Principal | Executive Search & Leadership Advisory

Philanthrope | Certified Co-op; England; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Co-ownership from day one

Revenue-linked earnings

Profit share

Job summary

A cooperative executive search firm is seeking a Principal to lead retained C-1 search mandates and advise on high-stakes C-suite transitions. You will contribute to the firm's development, mentor consultants, and lead comprehensive client engagements. Ideal for professionals who value long-term relationships over transactional targets. Competitive compensation and co-ownership from day one are offered, fostering a collaborative work culture.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of leading C-suite transitions.
• Ability to shape frameworks and intellectual property.
• Experience in improving systems and business development.

Responsibilities

• Manage C-1 mandates from start to finish.
• Shape frameworks and write thought pieces.
• Mentor consultants and co-design client diagnostics.

Skills

Retained search experience

Systemic thinking about leadership

Advisory experience with boards

Commitment to governance and culture

Job description

Principal | Executive Search & Leadership Advisory

Principal | Executive Search & Leadership Advisory

1 day ago Be among the first 25 applicants

Direct message the job poster from Philanthrope | Certified Co-op

Partner at Philanthrope | Trustee at Ways Into Work

Partner track: a co-owned firm for experienced professionals ready to build something lasting

A Structurally Different Firm

Philanthrope LLP is a cooperative executive search and leadership advisory firm, where co-ownership creates continuity, accountability, and deep client investment. We are trusted by investors, B Corps, and boards who want leadership decisions to serve the long term. Our consultants are co-owners, with a direct say in governance and a share in profits. Clients benefit from a stable, accountable team invested in long-term outcomes, not short-term transactions. We work with values-led organisations, from B Corps to responsible investors, to appoint and develop leaders who align purpose with performance and culture with governance.

Our approach combines a structured, five-stage search process with behavioural insight, co-ownership, and shared accountability, ensuring a rigorous, human-centred experience from role definition through integration. We don’t just fill roles. We help shape leadership that builds culture, serves stakeholders, and delivers lasting value — whether by strengthening board succession, aligning leadership with values, or supporting scale without losing integrity.

As a co-owned partnership, we operate with transparency, rigour, and integrity. Influence and value are shared, not concentrated. Members shape strategy, share profits, and take part in decisions that guide the future of the firm.

If you are serious about the craft but question the industry’s incentives, if you want to grow something principled, not just personal, this is a rare opportunity to help build a firm designed for long-term trust.

The Role

This is an opportunity to join Philanthrope at a thoughtful and purposeful stage in our development. We have strong client momentum, a growing portfolio of retained mandates, and a team committed to careful, long-term growth.

As Principal, you will lead retained C-1 search mandates and advise on high-stakes C-suite transitions. Just as importantly, you will help shape how we evolve — through systems, standards, and culture.

You will work across all aspects of the firm: delivery, design, and development. One day, you might build a psychometric evaluation brief. The next, draft governance diagnostics for a client. Then mentor a Consultant, contribute to a white paper, or refine our revenue attribution model.

This is a high-trust, high-autonomy role, ideal for someone who wants to do serious, meaningful work in a collaborative environment. You’ll often be engaged before a formal search begins, helping clients define leadership needs, assess organisational risk, and align stakeholders around the right decisions.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead search: Manage C-1 mandates from start to finish and support complex C-suite transitions.
• Build intellectual property: Shape frameworks, write thought pieces, and develop proprietary methods.
• Develop the firm: Improve systems, methodology, business development, and team capability.
• Contribute broadly: Mentor consultants, co-design client diagnostics, or refine our profit-sharing model.
• Act like a partner: Share insight, uphold quality, and help steward a firm you co-own.

Who You Are

You are a thoughtful, experienced professional who values substance over style and wants to do work that matters.

• You bring serious retained search experience at Principal or Partner level. Whether you are already established or ready to step into that level, we support progression with structure and trust.
• You think systemically about leadership, organisations, and value creation.
• You’ve advised boards, earned trust, and delivered in high-stakes contexts.
• You care about governance, culture, and long-term outcomes, not just placement.

You may not think of yourself as a salesperson, especially if you’re tired of transactional targets, narrow KPIs, or credit battles that reward noise over substance. Our growth is rooted in long-term relationships, not pressure-based origination. But you care deeply about trust, quality, and helping clients get leadership right. If you’ve ever thought, “I love the work, but not the industry,” this could be your next step.

What We Offer

• Co-ownership from day one: Every Principal becomes a cooperative member with a stake in governance, profits, and long-term direction.
• Progression with influence: Advancement brings a genuine voice in strategy and model design, not just a new title.
• Revenue-linked earnings: Remuneration is structured around attributable revenue, ensuring clarity and fairness. You are rewarded not just for origination, but for meaningful delivery, evaluation, and engagement.
• Profit share and strategic voice: You share in firm-wide profits and have a say in how we grow — structurally and financially.
• Autonomy and impact: You help shape both client outcomes and the firm’s evolution — structurally and culturally.
• Psychologically informed evaluation: Our approach combines behavioural science, narrative-led assessments, and AI-supported research, enabling us to assess leadership potential in context, not just credentials on paper.
• A serious but human culture: Grounded, flexible, and intellectually ambitious, without bravado or bureaucracy.

This is a home for thoughtful consultants who want to do the best work of their careers without compromising their values.

How to Apply

We don’t scale fast. We scale well, focusing on meaningful growth, long-term partnerships, and refining our model with every new engagement.

If you care as much about how a firm works as what it delivers, and want to build with people who share your standards, get in touch via LinkedIn or email [e-mail].

Feel free to include a short note on:

• What kind of leadership you believe the future needs
• Where you see search, or yourself, going next

What Makes Us Different

• Co-ownership over commission
• Leadership ecosystems over placements

If that resonates, we’d love to hear from you.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Human Resources, Consulting, and Business Development

• Industries

  Executive Search Services

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