Principal / Senior Associate - Executive Search

Role Overview

This role will support the end-to-end delivery of search mandates by combining market insight, judgment, and project management to deliver excellent outcomes. They build strong pipelines and strengthen client and candidate relationships through insight and initiative. They also drive growth through proactive, high-quality pitch support and market insight.

Accountabilities

• Significantly contribute to the development and articulation of the search strategy proactively refining it as the search progresses.
• Deliver comprehensive market mapping and candidate research that underpins search strategies.
• Lead screening calls and interviews, using critical judgement to assess whether candidates are suitable for the role.
• Prepare candidates for Level 2 / 3 searches for the interview stage, ensuring they understand the role, process, and expectations.
• Produce high-quality candidate briefs, scorecards, job descriptions, and supporting documentation.
• Share insights from candidate interactions and market research to help shape search strategies and inform the wider team.
• Join client calls throughout the search process and, when appropriate, share candidate insights or research findings.
• Able to present candidates on client calls, articulating candidate rationale, strengths, risks, and market context with credibility and clarity.
• Consistently maintain healthy candidate pipelines, flagging risks early and proposing solutions to lead consultants.
• Role model in best practice in research and search delivery, supporting consistency across projects.
• Support the onboarding, training and development of junior team members, role modelling best practice in research and delivery.
• Deliver accurate mapping of VC/PE funds.
• Proactively identify funds of interest for the team.
• Support with CFO-1 outreach and tracking of BD lead gen campaign if required.
• Support Growth and Delivery leads with pitch materials for L1 searches, including CFO profile summaries, archetype notes, search strategy outlines, and relevant market insights.
• Flag potential BD opportunities observed during research or candidate interactions.