Christian Zarate
Houston,TX
Summary
Strategic Talent Acquisition Executive with 10+ years of experience designing and scaling global recruitment infrastructures for Fortune 50 organizations, including Amazon, Google, and The Walt Disney Company. Recognized for transforming talent acquisition functions into data-driven centers of excellence that align human capital strategy with long-term business objectives. Expertise in C-suite partnership, workforce planning, and the development of DEI-focused hiring frameworks that enable rapid technical scaling and sustainable leadership pipelines.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant
GalaxyTek
01.2026 - Current
- Led full-cycle recruitment for aerospace, defense, and engineering talent across classified and high-priority government programs, supporting rapid scaling initiatives for mission-critical projects.
- Managed recruitment efforts for candidates requiring security clearances, including Secret, Top Secret, and TS/SCI, while ensuring compliance with federal hiring regulations and defense industry standards.
- Reduced average time-to-fill for critical engineering requisitions by 32% through proactive sourcing strategies, talent pipelining, and streamlined interview coordination processes.
- Increased passive candidate response rates by 35% through personalized outreach campaigns and employer branding initiatives tailored to aerospace and defense engineering talent.
Recruiter/Talent Sourcer
SourceOwls
05.2023 - 01.2026
- Architect and execute enterprise-grade sourcing strategies across multiple industries, leveraging advanced Boolean searches, targeted social campaigns, and proactive market mapping to build robust, diverse talent pipelines that consistently exceed client hiring velocity targets.
- Serve as a trusted talent advisor to cross-industry clients, aligning specialized recruitment strategies with unique business requirements ranging from Civil Design Engineers to Veterinarians, demonstrating adaptability and strategic foresight in high-stakes situations.
- Conducted 20–30 candidate interviews weekly, assessing technical qualifications, compensation alignment, cultural fit, and long-term retention potential.
- Achieved a 92% candidate retention rate within the first 12 months of placement through strong candidate matching and consultative recruitment practices.
Assistant Manager
Lush Cosmetics
09.2023 - 09.2025
- Led and developed a high-performing retail team of 10–20 associates, implementing coaching frameworks and performance-driven initiatives that elevated sales, customer experience, and team engagement.
- Designed and executed strategic sales and promotional programs that drove annual revenue growth from $1M to $1.9M while optimizing key KPIs, including conversion rate, average basket size, and profitability.
- Directed daily store operations, including workforce scheduling, inventory optimization, visual merchandising, and compliance, ensuring operational excellence and seamless execution of corporate standards.
- Monitored sales metrics and KPIs, optimizing team performance and implementing strategies to increase conversion rates, average basket size, and overall profitability.
Senior Technical Recruiter
The Walt Disney Company
08.2023 - 01.2024
- Orchestrated implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy for technical recruiting organization by organizing events, designing inclusive outreach campaigns, and facilitating candidate placements that markedly increased diverse representation in AI/ML and engineering divisions.
- Managed end-to-end executive and technical recruitment for a business AI organization, successfully acquiring researchers, software engineers, data scientists, applied scientists, and program/product managers possessing deep AI/ML knowledge.
- Advised hiring managers on best practices for conducting effective interviews, improving overall candidate experience throughout the process.
- Increased diversity representation within candidate pipelines by 25% through targeted DEI sourcing initiatives, strategic partnerships, and inclusive recruitment practices.
Senior Technical Recruiter
Google
08.2022 - 08.2023
- Directed full-cycle recruitment for Engineering Management (EM) roles across multiple product organizations, including YouTube, partnering with Directors, VPs, and senior engineering leaders to secure top-tier technical leadership talent.
- Leveraged data-driven recruiting strategies to improve sourcing efficiency, resulting in a 40% increase in qualified candidate submissions for difficult-to-fill roles.
- Reduced average time-to-fill for technical requisitions by 28% through proactive talent pipelining, advanced sourcing methodologies, and process optimization initiatives.
- Collaborated cross-functionally with compensation, HRBP, immigration, and legal teams to support domestic and international hiring operations.
Technical Recruiter
Amazon
09.2021 - 08.2022
- Specialized in high-volume, passive sourcing and full-life-cycle recruitment for L5–L7 technical roles (Cloud Infrastructure, Full Stack, Front End, Back End, AI/ML) across AWS, consistently averaging 3–4 offers extended per month.
- Partnered with hiring managers and engineering directors to craft precise hiring strategies, strengthen talent pipelines, and accelerate time-to-fill for strategic AWS initiatives.
- Maintained exceptional candidate experience throughout the recruitment process while closing complex offers in fast-paced, high-stakes environments.
- Developed targeted sourcing strategies utilizing advanced Boolean search techniques and social media platforms.
Education
B.A - Communication
University of St. Thomas
Houston, TX01-2023
A.A - Arts
Houston Community College
Houston, TX01-2015
Skills
- Diversity hiring
- Global talent acquisition
- Social media recruitment
- Boolean search
- Recruitment metrics
- Executive search
- Technical recruiting
- Applicant tracking systems
- Campus recruitment
- Compensation analysis
Timeline
Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant
GalaxyTek
01.2026 - Current
Assistant Manager
Lush Cosmetics
09.2023 - 09.2025
Senior Technical Recruiter
The Walt Disney Company
08.2023 - 01.2024
Recruiter/Talent Sourcer
SourceOwls
05.2023 - 01.2026
Senior Technical Recruiter
Google
08.2022 - 08.2023
Technical Recruiter
Amazon
09.2021 - 08.2022
A.A - Arts
Houston Community College
B.A - Communication
University of St. Thomas