Head of Executive Acquisition

Description We are seeking a highly skilled and networked Head of Executive Acquisition to lead and deliver end-to-end search mandates for senior and executive-level positions across our business. This role requires a blend of strategic consulting, deep market mapping, superior stakeholder management, and flawless delivery execution. You will be responsible for driving leadership hiring across multiple business functions while serving as a trusted advisor to senior executives and hiring leaders. You should be comfortable navigating complex organizations, influencing decision-making, and managing searches that demand confidentiality, precision, and agility. Specific Role Responsibilities 1. Executive Search Strategy & Delivery Lead end-to-end executive search assignments for senior and leadership roles (CXO -2 and above). Partner with senior business leaders and HR Business Partners to define role requirements, success profiles, and key competencies. Develop comprehensive search strategies including target company lists, competitor mapping, and talent sourcing plans. Execute proactive research and talent identification through multiple channels — networks, direct sourcing, referrals, and digital platforms (LinkedIn, industry databases, alumni networks, etc.). Deliver high-quality long lists, shortlists, and candidate insights reports to hiring leaders. Manage the candidate experience meticulously — from first contact to offer closure, ensuring discretion and professionalism. 2. Stakeholder & Advisory Role Serve as a trusted advisor to senior executives, providing market intelligence, benchmarking, and strategic hiring advice. Partner closely with the C-suite, ExCo members, and HR leadership to align talent acquisition strategies with organizational goals. Act as a consultative partner — challenge assumptions, advise on role design, and guide hiring managers on talent trade-offs and fit. Facilitate structured interview debriefs and support decision-making with data-driven insights. 3. Market Intelligence & Talent Insights Conduct ongoing market mapping to identify top leadership talent in the industry. Maintain deep functional and market expertise within assigned verticals (e.g., Technology, Product, Risk, Finance, Marketing, etc.). Generate talent pipelines and succession plans for critical roles to support business continuity. Provide regular insights on compensation trends, leadership movement, and competitor hiring patterns. 4. Process & Operational Excellence Ensure search process rigor — maintaining high-quality documentation, reporting, and CRM hygiene. Use data analytics to track and report search progress, conversion ratios, and time-to-fill metrics. Partner with internal teams (TA Operations, Rewards, Legal, etc.) for seamless onboarding and offer management. Uphold confidentiality, compliance, and ethical recruitment practices at all times. 5. Employer Branding & Candidate Advocacy Represent the company as a brand ambassador to senior external talent. Proactively articulate the company’s value proposition, growth story, and leadership culture. Build and nurture relationships with executive networks, industry associations, and senior professionals. Experience required 10+ years of talent acquisition experience, with at least 5 years in executive search (in-house or retained search firm). Proven success in hiring for leadership roles (CXO / CXO-1 / function heads) across multiple business domains. Experience in high-growth industries such as Financial Services, FinTech, Technology, or Consulting is highly desirable. Strong understanding of organizational dynamics, leadership assessment, and talent mapping methodologies. Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills — with the ability to engage senior executives confidently. Demonstrated networking ability with access to relevant talent pools and industry contacts. Familiarity with psychometric assessment tools, interview frameworks, and leadership evaluation techniques is a plus. Core Competencies Strategic thinking with operational excellence Business acumen and market awareness Executive presence and credibility Data-driven decision-making High integrity and confidentiality Relationship building and stakeholder influence Strong written and verbal communication Agility and adaptability in a dynamic environment Success Measures Time-to-fill for senior/executive roles Quality of hire and retention metrics Hiring leader satisfaction and feedback scores Strength of talent pipeline and bench readiness Market insights delivered to business leadership About FNZ FNZ is a global FinTech firm, transforming the way financial institutions serve their wealth management customers. We partner with banks, insurers and asset managers to help people achieve their financial goals through our unique combination of technology leadership, innovation and asset servicing. Our services enable our clients to provide best-in-class wealth management solutions to financial advisers, end-investors and the workplace. We pride ourselves on creating solutions that are flexible, transparent and scalable, reflecting the latest market, demographic and regulatory trends worldwide. FNZ has experienced exceptional growth in the past decade, both in terms of assets-under-administration and also through the substantial expansion of our international footprint. Today, we are responsible for over £2 trillion in assets-under-administration, held by around 24 million customers of some of the world’s largest financial institutions, including Aviva, Barclays, BNZ, Generali, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, National Australia Bank (NAB), Quilter, Santander, UOB, Vanguard, and Zurich. In total, FNZ partners with over 650 financial institutions across Europe, Asia Pacific, South Africa and North America and we employ around 7000 people worldwide. The company is owned by a combination of CDPQ-Generation, the unique sustainable equity partnership and FNZ employee shareholders. Why join us Be part of a highly successful, rapidly growing, global business that is leading the delivery of financial services via cloud computing and partners with some of the world’s largest companies; Remuneration and career advancement is based on individual contribution and business impact rather than tenure or seniority; We provide significant financial rewards for high performing individuals; and We provide global career opportunities for our best employees at any of our offices in the UK, EU, US and APAC.