Talent Research Partner in London

Location: Kennington, London (SE11 5DP)

Salary: £26,000-£31,000 base salary, depending on experience and capability.

Impact Talent is an international, research-led executive search and recruitment consultancy specialising in senior hiring across shipping, ports, logistics, supply chain, industrial projects, and global infrastructure, with a strong focus on complex and emerging markets.

We are looking for a full-time Talent Research Partner to play a central role in delivering high-quality searches across our Talent Essentials and Talent Connect recruitment offerings. This is a research-driven, candidate-focused role, ideal for someone early in their recruitment career (or looking to move into recruitment or executive search) who values quality and long-term development over volume-led recruitment.

You will work closely on a one-to-one basis with the Founder, supporting live searches across multiple geographies and sectors, starting with candidate research and qualification and progressing toward full search ownership over time.

Recent examples of roles you will support include:

• Managing Director – Pakistan (Shipping)
• Project Implementation Director – Angola (Ports & Infrastructure)
• Country Manager – Nigeria (Shipping)
• General Manager – Iraq (Aviation)
• Deputy Country Manager – Mozambique (Logistics & Supply Chain)
• Head of Entity - Malaysia (Logistics)
• Logistics Manager – Guinea (Logistics)

The role involves identifying, engaging, screening, and qualifying candidates using evidence-based judgement to ensure that only well-assessed, motivated, and credible profiles progress through the process. You’ll be given real responsibility from day one, with support and guidance as you develop in the role.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Conducting structured market research and candidate sourcing through database searching, targeted headhunting, and network referrals.
• Screening and qualifying candidates via phone and Teams, assessing motivation, capability, and role fit.
• Building strong, professional relationships with candidates.
• Supporting interview coordination, candidate debriefs, and ongoing candidate communication.
• Preparing CVs and candidate documentation.
• Taking references for successful candidates.
• Promoting and advertising vacancies and managing inbound responses with a focus on relevance and quality rather than volume.
• Maintaining accurate and up-to-date records within the internal database.
• Supporting delivery across Talent Essentials and Talent Connect searches, with scope to take on end-to-end ownership as capability develops.

This is a full-time, hybrid role, with an expectation of three days per week in the office and up to two days working remotely. The business is founder-led, and the role involves close day-to-day collaboration. We operate a core working hours model, meaning you will be expected to be available between 10:00 and 16:00, with flexibility around start and finish times outside of these hours (totalling 40 hours per week).

Please note: a dog will occasionally be present in the office, so you’ll need to be comfortable working in a dog-friendly environment.

This role is likely to be a strong fit if you:

• Enjoy deep, structured research and take pride in accuracy, judgement, and attention to detail.
• Are comfortable screening and qualifying candidates through phone and video interviews.
• Are confident engaging with senior professionals and building credibility through preparation and insight.
• Value direct communication, clear feedback, and personal accountability within a fair, supportive environment.
• Are self-motivated, organised, and able to manage your time effectively without constant supervision.
• Are curious, commercially minded, and interested in international businesses and emerging markets.
• Are happy working in a hybrid environment and in a dog-friendly office.

Experience in recruitment or executive search roles is advantageous but not essential. We place greater emphasis on work ethic, attitude, judgement, and core competencies than on prior recruitment experience. Training and progression support will be provided through structured feedback, close mentoring, and progressive responsibility as your judgement, consistency, and delivery quality develop.

This role is unlikely to suit someone who:

• Prefers a large, highly structured agency environment.
• Is motivated primarily by volume activity rather than quality of output.
• Is uncomfortable operating in a high-accountability setting.

If this role sounds like a good fit and you’re excited by the opportunity to learn, develop, and work closely on high-quality international searches, we’d love to hear from you. Please apply to start a confidential conversation.