Executive Search Partner

About the role

This role leads full-cycle executive search for C-suite, VP, and Director positions within a fast-growing public charter school network. The partner reports to senior leadership and acts as a market expert, strategist, and advocate to secure high-impact education leaders. You will own the end-to-end process of identifying, assessing, and closing top-tier talent for the most critical leadership positions in the organization. This includes managing the full spectrum of activities from initial requisition consultation to final offer negotiation and onboarding coordination. You will be expected to act as a trusted advisor to the Executive Leadership Team, providing strategic insight into talent markets and succession planning. The role demands a high level of ownership, requiring you to proactively identify risks and opportunities within the pipeline. You will be responsible for building and maintaining a robust network of passive candidates to ensure a steady flow of qualified prospects. Ultimately, this position is accountable for delivering a consistent stream of leadership-ready candidates who can drive organizational impact.

Key facts

What you'll do

Sourcing and closing candidates for C-suite, VP, and Director roles moves through research, outreach, and offer management.

Shaping leadership competency frameworks and designing data-driven sourcing strategies happens with the Executive Leadership Team.

Conducting comprehensive market mapping to identify active and passive talent pools across the education sector.

Developing and maintaining a strategic outreach plan to engage senior-level professionals who are not actively seeking opportunities.

Partnering with hiring managers to define and refine position requirements and success criteria for critical roles.

Evaluating resumes and portfolios to shortlist candidates who meet the stringent standards for executive-level positions.

Executing complex interview processes that include behavioral, situational, and technical assessments of leadership capabilities.

Building and leveraging a robust database of industry-specific contacts to support long-term talent acquisition goals.

Analyzing recruitment metrics to identify trends, optimize processes, and improve the quality of hire.

Representing the organization at industry events and career forums to enhance its employer brand among education leaders.

Collaborating with legal and human resources teams to ensure all hiring practices comply with local and federal regulations.

Preparing detailed candidate profiles and decision memos that highlight fit, potential, and cultural alignment.

Conducting thorough reference checks to validate past performance and leadership effectiveness.

Coordinating interview schedules and managing stakeholder expectations throughout the selection lifecycle.

Driving continuous improvement in the recruitment process by testing new methodologies and incorporating feedback loops.

Requirements

10+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience are required, with at least 5 years focused on executive search.

Prior experience in top-tier executive search firms is required.

Mastery of specialized executive sourcing and market mapping platforms is required.

Executive-level communication skills manage high-stakes negotiations and stakeholder engagement.

Functioning as a Strategic Talent Advisor to C-suite and senior leadership is required.

Work quality standards are exceptionally high, and continuous improvement is driven.

Data and competitive intelligence are leveraged to develop customized headhunting strategies.

A Bachelor's degree is required as a foundational credential for the role.

Candidates must have a proven track record of placing senior-level education leaders.

Practical notes

This role is based in New York and does not offer employment-based immigration sponsorship. Typical interview steps

Leadership hiring usually includes a strategy case, a people scenario, and a values conversation. Candidates may be asked to turn around a struggling team or plan for growth. Past results are examined closely, especially how decisions were made. Interviewers dig into specific decisions you made and their consequences. Preparing two or three decision stories with numbers and lessons is the best use of time.

Good to know

Roles in education leadership search require deep understanding of public charter school missions and constraints.

Executive search work relies on discretion, market knowledge, and relationship building at scale.

Data-driven decision making and continuous process improvement are central to high-volume, high-quality hiring.

Collaboration with executive teams is essential to align search strategies with organizational goals.

Technical proficiency in sourcing platforms supports efficient identification of passive candidates.

Clear communication skills are critical for managing sensitive, high-stakes negotiations with senior leaders.

Questions to ask

Good questions to ask the employer in the interview: what does success look like in the first six months, how is the team structured, what is the current biggest challenge, and how are decisions made. Asking about growth paths and the review process is also well received. Employers expect questions, and good ones show preparation.

Career growth

Leadership careers move from manager to senior manager, director, and executive roles. Each step adds more scope and more responsibility for outcomes. The best leaders keep learning how to delegate, communicate, and decide. Leadership careers reward a record of building and developing people. The higher you go, the more your communication shapes the whole organization.

About the company

Success Academy Charter Schools is hiring for Executive Search Partner. New York.