Research & AI Analyst

RESEARCH & AI ANALYST

Reporting to Head of Technology & Data

Location London (hybrid)

Level Internship or Early-Career Analyst (0–2 years post-graduation)

Contract Full-time preferred; part-time considered

Start date As soon as possible

About Sainty Hird & Partners

Sainty Hird & Partners is a specialist executive search firm operating at the senior end across Financial Services, Technology, Private Equity, and a number of adjacent sectors. We are now systematically automating our research and operational processes using AI, and this role sits at the heart of that programme.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a curious, self-directed individual who can operate at the intersection of executive search and applied AI — someone who thinks in workflows, learns new tools fast, and gets genuine satisfaction from replacing manual effort with intelligent automation. This is not a traditional research role: you will work directly with the Head of Technology & Data to build and run AI-powered systems that underpin how we source candidates, track market intelligence, produce documents, and manage data.

We are open to two profiles. A student or recent graduate who has been building things with AI on the side — this is the chance to apply those skills commercially. Or someone one or two years into their career, looking for an environment where they can move faster, own the outcome, and see their work directly shape how a firm operates.

Key Responsibilities

• Map existing workflows across research, CRM management, and document production, identifying where automation has the most impact

• Design and build AI-powered workflows to automate repetitive tasks: people-move monitoring, news tracking, CRM enrichment, and branded document output

• Build and maintain an intelligence-gathering layer — combining web scraping, news monitoring, and people-move tracking — that feeds both our marketing campaigns and our business development pipeline

• Explore and prototype multi-agent architectures for multi-step tasks that currently require human intervention at each stage

• Optimise workflows for efficiency — right model for the task, well-structured prompts, cost-conscious as automations move to production

• Continuously identify new areas of the business where automation can reduce manual effort or improve output quality

What We Are Looking For

Essential

• Currently studying or recently graduated (within the last two years); or up to two years into an early-career analyst or associate role

• Strong research instincts — find information, triangulate sources, assess credibility

• Excellent written English with the ability to adapt tone for different audiences

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365

• Highly organised, strong attention to detail, comfortable working independently

Technology — the non-negotiables

Vibe coding experience

You have used AI-assisted tools (Cursor, Claude, Bolt, Replit, Lovable, or similar) to build something — a script, an automation, a simple app, a data pipeline — without a formal software engineering background. You are comfortable reading, editing, and prompting your way through code even if you wouldn't call yourself a developer.

Hands-on experience with AI platforms

You have used one or more major AI platforms (Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, or similar) beyond basic chat — writing effective system prompts, understanding how context shapes model behaviour, and iterating to get the output you need. Skills developed on any of these platforms are readily transferable; familiarity with one is enough.

Basic technical literacy — infrastructure and security

You have a working understanding of how cloud-hosted applications and services are structured — what APIs do, how data flows between systems, and the difference between front end and back end. You are aware of common security considerations in web-based and SaaS environments (SSO, authentication models, access controls) and can engage with these topics when building or evaluating tools.

Desirable

• Experience with multi-agent AI orchestration — pipelines where multiple agents hand off tasks, or an LLM is used as an orchestrator

• Familiarity with Claude Code, Cowork, or MCP-based tool integrations

• Microsoft 365 Power Platform — particularly Power Automate or scheduled workflows connecting AI outputs back into SharePoint, Teams, or Outlook

• Knowledge of executive search, recruitment, or professional services environments

• Experience with CRM systems or structured data management

• Exposure to marketing automation platforms or AI-driven content and campaign workflows — ideally with an interest in how an intelligence-gathering layer (news, people moves, sector developments) can feed both marketing and business development activity. You may have the opportunity to build an agentic marketing department if this plays to your interest.

What We Offer

• A front-row seat on an ambitious AI transformation programme in an established executive search firm

• Real ownership — your work directly affects how the firm operates

• Exposure to senior-level business across Financial Services, Technology, Private Equity and beyond

• A varied role — no two weeks are the same

• Flexible working — we care about output, not hours at a desk

How to Apply

Please send your CV and a short covering note — no more than a page. T ell us about one thing you have built or automated using AI tools . We are far more interested in what you have actually done than in credentials.

Applications without a covering note may not be considered.

Sainty Hird & Partners is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.