Graduate Associate

Jackson Lombard; Greater London; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Office in Central London or Austin

23 days holiday + Bank Holidays

Great commission structure

Hands-on training

Clear progression

Incentives, holidays and events

Dog-friendly offices

Breakfast and snacks

Job summary

Jackson Lombard is seeking an Associate to join our headhunting team in London or Austin, supporting senior executives on global executive search assignments. Recent graduates or early-career recruiters will gain hands-on exposure from day one in a meritocratic environment.

You will conduct market research, outreach, and candidate assessments, build relationships with senior candidates, and contribute to client presentations and market mapping reports.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent required.
• Internships, placements, or part-time experience in recruitment or related fields welcome.
• Strong research and analytical skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Confident interpersonal communicator able to build trust with senior stakeholders.
• Genuine passion for people, relationships, and leadership markets.
• Organised, proactive and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Positive, collaborative approach and strong work ethic.

Responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth market research to identify potential candidates for retained executive search mandates across sectors/geographies.
• Support leadership search engagements through dedicated research, outreach and candidate qualification.
• Build and maintain long-term relationships with senior candidates in the market.
• Engage with prospective candidates through professional outreach and initial screening conversations.
• Write detailed candidate assessments, client presentations, and market mapping reports.
• Support end-to-end delivery of assignments with a high standard of client service.
• Maintain accurate, structured search records using internal database and CRM tools.
• Leverage technology to improve efficiency, including research platforms and AI-enabled workflows.

Skills

Research skills

Interpersonal communication

Organisational skills

Attention to detail

Relationship building

Self-motivation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

We are looking for another Associate to join the team! Whether you're a recent graduate or at an early stage of your recruitment career, this is an opportunity to develop your skills within a dynamic headhunting firm. Working closely with our MDs to support and deliver global executive search assignments, you'll gain hands‑on exposure to senior‑level search from day one, in a supportive and meritocratic environment.

About Us:

Jackson Lombard is a global executive search and strategic advisory firm specialised in facilitating senior‑level searches, project‑based growth initiatives, and orchestrating M&A opportunities for the world's leading executive search, professional services, and pure advisory businesses. We partner with clients on a retained basis to deliver exceptional talent and drive meaningful change to premier organisations, whether well‑established global brands or high‑growth market disruptors.

Who We're Looking For:

We're interested in people who are curious, commercially minded and genuinely interested in people and businesses.

You could be:

A recent graduate looking for your first professional role, with a strong academic background and an interest in research, people, business, or recruitment.

An early‑career recruiter with experience in agency recruitment, talent acquisition, or a related environment who wants to develop their career in executive search.

Someone with adjacent experience in areas such as professional services, research, consulting, sales, business development, or another people‑focused environment who is interested in making the move into search.

Previous executive search experience is not required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Conducting in‑depth market research to identify potential candidates against retained executive search mandates across multiple sectors and geographies.
• Supporting leadership search engagements through dedicated research, outreach, and candidate qualification.
• Building and maintaining long‑term relationships with senior candidates within our market.
• Engaging with prospective candidates through professional outreach and initial screening conversations.
• Writing detailed candidate assessments, client presentations, and market mapping reports.
• Supporting the end‑to‑end delivery of assignments, ensuring a high standard of client service.
• Maintaining accurate and structured search records using our internal database and CRM tools.
• Leveraging technology to improve efficiency and insight, including database tools, research platforms, and AI‑enabled workflows.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree, ideally 2:1 equivalent or above.
• Previous recruitment experience is welcome but not essential.
• Internships, placements, or part‑time experience in recruitment, professional services, research, consulting, sales, or another relevant field are also welcome.
• Strong research and analytical skills, with excellent attention to detail.
• Confident interpersonal communicator, able to build trust with senior stakeholders.
• Genuine passion for people, relationship‑building, and understanding leadership markets.
• Organised, proactive and able to manage multiple priorities.
• A positive, collaborative approach and strong work ethic.

Why Jackson Lombard?

• A professional, collaborative team environment based in either our Central London or Austin office.
• 23 days holiday plus Bank Holidays, and office closure between Christmas Eve and New Year.
• Great commission structure.
• High‑quality, hands‑on training.
• Clear progression.
• Incentives, such as holidays, monthly lunch club and regular social events (recent highlights include Mallorca, Miami, summer sports days, etc).
• Dog‑friendly offices.
• Breakfast and snacks provided daily.