Senior Research Consultant

PURPOSE STATEMENT

Pearl Street, the search firm with purpose, is a national, women-founded and led executive search and talent strategy firm for the social sector. We seek a creative and collaborative Senior Research Consultant for our team. This is a unique opportunity to join and contribute to an award-winning search firm gaining wide recognition for its high touch approach and its ability to meaningfully diversify leadership teams and identify underrecognized talent for organizations in the social sector. Furthermore, 2024 marks five years of intentional growth, impact and success for Pearl Street. As we look ahead to our next half decade and beyond, we’re seeking search professionals who are ready to grow and dream with us.

The Senior Research Consultant (SRC) will have the opportunity to help shape powerful decision-making and transformative strategies. Whether it's building search plans, identifying candidate prospects, understanding market trends, or mapping sector ecosystems, the SRC will work in partnership with a talented team of search professionals to ensure we are developing diverse, highly competitive talent pools that lead to successful placements, and exceeding client and candidate expectations along the way.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Reporting to the Managing Partner for Research, Strategy & Business Operations, and collaborating with colleagues across the firm, the SRC will carry a portfolio of research assignments for an array of mission driven clients in education, healthcare and the nonprofit space. They will be responsible for crafting and executing thorough, thoughtful and creative search strategies that lead to highly curated and diverse-in-every-way candidate pools.

The Senior Research Consultant will deliver research support for both client engagements and business development activities including, but not limited to, the identification of candidate prospects (name generation), market intelligence & mapping, compensation analyses, and organizational charts. They will assist in the creation of customized industry and talent surveys and market reports as needed. The SRC will also actively participate in client discovery conversations, weekly team meetings, and internal and external project check-ins. Tools to be leveraged in this work include the internet, our CRM, LinkedIn, GuideStar, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, newspapers and other online media, organizational websites, survey tools, and other resources.

The SRC will become a resident expert in the firm’s CRM, contributing to the creation and implementation of data management policies and best practices. They will help maintain the highest quality information, including the timely and rigorous capture of insight gathered during the course of search work. They will be called upon to lead special database projects from time to time. An outstanding collaborator, the Senior Research Consultant will do everything within their power to help their colleagues succeed. Lastly, the SRC will treat others with care and empathy, and have a personal approach and philosophy that aligns with Pearl Street’s values and principles.

While this position doesn’t have management responsibilities, under the direction of the Managing Partner, the SRC will provide coaching, guidance, and expertise to research colleagues, helping to develop their skills and potential while supporting a collaborative and learning-oriented environment. Serving as a content expert and champion for continuous learning, they will also contribute to the growth of the firm's overall knowledge base and assist with knowledge management activities.

The ideal candidate is an adept researcher who is highly organized and curious by nature. They possess professional maturity and a consultative “anything can be fixed” mindset. They understand what it means to “go beyond the Rolodex” to uncover talent, and they are prepared to uphold standards of excellence, promote continuous improvement, and lead by example in fostering a culture of high performance and operational effectiveness. They are creative, innovative, and able to see the big picture while caring for and about the smallest details. They are a savvy problem-solver who doesn’t get deterred easily; a creative thinker who brings a desire to learn and grow. They are a transparent operator who freely shares information and knowledge that helps to advance the work of the firm.

The SRC must be a highly capable project manager who can work to a project life cycle, accurately meeting assigned milestones along the way. They will help ensure that our engagements stay on schedule and that our clients and internal team members are fully informed and supported. They are highly detail-oriented but must be capable of seeing the bigger picture, too.

The ideal candidate will have knowledge of and experience in the mission driven space and be committed to sharing, enhancing and building that knowledge inside the firm. The ability to anticipate the course of a high-level recruitment process and the needs of each engagement from a research perspective will be fundamental in this trusted role, so prior experience in executive search is highly desired.

SELECT RESPONSIBILITIES

• Craft and execute creative search strategies that set the stage for successful client engagements.
• Conduct name generation to uncover targeted candidate prospects with an eye to identifying diverse and/or overlooked talent.
• Conduct research on industry segments and organizations; develop market maps, organizational charts, and compensation analyses; assist in the creation of customized industry and talent market reports; uphold research best-practices.
• Partner closely with colleagues in research, recruiting and search operations throughout the search lifecycle.
• Under the direction of the Managing Partner, coach, guide, and support research colleagues, helping to develop their skills and potential while supporting a collaborative and learning-oriented environment.
• Actively participate in weekly team meetings, client discovery conversations, internal and external project check-ins, and external learning opportunities.
• Maintain the highest quality information in the database, including the timely and rigorous capture of insight gathered during research.

SELECT PROFESSIONAL & PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• A minimum of 6 years’ professional work experience.
• A minimum of 3 years’ research-intensive experience, preferably in executive search; candidates with significant research experience in other types of management consulting and/or nonprofit research will also be considered.
• Technical training in information and library science or graduate-level academic research experience is a plus.
• Experience setting and executing multi-dimensional research strategies for consulting engagements.
• Experience conducting and leveraging search data analytics to drive the course of research work.
• Superior internet research skills coupled with the ability to think creatively; the ability to connect dots between people, organizations and ideas to make sense of and chart industry ecosystems.
• Ability to see the big picture but also work at the details level.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priority projects at once in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to synthesize complex information for a range of audiences.
• Superior verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
• Demonstrates responsiveness and an appropriate sense of urgency.

ABOUT PEARL STREET

Pearl Street is an award-winning, retained executive search and talent strategy firm serving the nonprofit, education, and healthcare sectors. Women-owned and led by a diverse group of talented professionals who are deeply committed to equity in search, Pearl Street disrupts traditional search dynamics by practicing radical empathy; listening and learning from others’ unique perspectives, lived experiences, and identities; and committing to transparency for all stakeholders. This purposeful approach informs every facet of Pearl Street’s comprehensive search process that identifies exceptional talent, builds real relationships, and delivers an unparalleled, values-driven service that honors the whole person. For three consecutive years, Women of Color in Fundraising & Philanthropy (WOC) has named Pearl Street one of the Top Search Firms for Women of Color; Hunt Scanlon has included the firm in their 2024 shortlists of top recruiters for nonprofits and higher education; and Forbes recognized Pearl Street in 2024 as one of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms.

TO APPLY

Visit www.pearlstreetcollective.com/positions/psc-src to learn more and apply.