Executive Search Consultant in Farnham, Surrey

This role is designed as a structured transition into senior executive search for recruiters with 1-3 years’ experience. You won’t be expected to arrive as a fully formed consultant. You will be expected to grow into one, deliberately, with structure, coaching and accountability.

If you’re currently in recruitment and feeling limited by:

• Transactional delivery
• Speed over judgement
• Volume over credibility

This role is a step up, not a sideways move.

At Fraser Dove International, we hire experienced recruiters with a clear objective: to develop future Executive Search Consultants and future leaders of our business. Over the past decade, we’ve built a proven track record of developing high-performing contingent recruiters into trusted executive search consultants.

This role exists to help you transition from delivery-led recruitment into relationship-led executive search. You are here to:

• Build commercial confidence beyond job-led conversations
• Headhunt exceptional, passive global talent
• Develop influence with senior stakeholders
• Rebuild your network at executive level
• Learn how executive search work is won before it is delivered
• Prepare for full ownership as an Executive Search Consultant

You are not measured on speed or volume. You are measured on network strength, pipeline growth, quality of conversations, insight generated and opportunities created.

You’ll work closely with some of the most experienced Principals and Partners in the firm. You’ll see first-hand:

• How senior client relationships are built and sustained
• How consultative market insights and intelligence is delivered
• How leadership hiring decisions are shaped long before mandates are signed
• How judgement, insight and credibility influence outcomes
• How executive search differs fundamentally from recruitment

This is a retraining phase, designed to raise your ceiling, not repeat your past. You’ll be trusted with real responsibility early, contributing to work that directly shapes client outcomes, long-term relationships and the growth of the firm.

What you’ll actually be doing:

• Growing and curating high-quality networks of senior life sciences leaders
• Researching and mapping leadership ecosystems across target organisations and markets
• Supporting thoughtful, professional outreach and warm introductions
• Strengthening relationships through structured, consistent follow-up
• Maintaining a living, high-value network that underpins our search and advisory work

Market Research & Talent Intelligence:

• Researching companies, leadership teams, ownership structures and growth signals
• Identifying hiring trends, succession risks and capability gaps
• Contributing to Talent Intelligence and market insight shared with clients
• Feeding real-time intelligence into commercial, advisory and strategic conversations

Pipeline Development, Opportunity Creation & Business Development:

• Supporting early-stage client conversations and strategic introductions
• Helping prepare Principals and Partners for meetings, pitches and discussions
• Learning how commercial influence works in executive search - without “selling”
• Supporting follow-ups that convert conversations into long-term partnerships
• Helping ensure momentum, insight and opportunity are never lost

High-Impact Partner & Team Support:

• Working alongside senior consultants on priority initiatives
• Supporting podcasts, events, roundtables and wider community activity
• Acting as a connector across people, information and opportunity
• Helping turn insight into action across the business

This role is ideal if you:

• Have 1–3 years’ experience in recruitment (contingent or retained)
• Are strong at delivery but want more influence and ownership
• Enjoy the commercial side but want to level up significantly
• Want to build credibility and a long-term career
• Are ambitious about progressing into full executive search
• Like to win - and understand that winning is built over time
• Have an intrinsic drive to succeed, not just hit short-term targets
• Are fearless learners, comfortable being stretched, coached and challenged
• Want accountability, exposure and responsibility early in their career
• Care about impact, reputation and long-term success

You should expect:

• High standards
• Clear feedback
• Commercial accountability
• A genuine learning curve

You don’t need executive search experience. You do need curiosity, confidence, resilience and ambition.

What we care about (more than previous experience and results):

• You’re naturally curious and commercially minded
• You communicate clearly, confidently and professionally
• You follow things through and take ownership
• You enjoy building relationships over time
• You’re comfortable learning by doing
• You bring positive energy, momentum and intent into a team

What success looks like (first 12 -18 months):

• You’ve built your network and subject matter expertise at executive level within one of the defined FDI practices.
• You’re contributing meaningfully to client conversations and opportunities
• You understand how executive search work is won and delivered
• You’re operating with confidence in senior commercial environments
• You’re ready to take on full Executive Search Consultant responsibility

This role is a launchpad into executive search, not a holding pattern.

What you’ll get in return:

• A genuine step up into executive search
• Direct exposure to senior clients and complex hiring challenges
• Structured development and clear progression
• A high-performance, low-ego culture
• Real responsibility and trust
• Ability to earn life changing commission
• Company incentives, socials and team events
• Hybrid working (1 day WFH after probation)
• Generous holiday allowance

Most importantly: You’ll be building a career with depth, credibility and long-term upside. You’ll be doing work that really matters - to clients, to patients, and to your own career.