Different companies work differently; YMMV. However, if it was in fact a very senior hiring manager with an open req for the job, it would be unusual in my exp

Different companies work differently; YMMV. However, if it was in fact a very senior hiring manager with an open req for the job, it would be unusual in my experience for the recruiter to take more than a couple of days to a week to get back to you. This is basically the recruiters 'client' giving them the direction "I'm interested in this candidate". Not hearing back means to me he probably sent your stuff over with an "I got this resume out of band, and it didn't light my fire, so put it in the stack with the rest of them and put them through the normal vetting process". Of course, some HR departments (usually at huge companies) simply work at a glacial pace. I've had recruiters call me weeks after the hiring manager and I had agreed on salary and dates telling me that I still had to go through their process (I didn't in the end take that job, btw). Good luck, and stop fixating on the idea that there's one "best" job or one "best" company. That's not how the world works.