Graduate Researcher - #2087214

Executive Researcher (Graduate Opportunity)

Location: Birmingham City Centre (Hybrid Working)

SF Search Partners is a specialist executive search firm working with private equity-backed, high-growth, and established businesses to appoint senior leaders and critical hires.

We partner closely with investors and portfolio companies to help identify the leaders who drive transformation, growth and long-term success. Our work is research-led, insight-driven and highly consultative. We are looking for a bright, ambitious graduate who is curious about people, business and leadership, and wants to build a long-term career in executive search.

This is an opportunity to join a collaborative and high-performing team where you’ll gain exposure to senior business leaders, learn how executive search works from the ground up, and develop commercial and relationship-building skills quickly.

What You’ll Be Doing

As an Executive Researcher, you’ll support the delivery of executive and senior-level search assignments across a variety of industries.

You’ll learn how to:

• Conduct market mapping and research projects
• Identify and engage senior leadership and C-suite talent
• Build talent pipelines and competitor maps
• Speak with candidates and gather market insight
• Support Consultants throughout live search assignments
• Prepare candidate profiles and shortlist reports
• Track market trends and talent movements
• Build relationships with senior professionals over time

You’ll be given training, support, and mentoring from experienced search professionals while taking real ownership of projects from an early stage.

About You

We’re looking for someone who is:

• A recent graduate or early in their career
• Naturally curious and enjoys researching and problem-solving
• Confident in communicating with people
• Commercially minded and interested in business
• Organised with strong attention to detail
• Motivated, ambitious, and eager to learn
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment

You do not need previous executive search experience; we’re more interested in attitude, potential and communication skills. Previous experience in customer-facing, sales, research, sporting or leadership environments would be beneficial.

You’ll Gain

• Exposure to senior business leaders and PE-backed organisations
• Structured development within executive search
• Mentorship from experienced Consultants and Researchers
• Clear progression opportunities
• A collaborative and supportive culture
• Hybrid working in our Birmingham Office

Why SF Search Partners?

We combine the pace and ambition of a high-growth business with a genuinely people-focused culture. We’re passionate about delivering high-quality work, building long-term relationships and helping people develop successful careers.

If you’re ambitious, commercially curious, and looking for a career where no two days are the same, we’d love to hear from you.