Managing Consultant - Executive Search

Position Managing Consultant

Reporting to Head of Business

Overview Managing Consultants are experienced and informed leaders that operate at the sharp end of all consulting 360 activities. High leadership, low management responsibilities allow time, freedom and autonomy to deliver exceptional customer (Client & Candidate) management, client development, customer experience and manage all aspects of the vacancy lifecycle management.

For some, the Managing Consultant role is a cornerstone position. They are in it the long-term and focus on mastery because they enjoy billing, high commission and exciting activities that accompany the role without being held back or restricted by people management. For others, once mastery is achieved it is a springboard/stepping stone into Principal Consultant, Team Manager or Business Manager, proving they can combine top performance and leadership with team contribution.

The Opportunity A Managing Consultant benefits from perfecting / mastering all aspects of what it takes to be a high performing recruitment consultant (and all the trust, freedom, accolades and financial reward that comes with it). As an expert within their field in all aspects of recruitment consulting, Managing Consultants are masters of their craft and held in high regard by their peers. They are an example to which other recruiters aspire to.

About Ford & Stanley Group Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group comprises specialist teams covering talent acquisition from Shopfloor to Boardroom, and wider Talent Solutions comprising Integrated services supporting the employment lifecycle, Leadership Development, Performance Coaching & Mental Fitness Support amongst other talent-related services. The Ford & Stanley client base comprises over 150 employers from start-up & SME through to large corporate organisations across 6 specialist sectors spanning the UK, Europe and North Americas.

A significant proportion of our turnover is carried out within the rail sector where the company is recognised as a key player. Group growth will be realised by growing the company's sphere of influence in fledgling sectors, whilst increasing market share within the rail sector which still has significant growth headroom.

With Head Offices based in Pride Park, Derby, Ford & Stanley is privately owned, has c.60 employees, £25million turnover, has averaged 18% annual growth since inception, and to date been awarded 6 major multi-year contracted recruitment partnership agreements with UK and international organisations.

Team loyalty is consistently high with the current average length at recruiter level being 3.2 years, within support functions is 3.1 years, 6.5 years at middle management level and 13.3 years at director level. Our team culture is inclusive and highly supportive, and our mission of creating '10 million Better Workdays' is very much central to how the business operates.

We are environmentally active and run our own conservation meadow as part of this.

The Role High-Level Billing & Quality Delivery

• Consistently generate strong personal revenue and financial contribution
• Manage senior or complex client relationships
• Deliver low volume, high-value search assignments
• Uphold exceptional key performance indicators such as shortlist coverage, CV to interview, worked to offer and worked to filled ratios

Client Development & Strategy

• Act as a trusted advisor to clients, going beyond "filling jobs" to talent advisory
• Win new business and grow key accounts through consultative selling
• Identify opportunities in the market and position the company as a thought leader within its specialist sector
• Build client partnerships that generate repeat business, increase exclusivity and position you and the company as a strategic partner, not a just supplier
• Deputise for Head of / Business Manager in event of client or candidate misunderstandings, disagreements or anticipated risks

Mentorship & Team Contribution

• Mentor junior and mid-level consultants (without necessarily holding formal management responsibility)
• Share market knowledge, techniques, and best practice
• Set the bar for quality, process and professionalism within the team

Thought Leadership & Market Expertise

• Be seen as an expert in a specific sector or discipline

Lead Generation & Market Intel Follow Up

• Review, triage and action leads provided by the research teams
• Proactively initiate and nurture leads, spot opportunities, and follow up such as candidate departures, market intelligence, live advertised vacancies, and existing network intel

Sales & Business Development Aspects and not the core of the role are that of undertaking warm new business development activities that include:

• Securing referrals from existing contacts, clients and candidates for new business opportunities
• Relationship- and solution-based sales, not transactional
• Converting candidate relationships into new client relationships
• Completing smart and proactive candidate marketing activities using identified most placeable candidates
• Represent the business at hosted and industry networking events / socials
• Following up and converting leads in a warm and professional manner

Strategic Account Management

• Deepen relationships with existing clients (not just HR, but hiring managers, project directors, executives)
• Schedule regular review meetings to assess performance and uncover upcoming hiring needs
• Identify opportunities and act to expand into other departments or functions

Relationship Building Outside of Active Hiring

• Regular check ins even when there are no live vacancies
• Invite clients to networking events, industry conferences, or social functions
• Build trust so that when hiring needs arise, the consultant is the first call

Team/Leadership Contribution

• Coaching junior consultants on client development approaches
• Lead by example in opening doors and winning new business
• Input to the strategic group client list and long term growth accounts

Delivery & Process Undertake all aspects of the vacancy lifecycle to an exemplary standard. Headline milestones of each search onboarded to include but not limited to:

• Pre Market Research & Salary Benchmarking
• Situational Discovery (Role scoping meeting with hiring manager)
• Assignment brief & timescales for delivery plan communicated back to the client
• Candidate Opportunity Brief Build
• Advert Draft + Social Media Campaign Design
• Longlisting activities
• Targeted Headhunting Campaign
• LinkedIn Project Search & InMail Design
• Immediate Network Approach / Known Candidates
• Shortlisting & First Engagement/Approach to candidates (Opportunity Pitch)
• Mid Search Update & Provision of Market Intelligence to client hiring manager
• Full Candidate Discoveries of all shortlisted candidates
• Profile/CV write up with notes and recommendations as to suitability aligned to brief
• Shortlist Presentation to client with recommendations to interview all
• Interviews Organised + Interview preparation call with candidates
• Final Stage Interview confirmations + Pre Close & Sounding Board Positioning
• Offer of employment presented to candidate + SoundingBoard
• Offer management, negotiations and secure acceptance
• HR Starter Pack provided to client to generate contract & offer letter
• Post Resignation Debrief & Start Date Confirmed

Winning Shortlists Responsible of ensuring every search is completed using all tools at their disposal to produce a winning shortlist and a 100% CV to interview ratio.

• Tracker Search & Longlist
• Job Board Search & Longlist
• Internal referrals
• Advert Response
• LinkedIn Recruiter
• Network by referral
• Direct Headhunting

MPC / PCM Responsible for ensuring consistent, professional MPC/PCM activities within the executive search business.

• Have watch dogs set up for in demand talent within your sector specialism on all platforms identifying who is an MPC and who is not
• Complete candidate discoveries on the MPC, write up and introduce the candidate to companies where the candidate is likely to be of interest
• Research companies that have live requirements that match the candidates' skills, experience and interest
• Ensure shortlist 'top up' when applicable after an MPC is taken forward to interview

Essential Hard Skills (Skills & Experience)

• Demonstratable experience of successfully growing and expanding relationships and commercial opportunities across a portfolio of clients
• Demonstrable track record of hitting/exceeding quality metrics and financial targets
• Exceptional consulting skills within recruitment discipline (Permanent or contract) with high quality performance metrics such as CV to interview, worked to filled
• Represented their organisation well at trade shows, networking events with demonstrable ROI
• Minimum of 5 years as a high performance recruiter (within any sector or discipline)
• Live within a daily commutable distance of HQ, Pride Park, Derby

Essential Soft Skills (Attributes & Behaviours)

• An engaging, passionate and confident individual able to build rapport within warm and cold relationships
• An articulate, confident communicator both internally and externally
• Proactive . click apply for full job details