Executive Search Associate, Global Technology & Services

Heidrick & Struggles, Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

401(k) contribution

Discretionary bonuses

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Heidrick & Struggles in San Francisco seeks an Executive Search Associate to support the end-to-end recruiting lifecycle, from candidate identification to placement.

You will work with Search Partners and Principals, conduct market research, write briefs, and prepare client-ready materials while building relationships with candidates and clients across teams. This role offers mentorship, training, and opportunities to advance in a global executive search practice.

Qualifications

• 3–4 years’ professional experience or a minimum of 2 years transferable recruiting experience.
• Undergraduate BA/BS degree is required.
• Strong professional communication, writing, articulating, and presenting information with confidence.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with external clients and candidates; able to build relationships.

Responsibilities

• Research industry and client companies; map executive talent landscapes for market insights.
• Support consultants in developing position specs and search strategy.
• Prepare business development and candidate assessment docs for client presentations.
• Contact candidates to elicit interest, referrals, and market intelligence; collect feedback.
• Conduct in-depth interviews to assess qualifications against specs.
• Manage candidate relationships through lifecycle; report updates to consultants.
• Collaborate across stakeholders to build trusting client relationships.

Skills

Professional recruiting experience

Written communication

Client collaboration

Research & market analysis

Education

BA/BS degree

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Heidrick & Struggles is the world’s foremost advisor on executive leadership, driving superior client performance through premier human capital leadership advisory services. For more than 70 years, we’ve delivered value for our clients by leveraging unrivaled expertise to help organizations discover and enable outstanding leaders and teams.

Job Description: Executive Search Associates play a critical role in the execution of all facets of the executive recruiting lifecycle, from candidate identification to placement. Working closely with our expert Search Partners & Principals (Consultants), and connecting with team members across all levels of the Search team, Associates learn through hands‑on experience, and receive world‑class training and mentorship in an apprenticeship‑like model.

Role Responsibilities

• Research & Writing: Conduct industry specific and client company research, mapping the executive talent landscape to bring market insights to the table.
• Support Consultants in the development of position specifications and a focused search strategy.
• Assist in preparing business development and candidate assessment documents for presentation to prospective and current clients.
• Internal and external communication: Contact prospective candidates to elicit interest, obtain referrals, and collect market intelligence and feedback.
• Assist Consultants in conducting in‑depth interviews to assess candidate qualifications against position specifications.
• Manage candidate relationships throughout the entire life cycle of the search and keep the Consultant abreast of candidate updates.
• Partner well across stakeholders to develop productive and trusting relationships with colleagues and clients.
• Act as a culture carrier and contribute to firm, practice, and office initiatives.
• Maintain accuracy, quality, and integrity of all Search information in internal and external research tools.
• Maintain status reports and client‑ready reports for presentation to Consultant and Client.
• Manage multiple concurrent projects and complete high‑quality deliverables on time.
• Act with professionalism, confidentiality, and ethics, and persist through challenges with a commitment to doing the right thing.

Basic Role Qualifications

• 3–4 years’ professional experience or a minimum of 2 years transferable recruiting experience.
• An undergraduate BA/BS degree is required.
• Skill in professional communication, writing, articulating, and delivering information with confidence and impact.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with external clients and candidates, and early understanding of influencing and building positive relationships.

Preferred Role Qualifications

• Prior experience in full life cycle recruiting in Executive Search, Contingent Search, or In‑House Talent Acquisition; or related fields requiring applied sales and research skills.
• Experience targeting potential candidates, developing pitch materials, and conducting market research.
• Proven success simultaneously managing multiple projects and working across teams.
• Experience identifying market trends and researching information effectively through various channels.
• Ability to analyze, organize, and synthesize large volumes of information into insights.
• Experience working with Salesforce or other CRM systems.
• Demonstrated skill in building and maintaining relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders.

Pay Range Guidelines

The salary range for this position is USD 80,000 to USD 105,000. Compensation is based on several factors including education, work experience, and skills.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, disability leave, parental leave, paid time off.
• 401(k) contribution.
• Discretionary bonuses (subject to eligibility requirements).
• Comprehensive benefits package (all benefits subject to eligibility requirements).

Equal Opportunity Employment

Heidrick & Struggles is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring qualified protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, veteran or military status, or citizenship status.

Heidrick & Struggles is committed to providing reasonable accommodations and/or adjustments during our recruitment process. If you are selected for an interview and require an accommodation and/or adjustment, please inform your Talent Acquisition professional.