hitman

/ˈhɪtˌmæn/
noun
  1. A person who is hired to kill someone, especially for organized crime.
    • In the movie, the hitman has a strict code of ethics about his targets.
    • The gang leader hired a hitman to eliminate his rival.
    • The detective suspected the victim had been killed by a professional hitman.
  2. A person who is paid to do something unpleasant or aggressive on behalf of someone else, such as firing employees or spreading rumors.
    • The manager acted as a hitman for the CEO, delivering bad news to the team.
    • The company brought in a corporate hitman to lay off a third of the staff.
    • She was known as the political hitman who would leak damaging stories about opponents.