Researcher or Senior Researcher | Schools Practice | London | Odgers Executive Search

The Schools Practice at Odgers is a market leader in recruiting talent to the School sector in the UK and internationally. We work with diverse and interesting clients across a wide range of independent state‑maintained and international schools to appoint senior executive and non‑executive leaders. Our track record of Head appointments and experience in the search for functional leaders such as Bursars and Development Directors demonstrates our depth and breadth. We are a diverse and passionate team committed to the transformative power of school leadership. Our executive search approach goes beyond qualifications – we align candidates’ values with the ethos of each organisation to ensure lasting impact.

Our researchers are at the heart of everything we do at Odgers. They play a pivotal role in identifying and attracting exceptional talent for senior‑level positions, underpinning the success of every search assignment. Through rigorous market research they develop a deep understanding of industry trends, organisational structures and key individuals. Their ability to absorb, analyse and synthesise complex information enables them to build detailed candidate profiles that help our teams assess alignment with client needs. Researchers support the search process by sourcing candidates across a wide range of platforms and networks, verifying credentials and ensuring accuracy at every stage. Once the initial identification phase is complete they engage directly with candidates and sources – often over the phone – to gather nuanced insights. The quality of these conversations is critical in forming a clear, accurate picture of each candidate’s suitability.

While prior experience in the schools or education sector isn’t required, a genuine interest and foundational understanding of its significance are essential. This role is for someone with a minimum of 12 months of experience either in a contingent recruitment firm or an executive search firm as a researcher. We will look to appoint a researcher at any level and the title will be commensurate with experience.

At Odgers we are committed to investing in our people. If you’re looking for a role that offers development support and opportunities for growth, we’d love to hear from you.

About you

• Curiosity: You have a hunger for knowledge and a genuine interest in the education landscape, the regulatory framework impacting it, and importantly the people and leaders driving it forward.
• Communication: You can speak and write clearly, confidently and concisely with a range of people, and understand that listening is the most important part of communication.
• Resilience: You are not afraid to try; if you make a mistake you regroup, bounce back and try again.
• Collaboration: You enjoy working as part of a team, can build strong relationships and have your own opinions but also take on other people’s.
• Proactivity & Work Ethic: We highly value proactive behaviour and a strong work ethic in our business.

About us

Odgers is one of the world’s leading global executive search firms. Our reputation for excellence and integrity has been established over 60 years, and we are a partnership‑driven firm by the client, candidate and employee experience. We function as trusted advisors to our clients and candidates and engage with a diverse range of leaders for the most influential roles across a wide variety of industries. The service we deliver is creative, insightful and most importantly in partnership; we pride ourselves on maintaining personal relationships.

At Odgers we are proud of our progressive, diverse, meritocratic and collaborative culture where you will find support, training and career development, working with colleagues striving for excellence in all they do. We are UK‑headquartered with colleagues across 58 offices in 32 countries, specialising in over 50 sectors and functions.

Hybrid Working: Our hybrid working policy is based on the principles of empowerment, mutual trust and flexibility, recognising that we work best when we make choices about when, where and how we work. At the same time we are reminded that time together is so important. We are a client‑service business in which our relationships and our culture provide a significant advantage. Our offices remain critical to how we work; they are a place for collaboration, learning and support and an anchor for the culture of which we are so proud. We operate a hybrid working model which would typically see you spending a minimum of two days working from the office and the rest remotely. Your work pattern will be reliant on business demands and we would expect you to manage your time accordingly.

At Odgers we are committed to fostering a work environment that is safe and respectful of all individuals. We have and will always stand with and support the inclusion and equity of our colleagues, candidates and clients and are committed to improving diversity in all its forms within Odgers.

Sustainability: Modern businesses have a duty to be environmentally responsible and operate sustainably. We believe this represents not only sound commercial sense but also recognises our ethical responsibility to minimise the impact of our activities on the environment and to leave a positive legacy for future generations. We have committed to and set science‑based decarbonisation targets and have received verification of these goals from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). These targets will hold us accountable to our sustainability strategy while enabling us to measure our progress.

Corporate Social Responsibility: We take charity seriously but like to have fun too. Our CSR team is always thinking up new events and activities to get involved in and raise funds for our chosen charity – the British Heart Foundation. We also have a variety of social clubs and learning opportunities to suit everyone such as the Brunch and Learn Session, Odgers choir, the book club or one of the many sports clubs.

Whats on offer: A competitive base salary supplemented by our benefits package and discretionary bonus. 25 days Annual leave, 3 gift days for the Christmas closure, bank holidays, Private Medical Insurance with Bupa and cash plan with Simply Health, Group Company Pension, Season Ticket Loan & Cycle to Work scheme, Give As You Earn, Group Income Protection, Group Life Assurance, Employee Assistance Programme, Charity Day, Wellbeing Programmes – support and speakers, On‑boarding induction training and ongoing professional development, Corporate member discounts and benefits available through Bupa and Simply Health including Gym discounts.

Applications: We are committed to ensuring everyone can access our website and application processes. This includes people with sight loss, hearing, mobility and cognitive impairments. If you need these documents in alternative formats, need to apply in a different format or need any reasonable adjustments made for the interview process, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Talent Team. If you have any comments and/or suggestions about improving access to our application processes we would love to hear from you too.

Eligibility: You must be eligible to live and work in the UK.

Required Experience: Senior IC Key Skills, Intelligence Community Experience, Python, SPSS, Microsoft Word, R, Regression Analysis, Windows, Stata, Microsoft Powerpoint, Research Experience, Data Modeling, Writing Skills.

Employment Type: Full-Time