headhunter

A person who practises headhunting, the taking and preserving of a person's head after killing them.

• We were accommodated here in the verandah of the large house, in which were several great baskets of dried human heads, the trophies of past generations of head-hunters.
• Theirs was the spirit which upheld Darwin among the gauchos of the Argentine or Wallace among the head-hunters of Malaya.

One who recruits skilled personnel, especially executive-level ones, for a company.

• Near-synonyms: recruiter, talent scout
• A headhunter called me out of the blue with an offer I couldn't refuse.

A pitcher who throws at the batter's head.

• Thankfully, there aren't many headhunters in the modern game.

A player who uses a hockey stick to attempt to strike an opponent's head.

• He is known as a goon and a headhunter.