Executive Search Associate / Legal Headhunter

Tribeca Recruitment; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Tribeca Recruitment is looking for an Executive Search Associate to join their expanding Partner practice in London. This role involves engaging with elite candidates and managing senior-level searches in a lucrative legal market.

The successful candidate will have executive search experience and a track record in recruitment. Compensation includes a base salary of £100,000, leading commissions, and a clear career path to partner within 3 years.

Qualifications

• Experience in executive search or professional services recruitment.
• Strong track record in research, delivery, and 360 recruitment.
• Experience in consulting, finance, accounting, investment banking, or private equity is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Map senior legal markets at partner level.
• Headhunt and engage elite candidates discreetly.
• Manage candidate processes alongside senior consultants.
• Originate candidates and opportunities that convert into fees.

Skills

Executive search experience

Commercial intelligence

Ability to build relationships

Experience in recruitment

Confidence in dealing with senior clients

Job description

Executive Search Associate / Legal Headhunter – Partner Legal Search

London - Flexible / Hybrid | High Six-Figure Trajector

This is not associate-level recruitment. This is elite, partner-level executive search in the world’s most lucrative legal market. My client is expanding its Partner practice, and we’re hiring ambitious, commercially driven search professionals to help build one of the most exciting legal executive search platforms in London. They are a global search firm that has 20+ years of experience placing Partners globally.

Opportunity

You’ll work exclusively on partner and team moves for top-tier US and global law firms.

• Partner-only (or full team) mandates
• Retained, frequently multi-partner mandates
• Average fees around $500k with regular $1m+ deals

Team

• Embedded in a highly entrepreneurial team
• Direct exposure to AmLaw to 50 firms, board-level and managing partner decision-makers
• Opportunity to work on some of the biggest legal moves in the market

You’ll Do

• Map senior legal markets at partner level
• Headhunt and engage elite candidates discreetly
• Build trusted relationships with high-performing partners
• Screen and assess candidates at a senior, commercial level
• Manage candidate processes alongside senior consultants
• Progress to running your own searches and mandates
• Originate candidates and opportunities that convert into fees

Career Path

This role would suit someone who wants to step upmarket fast and grow into a full search consultant / partner-track role. They can offer a career path for individuals to go down the career research track too.

Who This Is For

• People with executive search or professional services recruitment experience
• A strong track record in research, delivery, and 360 recruitment
• Experience in adjacent sectors (consulting, finance, accounting, investment banking, private equity) is highly attractive
• Commercial intelligence, confidence, and a hunger to progress
• Currently doing research but want more responsibility and upside
• 360 recruitment but feel capped at associate / mid-level work
• Professional services recruitment and want bigger fees and faster growth

Compensation & Upside

• Base salary: 100,000
• Leading commission, no threshold, commission paid in real time
• Clear, fast‑track progression to: Consultant / Principal / Partner
• Top performers reach partner in ~3 years, results-based, trust‑based culture
• Hybrid working, international platform with major credibility across the US, Europe, Asia, and Australia

Why this platform?

• No low-value deals
• No ceiling on earnings
• No glass ceiling on progression
• Just high‑calibre people, high‑impact searches, and exceptional financial upside