned slates - Schedule interviews and keep every candidate informed at each step - Collect feedback quickly and drive timely hiring decisions - Manage offers, references and handoff to onboarding - Keep the ATS, Ashby, current and share a weekly pipeline update - Hand off a written status of every open search before the engagement ends MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - 4+ years of full-cycle recruiting, ideally including corporate or G&A roles (finance, operations, strategy, people) - Experience recruiting at a small company, startup, PE-backed firm or holding company - Strong sourcing skills; you don't wait for inbound applicants - Ability to ramp fast and run searches with little guidance - Clear, warm communication with candidates and hiring managers - Experience using Ashby and simple pipeline reporting - Available for the full 16 weeks ABOUT THE TEAM American Operator exists because we believe the American Dream is worth protecting, and that small businesses are the backbone of our communities. To do this well, we need a team that reflects the real world: operators, builders, investors, and problem-solvers from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. We know that diversity of thought, discipline, and lived experience leads to better decisions and stronger businesses. We’re intentional about bringing together people who care deeply about ownership, stewardship, and keeping great companies in capable hands. Our work depends on collaboration, humility, and a shared belief in the value of Main Street. We’re a team shaped by different industries, hometowns, and career paths, and we believe those differences are exactly what prepare us to serve small-business owners and future CEOs across the country.   MISSION-DRIVEN Every company claims to be mission-driven, but our mission is simple, tangible, and urgent: preserve the legacy of America’s small businesses and create more pathways to meaningful ownership. We partner with operators who want to step into leadership, take responsibility for great companies, and continue the work that founders spent decades building. When we succeed, communities keep their employers, families keep their livelihoods, and operators get the chance to build wealth through real ownership. We work hard because we know what’s at stake: generational businesses that deserve to thrive, and talented operators who deserve the chance to lead them. And while we measure our success in deals closed and businesses grown, the real reward is seeing these companies continue to serve their people and their towns, stronger than before. Where else do you get the opportunity to help someone become a CEO, preserve a founder’s life’s work, and strengthen a community, all in the same job? That’s what makes our work both serious and incredibly fulfilling.