Key Account Manager

Sage Recruiting Inc.; Canada; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Sage Recruiting Inc. is a boutique retained search firm serving Canada and the US. We seek a Senior 360 Recruitment Consultant to drive client acquisition and build lasting partnerships, delivering on mandates with a retained-search mindset.

You will lead searches while developing new business and mentoring peers to ensure successful placements. You will leverage an existing strong client base, grow accounts in software and tech, and wear multiple hats including leadership, recruiting, and

Qualifications

• Requires 10+ years in recruitment with agency experience.
• Must be a trusted advisor to clients, not a vendor.
• Proven ability to win and grow new software industry accounts.
• Deep knowledge of retained search and executive recruitment.
• Experience leading client engagements from first call to placement.
• Nice to have: fluency in tech sector and ability to discuss comp and equity with founders.

Responsibilities

• Drive client acquisition and build lasting partnerships.
• Champion retained search and manage client expectations through long searches.
• Set clear expectations with clients from the first call through successful placement and beyond.
• Nurture relationships and develop accounts from initial contact to multi-deal growth.
• Wear leadership, recruiting, and account management hats as needed.

Skills

10+ years exp

B2B relationships

Consultancy presence

Business development

Account management

Retained search

Executive recruitment

Negotiation

Job description

Senior 360 Recruitment Consultant: Account Manager/Sales/Recruitment

About Sage Recruiting

Sage Recruiting is a boutique retained search firm. For 13 years, we've placed Software Engineering, Product, and Data leaders at startups, scaleups, and SMBs across Canada and the US. We work on retainer only. Little to no contingency, zero volume, no shortcuts.

We're small and remote. Every person on the team carries real weight.

The role:

We're looking for someone with retained search experience to drive client acquisition and build lasting partnerships. While we have dedicated recruiters to support your searches, we value a true 360 approach - someone who can both develop business and deliver on their own mandates. Your core responsibility is to champion retained search: set clear expectations with clients and nurture relationships from the first call through successful placement and beyond.

We already have a strong client base, but we’re focused on growth. To get there, we need someone skilled in business development who can win new clients in the software industry. This isn’t just a sales role - you’ll wear many hats, including team leadership, recruiting, and account management.

What you bring

• 10+ years of experience, with at least half of that in a recruitment agency. More is better. You've built and held B2B relationships long enough to know what works and what doesn't.
• Consultancy presence. Clients should see you as a trusted advisor, not a vendor selling a service. That difference should come through in how you talk, how you listen, and how you push back when a client's expectations are off.
• Business development and account management skills. You can find new clients, close them, and keep them. You know how to grow an account past the first deal.
• Deep knowledge of retained search and executive recruitment. You can explain how retained search works, sell its value over contingency models, and manage client expectations through a long search process.
• Negotiation and closing. You can get a client to sign a retainer, and you can hold the fee when they push back.
• An existing network. CTOs, VPs of Engineering, founders, the people who make hiring decisions at software and tech companies. You already know some of them.

Nice to have

• Fluency in the tech sector: software, product, and data teams specifically
• Enough technical recruitment knowledge to speak credibly with a CTO about what they're hiring for
• Comfort with comp and equity conversations across funding stages, from seed to growth
• Ability to write a clear, compelling search proposal on your own
• Team leadership experience, or the potential to grow into it

Why Sage:

We are a women-owned and operated search firm with 13 years in the business. We are already operating as a retained search firm and have a strong client base. You'd be one of a handful of people driving new business, not one name in a long sales roster. The clients you land are yours to grow. The relationships you build show up directly in what we place and whom we work with next.

We're not chasing size. We're picking our clients carefully and doing retained search the right way. If that's the kind of company you want to sell for, this is the role.