> TL;DR My org wanted to pay below market rates yet still dictate shoot-the-moon requirements.

I've been on the receiving end of this numerous times "Oh, we know we can't pay what you're used to, but thought you might like a challenging environment ..?"

These days I've stopped accepting interviews unless the recruiter/company will share a salary range in advance of technical questions.

(You'd be amazed how many places advertise with "Salary: Competitive", and no firm figure/range.)