Retained Exec Search, £160k+ Fees, Technology Focused

Senior Search Associate | Tech Leadership in Finance | London | £60-80k base

A boutique retained executive search firm in financial services is adding to their tech leadership practice, and I'm running the search.

The firm:

• 95% retained, so you work fewer, higher-quality mandates instead of fighting over contingent fees with the same five firms
• Average fee over £150k
• 80%+ of placements land at Director to Board level

Clients:

• Public and private markets: Hedge Funds, Prop Shops, HFTs, PE firms and Asset Managers

The role:

• Own the research, market mapping and shortlist presentations on live retained mandates
• Find the best 5-10 people for a seat rather than spamming 50 and hoping
• Build real market knowledge across a diverse FS client base

Types of roles you'd place:

• CTOs, CIOs, CPOs, Directors of Engineering, Heads of AI

Experience:

• 3-5 years in search, or strong high-fee contingent experience
• Research-led by instinct, you'd rather go deep than wide
• Ideally recruiting into Hedge Funds contingently now and looking to move to a research, mapping and shortlist-led model
• Strong academics welcome; this firm hires on quality and trajectory, not on the book you carry in
• Keen to work across a broad FS portfolio rather than one narrow vertical

What's on offer:

• £60-80k base depending on experience
• Commission on a retained desk where the average fee clears £150k, so the earning ceiling sits well above a contingent seat
• Fewer, deeper mandates and genuine ownership of the process
• A growing practice you can help shape, with more roles coming through the year