Principal - Executive Search

Altima; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 days annual leave

Private health insurance

L&D budget

Gym membership

Job summary

Altima is seeking Principals to act as senior experts on CFO-focused searches in London. You will independently lead high-impact Level 2/3 and CFO-1 searches, designing strategies, calibrating candidates, and engaging clients while mentoring junior teammates.

You will drive search delivery pace, candidate assessment quality, and pipeline health, collaborating with Partners to win growth and ensure successful outcomes.

Qualifications

• Strong command of search processes from calibration to close.
• Skilled in candidate engagement and negotiation.
• Ability to generate and communicate clear market insights.
• Commercial literacy in reporting and forecasting.
• Strong ecosystem knowledge (CFO archetypes, VC/PE, high-growth tech).

Responsibilities

• Support Partners on searches and lead end-to-end delivery of some Level 2/3 searches.
• Translate discovery insights into a clear search strategy and define CFO requirements.
• Build and manage realistic search timelines with forecasting.
• Assess candidate capability and fit against criteria.
• Run calibration calls and present candidates with guidance and recommendations.
• Manage candidate pipelines and ensure timely, high-quality execution.
• Provide market intelligence to drive client decision-making.
• Lead the research effort and mentor junior team members.

Skills

Search processes

Candidate engagement

Market insights

Forecasting

Ecosystem knowledge

Job description

Principals act as the senior second on searches, and will independently lead some Level 2/3 and CFO-1 searches. They blend search design, calibration, and candidate engagement with growing client credibility, while taking increasing responsibility for mentoring, pitch opportunities, commercial outcomes, and stakeholder management.

Accountabilities

• Support Partners on searches; lead end-to-end delivery of some Level 2/3 searches
• Translate discovery insights into a clear search strategy, accurately defining the client's CFO requirements ("decoding the CFO need").
• Ability to pivot search strategy based on client and market feedback. search strategies
• Build and manage realistic search timelines, providing accurate forecasting and delivering to agreed milestone
• Accurately assess a candidate's capability and fit against set criteria.
• Run calibration calls and present candidates with clear guidance and recommendations
• Manage candidate pipelines, ensuring timely, high-quality execution
• Provide market intelligence that drives client decision-making
• Report on progress, timelines, risks, and mitigation plans
• Lead the research effort and approach to ensure effective search execution
• Collaborate with team members to ensure candidates progress through the process in a timely manner
• Mentor and train junior team members to build overall team capability
• Qualify and approve fund mapping completed by Analysts
• Lead on relevant CFO -1 outreach for CFOs who they know well/searches they have led
• Support Growth and Partners with pitch materials, as well as overseeing and approving output from Associates
• Leverage CFO network to generate BD leads for CFO-1 retainers

The role is measured by: Search delivery pace and quality, quality of candidate assessment and screening, search strategy input, and pipeline health across mandates.

Requirements

Technical Skills:

• Strong command of search processes from calibration to close
• Skilled in candidate engagement and negotiation
• Ability to generate and communicate clear market insights
• Commercial literacy in reporting and forecasting
• Strong ecosystem knowledge (CFO archetypes, VC/PE, high-growth tech)

Human Skills:

• Clear communicator, confident in client and candidate interactions
• Highly proactive, works at pace with strong ownership of deliverables.
• Effective at project managing multiple searches, priorities and deadlines
• Skilled stakeholder manager, able to balance internal and external relationships with sound judgement
• Collaborative, supportive mentor and adaptable team player
• Adaptable and resilient, able to pivot strategies based on feedback
• Values-driven, linking personal contribution to Altima's mission

Benefits

• Work with market-leading CFO search specialists in the start-up tech ecosystem
• Develop research and candidate management skills
• Join a collaborative team that values knowledge and humility
• Clear development pathways
• Competitive benefits including 28 days' annual leave + bank holidays, private health insurance, L&D budget, gym membership, and more