Do you live by your calendar? If you’re a tech executive, seize the opportunity to book your 1:1 with the person who is driving your career … that would be you!
It’s time to make sure your resume is on point, and your LinkedIn profile is optimized for your next big-impact role. And that your networking game is on overdrive because, after all, it’s who you know that will provide you the edge in your career search.
If 2026 turns out to be anything like this year, tech executive hiring will accelerate in January. In 2025, search firms experienced record growth at the beginning of the year, according to CIO.com.
January is the time that most company begin their fiscal year. A full calendar agenda is filled with tactics to back strategic initiatives. It’s your time to take a seat at the table and drive this process in your new role.
Top 5 Tech Executive Roles Actively Recruited
Clients routinely ask me about how many companies are hiring for their specific role. Based on LinkedIn job listings, CIO.com’s 2025 executive hiring analysis, and global tech hiring trend reports, the top 5 roles are CIO, CTO, VP of Engineering, Director of IT, and Head of AI. And then I was curious about which types of companies were hiring in December. It runs the gamut from Fortune 2000 companies and the government to small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
Please note that I pulled this information over a week ago, so the companies listed in the right-hand column have since stopped accepting applications. But at least you have an idea of who was recruiting in December.
Director-level roles dominate in terms of volume, which makes sense since the higher up you go, the crowd thins out. On an interesting note, AI roles are the fastest-growing globally, and there are more than twice as many opportunities outside the U.S. It may be time to hop across the pond.
| Executive Role | Estimated U.S. Openings | Estimated Global (Non-U.S.) Openings | Top Companies Hiring (December 2025) |
| Director of Information Technology / IT Director | 6,000 | 4,000 | The Amatriot Group (SMB), OculusIT (SMB), Pivotal Solutions (SMB) |
| VP of Engineering / VP of Technology | 5,200 | 3,500 | Fanatics (Fortune 2000), Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (SMB), Access Search clients (SMB) |
| Chief Information Officer (CIO) | 4,500 | 3,000 | Amazon (Fortune 2000), County of Maui (SMB/Gov), QC Ally (SMB) |
| Chief Technology Officer (CTO) | 3,800 | 4,200 | County of Maui (Gov/SMB), Deep Tech Leaders portfolio companies (Startups) |
| Head of AI / Head of Data / AI Executive Roles | 2,200 | 5,000 | Apple (Fortune 2000), Microsoft (Fortune 2000), Google (Fortune 2000) |
Executive Search Firms
You may wonder how you, as a tech executive, are targeted for a potential role. Companies use a mixture of recruiting methods, including hiring and promoting from within, professional networking, job search boards such as LinkedIn, and executive search firms.
Some of the top search firms, like Heller, do allow tech execs to contact them and proactively register interest, while Spencer Stuart and Heidrick & Struggles don’t offer a candidate portal.
| Top 5 Recruiting Firms | Annual Revenue | Employees | Headquarters | People Processed (Available Metrics) | Example Clients / Industries |
| Korn Ferry | $2.76B FY2025 | 9,253 | Los Angeles, CA (global HQ) | Processes thousands of executive and Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) candidates annually; Q3 FY25 RPO new business $210M | Works across Fortune 500, global enterprises, and PE-backed firms |
| Heller Search Associates | $5M | 34 | Westborough, MA | High-touch boutique firm; processes dozens to hundreds of CIO/CTO/CISO searches annually (not publicly disclosed) | Fortune 500, mid-market, private equity, higher ed, nonprofits |
| Russell Reynolds Associates | $401.5M | 1,900 | New York, NY | Global leadership advisory firm; handles CEO, CIO, CISO, and board searches across 47 offices | Business services, consumer, energy, financial services, healthcare, nonprofit, private equity, technology |
| Spencer Stuart | $921.1M (ZoomInfo) | 2,200 | Chicago, IL | One of the largest privately held search firms processes thousands of senior executive and board searches globally | Major multinationals, emerging companies, nonprofits; 70 offices in 33 countries |
| Heidrick & Struggles | $1.1B | 2,224 | Chicago, IL | Works with 70% of Fortune 1000 companies; processes global executive and leadership consulting engagements | Fortune 1000, global enterprises across all sectors |
What It Takes to Be a Top Tech Executive Candidate
Based on CIO.com’s 2025 CIO hiring analysis and LinkedIn’s 2025 skills trends, these are table stakes to secure your next role.
- AI Fluency Is Non-Negotiable: Leaders must understand how to deploy AI, not just talk about it. AI literacy is among the fastest-rising skills in 2025 across all job postings.
- Ability to Drive Business Transformation: Companies want tech execs who accelerate change, not maintain the status quo. Transformation experience is now weighted as heavily as technical depth.
- Cross-Functional Influence: Execs must be a partner with finance, operations, HR, and product. Forbes explicitly cites emotional intelligence and communication as core C-suite traits.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Analytical thinking is the #1 skill across all roles in 2025.
- Track Record of Scaling Teams & Systems: This skill set isessential for CTOs and CIOs in high-growth environments.
- Cybersecurity Awareness (Even Outside CISO Roles): Every tech exec is expected to understand risk, governance, and resilience.
That’s a Wrap
If you’re unhappy in your current role, now is the best time to take control of your professional brand. Make sure your marketing tools are up to date (resume, LinkedIn), conduct a networking outreach campaign (sign up as a candidate at Heller), and create a daily cadence to prioritize yourself for your next big-impact role.
Cheers to 2026!