Associate

Access Search Advisors; Simsbury (CT); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Access Search Advisors in Connecticut is seeking an Associate to learn how to help technology companies find their next generation of executive leaders. You will work with Principals and the Founding Partner across the full search process and receive training on our process, tools, and the tech and investor landscape.

No prior executive search experience is required; we will teach you the industry, how we work, and how to own the process as you grow with a lean, entrepreneurial team.

Qualifications

• 1–4 years of corporate experience in a rigorous environment (professional services, strategy, finance, sales, operations, talent, or similar).
• Strong communication, organization, and agile while juggling several workstreams.
• Curious, resilient, and hungry to learn a new craft quickly.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; based in Connecticut and willing to work in office 3-5 days a week.

Responsibilities

• Join kickoff discussions and help shape the candidate scorecard, position description, and search strategy.
• Source and connect with top tier candidates; build high quality shortlists that clear our high bar.
• Partner with senior colleagues on progress updates, presentations, and reference work.
• Professionally represent clients in the market and treat all candidates with care and respect.
• Keep our multiple AI systems accurate so insights and prompts from every search allow us to best serve our clients.
• Support new business initiatives and provide relevant market perspectives.
• Help improve how we serve our clients and candidates—process, presentations and culture—as the team grows.

Skills

Communication

Organization

Adaptability

Curiosity

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

AI tools

Job description

Access Search Advisors is looking to hire an Associate based in Connecticut who wants to learn how to help respected technology companies find their next generation of executive leaders.

Access helps private equity and late-stage venture-backed technology companies hire CFOs and other critical C-Level positions. In plain terms, when a successful company needs a new leader, they call Access to lead the search—defining what “great” looks like, identifying the right candidates, and helping the client choose a finalist with confidence.

You will work side by side with Principals and our Founding Partner across the entire search, from the kick-off meeting through candidate outreach and offer process. No executive search experience is required. We will train you on our process, tools, and the technology and investor landscape, and coach you as you learn process ownership.

This is a rare chance in an interesting professional services sector to learn a high impact craft up close, build confidence, and grow with a respected entrepreneurial start-up.

Key responsibilities

• Join kickoff discussions and help shape the candidate scorecard, position description, and search strategy.
• Source and connect with top tier candidates; build high quality shortlists that clear our high bar.
• Partner with senior colleagues on progress updates, presentations, and reference work.
• Professionally represent clients in the market and treat all candidates with care and respect.
• Keep our multiple AI systems accurate so insights and prompts from every search allow us to best serve our clients.
• Support new business initiatives and provide relevant market perspectives.
• Help improve how we serve our clients and candidates—process, presentations and culture—as the team grows.

Ideal experience

• 1–4 years of corporate experience in a rigorous environment (professional services, strategy, finance, sales, operations, talent, or similar).
• Strong communication, organization, and the ability to be agile while juggling several workstreams.
• Curious, resilient, and hungry to learn a new craft quickly.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; based in Connecticut and willing to work in office 3-5 days a week.
• Prior search experience is not required—we will teach you the industry and how we work.

How we work (what we hire for)

• Business (and AI) curiosity — You ask great questions about companies, talent, and tools—and you’re eager to learn / use best of class AI tools to work smarter without losing judgment.
• Obsession over details — You catch what others miss; accuracy in research, notes, and client materials is non-negotiable.
• Self-motivated to meet demanding client outcomes — You own your workstreams, push for progress, and don’t wait to be told what’s next.
• Confidently humble — You speak up with a point of view, and you stay open to being wrong and learning fast.
• Healthy paranoia — You double-check, anticipate gaps, and stay ahead of risk before it becomes a client problem.
• Transparent team collaboration — You share context early, surface issues quickly, and make it easy for colleagues to trust and build on your work.
• Excellent written and oral communication / presentation — You write cleanly, brief crisply, and present with clarity to senior stakeholders.

What success looks like

• You own your part of each search with urgency, organization, and follow-through.
• You develop candidates in a thoughtful manner - smart outreaches, clear assessment reconciled against client needs.
• You communicate with presence and partner tightly with senior colleagues.
• You build fluency in the technology and investor world over time and turn what you learn into useful insight.
• You seek feedback, grow quickly, and reinforce a lean, high-trust team.

The firm

Access Search Advisors is a boutique executive search firm that partners with private equity and venture backed technology companies on critical leadership hires. Our work centers on C suite searches where the quality of the leader has a direct impact on value creation.

We begin every engagement by clarifying successful business outcomes, then translating those outcomes into a precise view of leadership experiences. From there, we run a disciplined process: rigorous market mapping, thoughtful candidate development, and clear assessment against what success requires.

The firm is intentionally lean and senior. Associates work directly with Principals and our Managing Partner, gain early exposure to clients and candidates, and help build the standards that will define Access as we grow.