Director, Psychology and Research

​Heidrick & Struggles (Nasdaq: HSII) is the world's foremost advisor on executive leadership, driving superior client performance through premier human capital leadership advisory services. For more than 70 years, we've delivered value for our clients by leveraging unrivaled expertise to help organizations discover and enable outstanding leaders and teams. Learn more at 

Job Description:

Who We Are:

Heidrick & Struggles (Nasdaq: HSII) is a premier provider of global leadership advisory and on-demand talent solutions, serving the senior-level talent and consulting needs of the world's top organizations. In our role as trusted leadership advisors, we partner with our clients to develop future-ready leaders and organizations, bringing together our services and offerings in executive search, diversity and inclusion, leadership assessment and development, organization and team acceleration, culture shaping and on-demand, independent talent solutions. Heidrick & Struggles pioneered the profession of executive search more than 70 years ago. Today, the firm provides integrated talent and human capital solutions to help our clients change the world, one leadership team at a time.  

Additional information on the firm can be found at  

The Role:

The Director of Psychology and Research resides within HLabs, a team dedicated to enterprise product development. This team develops rigorous assessment tools through innovation, validation, and data analytics and the training and deployment of tools within the firm and in client systems. This Director role is responsible for proactively participating in HLabs' efforts to deploy robust psychological assessment solutions to all business lines (e.g., Executive Search, Heidrick Consulting, and OnDemand Talent). In sum, the primary purpose of this role is to ensure that existing and future diagnostic surveys and assessment tools are psychometrically sound, empirically grounded, and legally defensible.

Responsibilities:

• Design and validate defensible psychometric solutions using best practices and professional guidelines. Including but not limited to creating item content, defining scoring and analytic methods, generating report content, and writing robust technical manuals.
• Explore innovations in measurement to predict leader effectiveness and work outcomes, including new assessment formats and data collection/synthesis methods.
• Conduct and assist in the analysis and interpretation of numerical and qualitative data to ensure tools are reliable and valid.
• Collaborate with the data science team to generate and capitalize on data-driven insights, as well as validate our tools and methodologies.
• Provide content expertise and design/UX input to ensure that technological and digital solutions render the best possible product experience for candidates, clients, and consultants.
• Manage aspects- or entire projects- related to moving assessment products through complete lifecycle staging.
• Collaborate with assessment product sponsors to define broader product strategies and structure to support them as they evolve.
• Define requirements and ensure proper quality assurance of assessment products in collaboration with product development.
• Design processes and protocols to ensure efficient and streamlined provisioning and delivery of firm tools (utilizing existing and recommended firm technology as required).
• Support Learning & Development efforts to ensure that core tool principles and concepts are appropriately conveyed to the broader Firm; serve as a technical expert or facilitator.
• Support colleagues in their efforts to deploy tools.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to manage and participate in large-scale methodology development, improvement, and implementation across the Firm.
• Support assessment roll-out activities such as creating and executing plans for tool and methodology roll-out strategies to the broader firm, including communication, marketing, and training.
• Stay up to date on the latest thinking and advancements in the field and incorporate them into tools, methods, and processes
• Support client delivery by analyzing and aggregating data across organizational levels.
• Serves as a key culture advocate for the organization by modeling and fostering collaboration, inclusion, and teamwork across all levels.
• Promotes a psychologically safe and transparent work environment where diverse perspectives are valued, accountability is embraced, and customer-centricity remains a core focus.
• Effectively manages conflict and leads with integrity to support a high-performing, service-oriented culture.
• Demonstrates strong leadership capabilities by building trusted relationships across senior leadership and fostering a culture centered on exceptional client service for both internal and external stakeholders.
• Leads high-performing teams with a focus on collaboration, results, and continuous improvement, effectively managing multiple priorities under tight timelines.
• Models resilience, accountability, and a growth mindset to inspire excellence and ongoing learning throughout the organization.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of five years of experience in leadership or management consulting, product design and development, or similar.
• MA/MS
• Proficient at the user level for voice, data, and systems technology commonly found in the workplace.
• Advanced Microsoft PowerPoint skills.
• Proficiency in R, Python, SPSS, and/or other Statistical Software packages (R preferred).
• Experience developing LLM prompts for data analysis, qualitative insights, and information synthesis.
• Able to travel 10-20% for internal meetings, trainings/conferences, and possible client engagements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD in business, psychology, organizational leadership, or similar strongly preferred.

Pay Range Guidelines for this Position:

The salary range for this position is USD to USD. Compensation is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience and skills. In addition to your salary, Heidrick & Struggles offers discretionary bonuses (subject to eligibility requirements) and a comprehensive benefits package including: medical, dental, vision, disability leave, parental leave, paid time off and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). Note: we have a location based compensation structure; there may be a different range for candidates in other locations.

Heidrick & Struggles is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring qualified protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, veteran or military status, or citizenship status.

---