Executive Search Lead

Novolex; Lake Forest (IL); On-site; USD 105,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan with company match

Medical, dental and vision insurance

Flexible spending and health savings

Paid vacation and sick days

Paid parental leave

Paid holidays and wellness program

Job summary

Novolex in Lake Forest, IL is seeking an experienced senior recruiter to partner with executives and hiring leaders on tailored search strategies for senior and confidential roles. You will build relationships with passive talent, apply market insights, and optimize outreach and pipeline health.

The role emphasizes executive talent communities, research and sourcing skills, and the ability to assess leadership potential beyond resumes.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of recruiting experience, with a proven track record of senior-level or executive searches.
• Ability to influence decisions and navigate stakeholder perspectives.
• Experience building executive talent pipelines tied to succession and planning.
• Strong research and sourcing capabilities, including market mapping and competitive intelligence.
• Discretion handling confidential searches and sensitive candidate information.
• Ability to assess leadership talent beyond résumé qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Partner with executives and hiring leaders to develop tailored search strategies for senior level and confidential roles.
• Build and maintain relationships with passive executive talent through research, outreach, networking, and long-term engagement.
• Use search metrics and pipeline checks to optimize strategies in real time.
• Create a high-touch, personalized candidate experience reflecting our values.
• Advise hiring leaders on market conditions, candidate quality, and closing considerations.
• Experiment with AI-powered tools to elevate sourcing efficiency.

Job description

Company Overview

Why Choose Us?

Novolex is a leading manufacturer of food, beverage, and specialty packaging that supports multiple industries including foodservice, restaurant delivery and carryout, food processing, grocery and retail, and industrial sectors. Novolex manufacturing and sourcing expertise spans a diverse range of substrates including resin, paper, molded fiber, aluminum and more. We provide customers a broad array of stock and customized solutions with 120 product categories, 250 brands and over 39,000 SKUs.

Our Sustainability Commitment

The Novolex sustainability vision is built upon three pillars: our products, our operations and our people. Each is critically important to our growth and future as a business. These pillars form the foundation of our company-wide commitment to sustainability, helping us achieve our ambitious goals through our wide-ranging initiatives.

Job Description

What You’ll Do

• Partner with executives and hiring leaders to develop tailored search strategies for senior level and confidential roles
• Build and maintain relationships with high-caliber, passive executive talent through research, targeted outreach, networking, and long-term engagement
• Use search metrics, outreach data, and pipeline checks to optimize search strategies in real time
• Create a high-touch, personalized candidate experience that reflects our values, and commitment to excellence
• Serve as a trusted advisor to hiring leaders by providing clear perspectives on the market, candidate quality, pipeline health, search challenges, and closing considerations
• Experiment with and integrate AI-powered tools and research platforms to elevate sourcing efficiency and talent discovery

What You Bring

• 7+ years of recruiting experience, with a proven track record of directly managing complex senior-level or executive searches
• Ability to establish credibility, influence decisions, and navigate differing stakeholder perspectives
• Experience building executive talent communities or pipelines tied to long-term succession and organizational planning
• Strong research and sourcing capabilities, including experience with market mapping, competitive intelligence, and talent pipelining
• Sound judgment and discretion when handling confidential searches, sensitive candidate information, and organizational planning discussions
• Ability to assess leadership talent beyond résumé qualifications, including scope, impact, operating style, motivations, and alignment with organizational needs
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to develop compelling and highly personalized candidate outreach and messaging
• Ability to manage multiple complex searches and shifting priorities while maintaining a high level of organization and attention to detail.

A reasonable estimate of the current range is $105,000 - 145,000 + bonus + benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. At Novolex, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.

The benefits for this role include 401(k) plan with company match, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, flexible spending and health savings accounts, paid vacation, and sick days, paid parental leave, paid holidays and wellness program.

Company Benefits

What You'll Get From Us

Benefits

With safety as our top priority and a commitment to employee well-being an important focus, we offer comprehensive and competitive benefits that include medical, dental and vision insurance as well as a variety of other well-being resources focused on mental, physical and financial health. Specific benefits and well-being programs may vary depending on where you work.

Community Engagement

At Novolex, giving back to the local communities that support us is important. Our Focused Giving Program prioritizes support for organizations whose missions promote sustainability initiatives or address food and hunger needs. We also encourage facility level support of activities in the communities where our employees live and work.

Training and Development

We offer constant opportunities for advancement. From skills development to advanced education programs, training and development programs and courses are available through MyLearning. Programs include company and industry training curricula, support for formal education through the Tuition Reimbursement Program (Non-Union), and a Learning Management System that supports and enhances employee skills at all levels of the organization.

Novolex is committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all employment practices, including but not limited to selection, hiring, promotion, transfer, and compensation to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to age, race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, handicap or disability, genetics, citizenship status, service member or veteran status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law. Any individual who, because of his or her disability, needs an accommodation in connection with an aspect of the Company's application process should contact [e-mail].

Formerly Pactiv Evergreen