Senior Research Associate

Heidrick & Struggles; München; On-site; EUR 55,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Heidrick & Struggles in Munich seeks a Senior Research Associate to join our fast-growing team. You will help deliver senior executive searches across multiple practices, working closely with Consultants and regional colleagues.

You’ll map markets, identify exceptional executives, and speak with senior leaders to evaluate fit. This role offers early responsibility with mentorship from experienced professionals in a global firm.

Qualifications

• 2–3 years’ professional experience in Executive Search, Recruitment or Talent Acquisition.
• Fluent in German and English, both written and spoken.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required.
• Willingness to be based in Munich or relocate to Munich.

Responsibilities

• Map markets and identify exceptional executives.
• Speak directly with senior executives to assess fit and experience.
• Assess candidates and understand what distinguishes a strong executive.
• Become a market expert across Consumer, Health Care & Life Science, Industrial and CFO & CHRO practices.
• Bring client insights by translating research into talent-market perspectives.
• Help shape search strategy with experienced consultants.
• Take ownership of searches and coordinate multiple workstreams.
• Contribute to business development by identifying leadership trends.

Skills

Fluent in German and English

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Help find the leaders shaping the next generation:

What does the CEO of a fast-growing company look like, that's operating in an industry being transformed by AI? Where do you find the Executives capable of taking an emerging Company through its next stage of growth?

These are the kind of questions you will help answer at Heidrick.

We are looking for a Senior Research Associate to join our Munich team, working closely with the Consultants from our international Consumer, Health Care & Life Science, Industrial and CFO & CHRO Practices as well as colleagues from across the region.

These teams advise organizations ranging from high-growth and emerging businesses to some of the world's largest companies, helping them identify exceptional leaders. This includes searches for CEO and Board appointments as well as senior business leaders and general management positions.

This is an opportunity to work at the intersection of business, people and strategy and to build a career advising some of the most interesting companies and senior executives in the market.

What you'd actually do?

You won't simply research names.

From day one, you'll become part of the team delivering senior executive searches. You'll learn how businesses think about their most important leadership decisions and help us work out where the best talent is - and what makes someone right for a particular company.

You will:

• Map markets and identify exceptional executives, developing a deep understanding of companies, sectors and leadership talent.
• Speak directly with senior executives, exploring their experience, motivations and potential fit for client opportunities.
• Assess candidates, developing your ability to understand what distinguishes a strong executive from an exceptional one.
• Become a market expert, particularly across Consumer, Health Care & Life Science, Industrial, CFO & CHRO Practices as well as adjacent sectors.
• Bring insight to clients, translating your research and conversations into perspectives on the talent market.
• Help shape search strategy, working alongside experienced Consultants to determine where and how we should look for the right leader.
• Take ownership of searches, co-ordinating multiple workstreams and ensuring candidates and clients receive an exceptional experience.
• Contribute to business development, helping identify emerging companies, leadership trends and opportunities for us to deepen client relationships.

As your experience grows, so will your exposure to clients, senior executives, business development and increasingly complex searches.

Why this role?

Executive Search gives you an unusual vista-to-into business: You'll learn how companies really make decisions about their most senior leaders. You'll speak with CEOs, founders, board directors and functional executives. You'll develop an understanding of industries and companies that would normally take years to acquire.

And you'll do it within a global firm that has been advising organizations on senior leadership for more than 70 years'. This role offers significant responsibility early in your career, but with the mentorship of experienced Search professionals around you.

Who we're looking for:

We're less interested in one particular background but more than in how you think and engage with people. You are intellectually curious and have the EQ to compliment, commercially minded, and fascinated by business, people and what makes organizations succeed.

About you:

• Ideally a minimum of 2-3 years’ of professional experience gained within Executive Search, Recruitment and/or Talent Acquisition.
• Genuinely interested in senior leadership topics and curious about the people and companies.
• Enjoy research but don't want a career spent entirely behind a screen.
• Can take complex information and quickly work out what really matters.
• Confident communicating with senior people and enjoy building relationships.
• Write clearly and can turn research into a compelling point of view.
• Process driven and meticulous when it comes to attention to detail.
• Able to and enjoy operating at pace and being able to take ownership.
• Collaborative, low-ego and comfortable working as part of an international team.
• Have a Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
• Fluent in German and English, both written and spoken
• Will be based in Munich or open to a relocation

About Heidrick & Struggles

For more than 70 years, Heidrick & Struggles has helped organizations make some of their most consequential leadership decisions.

Today, our work extends beyond Executive Search into Leadership Assessment, Leadership Development, Organizational and Team effectiveness, Culture and Interim talent solutions. Our German team is part of a genuinely international network, giving you the opportunity to work with colleagues, clients and executives around the world.