Executive Search Consultant

Some recruiters want volume.

Lots of jobs. Lots of activity. Lots of plates spinning. Lots of noise.

This is not that.

This is for a recruiter who would rather work fewer roles, at a higher level, with proper client relationships and fees that actually reflect the value of the work.

You’ll be joining a small, specialist recruitment business operating in a niche global market covering flavour, fragrance, ingredients and consumer goods. It’s the kind of market where everybody knows everybody, where credibility matters, and where a good search consultant can become very valuable very quickly.

The business works on mid-to-senior level roles.

Sales Directors. Regional Sales Managers. Heads of Marketing. Product Managers. VP Sales. Chief Commercial Officers.

The sort of roles where you’re not just matching keywords on a CV. You’re mapping a market, understanding who is genuinely good, knowing how to approach people properly, and helping clients make decisions that could shape their business for years.

So you’ll need to be comfortable with senior-level search.

You might already be in executive search. You might come from a specialist recruitment background where you’ve worked retained, exclusive or high-fee contingent assignments. You might have recruited across chemicals, ingredients, FMCG, life sciences, manufacturing, food, fragrance, flavour or another niche technical market.

The sector is useful.

The way you work matters more.

This is a small business, so there won’t be five managers standing over you, a daily check-in for every minor decision or a huge delivery team doing the difficult bits for you.

You’ll need to be self-driven.

Able to manage your own desk. Able to spot opportunity. Able to pick up the phone, build trust with senior people and keep momentum going without needing to be chased. You’ll be the kind of person who can take a search, map the market, speak to candidates, manage the process and keep clients properly informed from first conversation to signed offer.

The fees are strong.

Typical placements sit around £60k to £70k salaries and above, with many searches reaching well into six figures. With average placement values around the low-to-mid £20ks and bigger mandates capable of producing significantly more.

But this is not about chasing every vacancy going.

The business is deliberately focused on higher-quality work. Better clients. Better terms. More exclusivity.

More retained search. Fewer roles, done properly.

There is already work to build on too.

Current and recent projects include senior commercial, sales, marketing and product roles across Europe and the US. There are opportunities in markets like the Netherlands, Italy and North America, alongside established relationships with clients who come back because the work is done properly.

You’ll also have the chance to get close to the industry itself.

Trade shows. Candidate meetings. Client conversations. Market mapping. Proper networking. Not just sitting behind a screen hoping LinkedIn does the job for you.

You’ll suit this if you’re commercially sharp, curious and credible.

Someone who can speak to a Chief Commercial Officer without sounding like they’re reading from a script.

Someone who understands that senior search takes patience, persistence and judgement. Someone who likes a niche market because they know that depth beats noise.

Ideally, you’ll be based somewhere around Leeds, Wakefield or York.

But if you’re the right person and can operate remotely with maturity, flexibility is possible.

This is a good move for someone who wants more ownership.

A small business where your work will matter. A specialist market with strong fees. A grown-up approach to recruitment. And the chance to help shape how the business grows, rather than simply inheriting someone else’s machine.

So if you’re a self-driven recruiter with senior-level search experience, and you like the idea of building something valuable in a niche global market, let’s talk.

Send your CV. Drop me a message. Pick up the phone.

Whatever works for you.

The best moves usually start with a good conversation.