Executive Researcher / Search Associate

Executive Search & Leadership Advisory | Central London

£55,000-£60,000 + Bonus + great bens

Full-Time | Initially Office-Based | Hybrid Working (4 Days per Week in the Office Following Onboarding)

An Opportunity to Build Something Different

We're partnered with a growing specialist executive search and leadership advisory firm that works with leading organisations, investors and senior executives to solve complex leadership, growth and transformation challenges.

Operating across Professional & Technology Services, Business & Industrial Services, and Transformation & Restructuring, the firm delivers senior executive and Partner-level appointments alongside leadership assessment, practice builds, value creation and strategic advisory work.

The business is taking a modern approach to executive search, combining experienced search professionals with technology-enabled research, connected market intelligence and emerging AI-driven tools. The goal is simple: spend less time on process and more time understanding markets, building relationships and delivering meaningful insight to clients.

As the firm continues to grow, they're looking for a Researcher / Associate who wants to play an active role in that journey.

The Role

This is far more than a traditional research position.

Research sits at the heart of the firm's work, and they're looking for someone who enjoys understanding markets, businesses and people. Someone who asks thoughtful questions, challenges assumptions, and enjoys uncovering where the best talent sits and why.

Working closely with Partners, you'll take ownership of significant elements of executive search assignments, translating client requirements into research strategies, leading market mapping projects, engaging senior candidates and contributing to successful search delivery.

The role offers genuine scope to develop. For the right person, there is an opportunity to take on increasing responsibility across the full search lifecycle and become a trusted member of the client delivery team.

Alongside assignment delivery, you'll contribute to building the firm's wider market intelligence capabilities, developing a deeper understanding of the sectors and leadership communities they serve.

Key Responsibilities

• Translate client briefs into thoughtful and comprehensive research strategies.
• Develop a strong understanding of clients, their markets, competitors and strategic objectives.
• Conduct detailed market mapping across sectors, organisations, geographies and leadership populations.
• Identify, evaluate and engage high-calibre senior executives and leadership talent.
• Look beyond obvious candidates and established networks to uncover exceptional individuals.
• Conduct candidate outreach with credibility, professionalism and curiosity.
• Undertake initial candidate conversations to assess experience, motivations and fit.
• Produce high-quality candidate profiles, market maps and client-facing intelligence.
• Gather and synthesise market insights to support both live assignments and broader firm knowledge.
• Manage workstreams independently, ensuring deadlines and commitments are met.
• Maintain accurate and valuable market intelligence within internal systems.
• Leverage technology, data and AI-enabled tools to enhance research quality and efficiency.
• Contribute ideas to the ongoing evolution of research methodologies and best practice.

About You

The firm is relatively flexible on sector background. What's most important is experience supporting complex, high-profile search assignments delivered to exceptional standards, combined with the intellectual curiosity and ambition to develop further.

You may currently be:

• An Executive Search Researcher seeking more ownership and client exposure.
• An Associate within executive search looking for greater responsibility.
• A Talent Intelligence professional operating in a research-led environment.
• A recruiter from a professional services or specialist market with strong research capability and a genuine interest in executive search.

You'll likely be:

Thoughtful

You don't simply accept information at face value. You consider context, analyse situations and form your own views.

Curious

You enjoy learning about businesses, markets and people, and naturally look beyond the obvious.

Tenacious

You're comfortable digging deeper, exploring alternative routes and thoroughly covering a market.

Accountable

You take ownership of your work and pride yourself on delivering to a high standard.

Engaging & Credible

You are confident communicating with senior stakeholders and leadership candidates.

Organised & Detail-Oriented

You can manage multiple projects simultaneously without compromising quality.

Collaborative

You enjoy working closely with colleagues, sharing information and contributing to collective success.

Entrepreneurial

You thrive in a growing, evolving environment where people are encouraged to contribute ideas and make an impact.

What's On Offer?

This is an opportunity to join an ambitious, growing executive search and leadership advisory business at an exciting stage of its development.

You'll work closely with experienced search professionals on senior, strategically important assignments and gain exposure to exceptional executives, investors and organisations.

The environment is highly collaborative and social. The team is down-to-earth, hands-on and genuinely supportive, looking for someone who is approachable, self-sufficient and happy to roll up their sleeves when needed.

Most importantly, this role offers real scope to progress and develop. The successful individual will be trusted with meaningful responsibility from day one, with the opportunity to broaden their involvement across search delivery, market intelligence and leadership advisory as the business continues to grow.

For someone intellectually curious, ambitious and excited by executive search, this is an excellent opportunity to build a long-term career within a modern, high-growth firm.