Vice President

Selby Jennings; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Selby Jennings, Chicago, USA, is seeking a Vice President / Manager in Quantitative, Technology & Financial Services Recruitment. This role combines leadership with high-value placements across hedge funds, investment banks and proprietary trading firms.

You will guide established client relationships, mentor consultants and develop the desk within a market with strong earning potential. The opportunity supports ambitious recruiters who want to progress into leadership or become top‑billing

Qualifications

• A proven track record in recruitment, ideally specialising in quantitative research, technology or financial services.
• Experience recruiting into hedge funds, investment banks, proprietary trading firms or similarly specialist markets.
• Strong candidate sourcing and relationship management capabilities.
• Demonstrated history of successful placements and consistent billing performance.
• Experience managing complex recruitment processes involving highly compensated professionals.
• Ambition to maximise earnings and progress professionally.

Responsibilities

• Managing and developing relationships with leading hedge funds, investment banks, proprietary trading firms and financial services organisations.
• Identifying, engaging and placing high‑calibre professionals across quantitative research, technology and specialist financial services.
• Building long‑term relationships with senior professionals and highly specialised candidates.
• Managing complex recruitment processes from candidate engagement to successful placement.
• Developing personal market presence and establishing yourself as a trusted recruitment partner.
• Collaborating with an established team of high‑performing consultants.
• Progressing towards mentoring, developing and managing a team for leadership aspirants.

Skills

Recruitment

Client relationships

Headhunting

Billing performance

Commercial awareness

Leadership potential

Job description

Vice President / Manager – Quantitative, Technology & Financial Services Recruitment

Selby Jennings | Chicago, USA

The Opportunity

Selby Jennings is looking for an experienced recruitment professional to join our highly successful Chicago team, specialising in Quantitative Research, Technology and Financial Services.

This is an exciting opportunity to join one of the highest-performing teams across Phaidon International, working with some of the world's leading hedge funds, investment banks, proprietary trading firms and financial institutions.

We're looking for an ambitious, high-performing recruiter who wants to take their career to the next level, leveraging an established client portfolio, exceptional market opportunities and a highly successful recruitment platform.

We can offer two career paths:

• High-performing Individual Contributors who want to maximise their billings, develop strategic client relationships and establish themselves as leading recruiters within their specialist markets.
• Future Leaders who want to establish themselves within the business before progressing into management, with the opportunity to build, develop and lead their own team.

Whether your ambition is to become a top-billing individual contributor or progress into leadership, we have the platform and opportunities to support both.

Why Join Selby Jennings?

With over 20 years of experience, Selby Jennings has established itself as a leading recruitment partner across quantitative research, technology, banking and financial services.

As part of Phaidon International, you'll benefit from an established global platform, extensive client relationships and an industry-leading commission structure.

Across our US business alone, approximately $60 million was paid in commission last year, demonstrating the earning potential available to successful consultants.

One of Our Highest-Performing Teams Globally

Our Chicago business has established itself as one of the strongest-performing teams across Phaidon International.

Chicago ranked second globally out of 49 teams for invoicing per head, demonstrating the exceptional productivity and opportunities within the business.

The team has continued to build on this success, with outstanding individual performances and a strong culture of high achievement.

You'll be joining a business with an established track record of success, surrounded by ambitious, commercially driven recruiters who consistently deliver exceptional results.

Exceptional Leadership & Market Expertise

You'll have the opportunity to work alongside experienced leadership with an exceptional understanding of the financial services industry.

Our Chicago leadership brings direct experience from some of the world's most prestigious financial institutions providing a unique perspective on the markets, clients and candidates we support.

This combination of industry knowledge and recruitment expertise creates an environment where experienced consultants can continue developing their skills and maximise their potential.

This is not a role where you'll be expected to build a desk entirely from scratch.

Our Chicago team benefits from an established portfolio of clients, providing consistent opportunities to develop relationships, manage accounts and deliver against existing hiring demand.

The focus is on building meaningful, long-term client partnerships rather than high-volume, transactional business development.

You’ll have the opportunity to:

• Manage and develop established relationships with leading financial institutions.
• Work on high-value, specialist recruitment assignments.
• Expand existing client accounts and increase hiring activity.
• Focus on delivering exceptional candidates into highly competitive markets.
• Build a commercially successful desk supported by an established recruitment platform.

A Specialist Market with Significant Earning Potential

Unlike traditional recruitment markets, quantitative, technology and specialist financial services recruitment often operates closer to an executive search model.

You’ll be working with highly sought-after professionals whose compensation packages can reach several hundred thousand dollars, with senior appointments exceeding $1 million.

These are complex, high-value recruitment processes where successful placements can generate significant fees.

For experienced recruiters who understand the importance of quality, relationship management and delivering exceptional talent, this creates substantial opportunities to maximise earnings.

A Strong Market Position with Limited Competition

The Chicago market offers an attractive combination of established client demand and relatively limited specialist recruitment competition.

Our existing relationships and market presence provide a significant advantage, allowing consultants to operate within a specialist market where access to exceptional talent is highly valued.

Rather than competing in an oversaturated recruitment market, you’ll have the opportunity to develop a strong personal reputation and build long‑term relationships with leading financial institutions.

We recognise that successful recruiters have different career ambitions.

For those who want to remain focused on billing, we offer the opportunity to build a highly successful desk, maximise earnings and continue progressing as a specialist individual contributor.

For those with leadership ambitions, there is a clear opportunity to progress into management.

Following an initial period establishing yourself within the business, typically 6–12 months, there is the potential to take on leadership responsibilities, recruit additional consultants and build your own team.

The Role

Depending on your experience and career aspirations, responsibilities may include:

• Managing and developing relationships with leading hedge funds, investment banks, proprietary trading firms and financial services organisations.
• Identifying, engaging and placing high‑calibre professionals across quantitative research, technology and specialist financial services.
• Building long‑term relationships with senior professionals and highly specialised candidates.
• Managing complex recruitment processes, including candidate engagement, client management, offer negotiation and successful placement.
• Identifying opportunities to expand existing client relationships and increase account revenue.
• Developing your personal market presence and establishing yourself as a trusted recruitment partner.
• Collaborating with an established team of high‑performing consultants.
• For those interested in leadership, progressing towards mentoring, developing and managing a team.

What We’re Looking For

We’re interested in speaking with ambitious, commercially driven recruitment professionals who have experience operating within specialist, high‑value recruitment markets.

Ideally, you’ll bring:

• A proven track record in recruitment, ideally specialising in quantitative research, technology or financial services.
• Experience recruiting into hedge funds, investment banks, proprietary trading firms or similarly specialist markets.
• Strong candidate sourcing, headhunting and relationship management capabilities.
• A demonstrable history of successful placements and consistent billing performance.
• Experience managing complex recruitment processes involving highly compensated professionals.
• A consultative approach to recruitment, with a focus on quality rather than volume.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to develop long‑term client relationships.
• The ambition to maximise your earnings and continue progressing professionally.

We would also welcome conversations with recruiters operating in adjacent specialist markets where placements involve similarly complex recruitment processes and high‑value compensation packages.

Previous management experience is not essential. We’re equally interested in successful individual contributors who have ambitions to progress into leadership.

What We Can Offer

• A market‑leading recruitment platform with over 20 years of experience and an established global reputation.
• An exceptional commission structure, providing significant earning potential for successful consultants.
• One of our highest‑performing teams globally, with a proven track record of exceptional productivity.
• An established client portfolio, allowing you to focus on developing relationships and delivering high‑value placements.
• Access to specialist, high‑value recruitment markets, working with some of the world's leading financial institutions.
• Experienced industry leadership, providing valuable market knowledge and commercial expertise.
• A collaborative, high‑performance environment, surrounded by successful and ambitious recruiters.
• Two clear career paths, with opportunities to progress as either a high‑performing individual contributor or a future people leader.
• A genuine opportunity to build and develop a team, for those interested in progressing into management.
• A strategic growth opportunity, joining an established Chicago business with continued ambitions for expansion.

We are primarily looking for individuals based in Chicago or open to relocating. However, we would also consider exceptional individual contributors based elsewhere in the US and remote