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Top Executive Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Executive Recruiter

San Francisco, CA ยท On-site

$45 - $55/hr

The role will focus on identifying, engaging, and securing top executive talent while serving as a trusted partner to senior stakeholders across the business. Responsibilities: * Lead end-to-end ...

Executive Assistant

San Francisco, CA ยท On-site

$91K - $99K/yr

This role is a key hire supporting top executives and ensuring seamless day-to-day operations. This is a high-level Executive Assistant / Senior Administrative role supporting multiple senior leaders ...

Your mission is to balance operational rigor with a human-centric approach, ensuring our ABPs feel supported in their career journeys while providing world-class partnership to Asana's top executives.

Your mission is to balance operational rigor with a human-centric approach, ensuring our ABPs feel supported in their career journeys while providing world-class partnership to Asana's top executives.

Your mission is to balance operational rigor with a human-centric approach, ensuring our ABPs feel supported in their career journeys while providing world-class partnership to Asana's top executives.

Account Executive - West Region

Los Angeles, CA ยท On-site +1

$150K - $210K/yr

Can effectively interface at many levels with top executives. * Develop RFP/RFI Responses with partners. * Manages the overall customer and partner satisfaction within the assigned territory.

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Showing results 1-20

Top Executive information

See California salary details

$26.2K

$92.3K

$181.6K

How much do top executive jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 22, 2026, the average yearly pay for top executive in California is $92,327.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $57,200.00 and $118,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a top executive?

Top executives are the highest-level managers in an organization, responsible for setting overall strategy, making major corporate decisions, and leading the company toward its goals. Their titles can include Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and President, among others. They oversee company operations, develop policies, and ensure that the organization meets its financial and operational objectives. Top executives also represent the company to stakeholders, such as board members, investors, and the public. The role requires strong leadership, decision-making, and communication skills.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a top executive?

To thrive as a Top Executive, you need strategic leadership abilities, deep business acumen, and often an advanced degree such as an MBA or relevant management experience. Familiarity with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, financial analysis tools, and industry-specific software is typically required. Exceptional communication, decision-making, and adaptability are crucial soft skills for inspiring teams and managing organizational change. These competencies enable effective direction, innovation, and sustained growth in a highly competitive business environment.

How do top executives typically collaborate with other senior leaders and departments within an organization?

Top Executives often work closely with other senior leaders, such as CFOs, COOs, and department heads, to align organizational strategy and ensure that company goals are met. This collaboration involves regular meetings, strategic planning sessions, and cross-departmental projects where executives provide guidance and make high-level decisions. Effective communication and consensus-building are essential, as Top Executives must balance diverse perspectives and drive unified action. Building strong relationships with other leaders also helps in swiftly addressing challenges and seizing new opportunities for the organization.

What is the difference between Top Executive vs Chief Operating Officer?

AspectTop ExecutiveChief Operating Officer
CredentialsVaries; often includes advanced degrees in business or managementTypically requires extensive experience in operations, often with a background in business administration or management
Work EnvironmentExecutive offices, boardrooms, strategic planning settingsOperational departments, overseeing daily business functions
Employer & Industry UsageUsed across industries for high-level leadership rolesCommonly found in large corporations, manufacturing, and service industries
Search & Comparison IntentPeople compare Top Executive roles with other C-suite positionsOften compared with other senior management roles like CEO or CFO

The Top Executive is a broad leadership role overseeing overall company strategy, while the Chief Operating Officer focuses specifically on managing daily operations. Both roles are vital at the executive level, but the Top Executive has a wider scope, including external relations and long-term planning, whereas the COO concentrates on internal operational efficiency.

What are the top executive positions?

Top executive positions typically include Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), and Chief Technology Officer (CTO). These roles involve strategic decision-making, leadership, and oversight of company operations and are often filled by individuals with extensive experience and advanced degrees. They usually require strong leadership skills, industry knowledge, and sometimes professional certifications.

What are the most commonly searched types of Top jobs in California?

The most popular types of Top jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Top Executive jobs?

Cities in California with the most Top Executive job openings:

Infographic showing various Top Executive job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 79% Full Time, 14% Part Time, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 93% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $92,327 per year, or $44.4 per hour.

Executive Recruiter

Robert Half

San Francisco, CA โ€ข On-site

$45 - $55/hr

Temporary

Posted 7 days ago


Job description

We are looking for an experienced Executive Recruiter to lead senior-level hiring initiatives for a global technology-focused organization. This 5 months contract opportunity is ideal for a detail-oriented recruiting specialist who brings strong judgment, executive presence, and a track record of managing complex leadership searches with discretion and precision. The role will focus on identifying, engaging, and securing top executive talent while serving as a trusted partner to senior stakeholders across the business.


Responsibilities:

• Lead end-to-end recruitment for executive and senior leadership roles, including vice president and C-suite level searches, with a high degree of confidentiality and professionalism.

• Develop targeted search strategies that combine passive talent outreach, market mapping, and long-range pipeline building to strengthen leadership succession efforts.

• Partner closely with senior executives, HR leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders to define hiring priorities, align on candidate profiles, and drive effective search execution.

• Advise decision-makers on executive talent trends, competitive hiring dynamics, and availability of leadership talent across relevant technology markets.

• Manage offer development and closing processes in coordination with Total Rewards, Legal, and HR partners, with attention to executive compensation components such as equity and sign-on structures.

• Build and present diverse executive candidate slates with relevant experience that reflect business needs and support inclusive hiring outcomes.

• Oversee and guide external search partners when engaged, ensuring service quality, process alignment, and strong candidate experience.

• Maintain accurate recruitment activity and candidate records within the applicant tracking system while supporting disciplined search management.

• Serve as a strategic recruiting advisor who can navigate sensitive searches independently and influence stakeholders at the highest levels of the organization.

• 15+ years of recruiting experience with significant depth in full-cycle hiring and executive search leadership.
• At least 5 years of direct experience hiring for vice president, senior executive, or C-suite positions in complex and confidential search environments.
• Minimum 2 years of in-house executive recruiting experience within a global organization.
• Background recruiting senior leaders in SaaS, enterprise software, cloud technology, or other high-growth technology sectors.
• Demonstrated strength in passive candidate sourcing, executive talent mapping, and proactive leadership pipeline development.
• Working knowledge of executive compensation programs, including equity awards, deferred compensation, and related offer structures.
• Strong communication, sound judgment, and the ability to build credibility with senior executives and board-level stakeholders.
• Experience using applicant tracking systems such as Greenhouse to manage executive search processes and documentation.

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About Robert Half

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Founded in 1948, Robert Half pioneered the idea of professional talent solutions to connect opportunities at great companies with highly skilled job seekers. As business needs changed, we evolved to offer specialized talent solutions for finance and accounting, technology, administrative and customer support, creative and marketing, and legal fields. In 2002, we introduced our subsidiary, Protiviti, a global independent risk consulting and internal audit service, to support companies as they faced more strategic business challenges.

Industry

Recruiting and staffing services

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

San Ramon, CA, US

Year founded

1948