Executive Recruiting Associate Director

Grant Thornton is seeking an Executive Recruiting Associate Director to join the team in New York, NY.

Position Summary: 

Reporting directly to the Senior Director of Executive Search, the Executive Search Associate Director plays a pivotal role in shaping and 

executing strategic Partner and Managing Director recruiting initiatives across all service lines. This position is instrumental in 

developing and implementing enterprise-wide executive search strategies that align with business priorities and drive competitive advantage 

in the talent market. The Associate Director will be pivotal to ensuring there is operational excellence within the function and 

instrumental to the delivery of high impact client service. By leveraging their notable experience in Executive Search the Associate Director 

will help strengthen the firm's reputation as a destination for top tier "c-suite" level talent.  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Oversee end-to-end executive recruitment for Partner and Managing Director (PMD) roles, from strategic alignment with hiring leaders to final candidate onboarding. 
• Lead delivery across all recruitment functions, including proactive sourcing, candidate evaluation, stakeholder coordination, offer negotiation, and preparation of board-level review materials. 
• Design and execute targeted search strategies for senior leadership roles, leveraging direct sourcing to attract top-tier talent and minimizing reliance on external search firms. 
• Innovate recruitment methodologies to optimize internal capabilities while managing retained search engagements when necessary, including vendor selection, contract negotiation, and fee structuring aligned with firm policies. 
• Drive a high-touch, high-impact PMD admissions process, ensuring a seamless experience for candidates and internal stakeholders through rigorous assessment and efficient execution. 
• Serve as a strategic advisor to national, market, service, and industry leaders on human capital priorities, aligning talent acquisition with broader business objectives. 
• Ensure compliance with firm-wide recruitment protocols and governance standards. 
• Coach and empower hiring leaders on advanced interviewing techniques, selection best practices, and offer negotiations to support informed decision-making. 
• Cultivate and manage relationships with key firm executives, internal business partners, and external search firms to build a robust pipeline of executive talent. 
• Utilize multi-channel sourcing strategies to identify and engage high-potential candidates, ensuring alignment with firm culture and leadership expectations. 
• Deliver high-quality candidate assessments, presenting curated shortlists with comprehensive profile summaries to facilitate executive-level hiring decisions. 
• Support candidate transitions, partnering with hiring leaders to ensure successful onboarding and integration into the firm. 
• Act as a brand ambassador, fostering long-term relationships and promoting the firm's value proposition to external talent and stakeholders. 

Required Skills and Experience: 

• Bachelor degree in Business, Human Resources, Psychology, a related field or professional equivalency. 
• 10 plus years of diversified recruiting experience with at least 5 focused specifically in executive search  
• Experience servicing clients in the field of retained search or consulting 
• Specific network strength in the consulting industry  
• Demonstrated ability to source and acquire executive talent in the areas of Tax, Audit, Transaction Services (diligence), Consulting, Risk and Compliance.   
• Demonstrated effective and professional interaction with top level executives 
• Experience in developing and executing a recruiting strategy, implementing best practices in recruiting, and demonstrated ability to lead others by example. 
• Extensive knowledge of employment law and hiring practices, behaviorally based interview techniques, tracking processes for applicants and open positions, and metrics. 
• The ability to establish priorities, manage deadlines, exercise a high degree of professionalism in interactions with all levels of internal and external contacts. 
• Attributes that include a strong client service mentality, detail orientation, a positive team-oriented attitude. 
• Excellent communications skills – both verbal and written. 
• Full proficiency with MS - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook 

Preferred Skills and Experience: 

• Prior Executive Talent Acquisition experience in professional services, boutique consulting or retained search is preferred. 
• Taleo application tracking system knowledge strongly preferred.  
• CIR, ACIR, PHR, or SPHR,  a plus. 
• Agency search experience as a client is a plus. 
• Professional Services experience a plus. 

The base salary range for this position in the firm's New York, NY office is between $164,200 and $246,200 per year.