POSITION SUMMARY McCarthy is seeking a Director of Executive Search to lead and elevate our executive hiring capability across the enterprise. This role will own the full lifecycle of executive recruiting, including search strategy, market mapping, candidate development, requisition leadership, executive stakeholder engagement, offer management, and hiring outcomes.
This leader will build and scale a small, high-impact executive search function that partners closely with senior leaders to deliver a strong client/customer experience. The Director of Executive Search will also be responsible for shaping an executive hiring strategy aligned to broader talent, leadership, and succession planning priorities, ensuring McCarthy is proactively building long-term pipelines of top industry talent.
This is a player-coach role requiring both strategic leadership and hands-on execution. The ideal candidate brings deep executive search expertise, strong executive presence, exceptional stakeholder management, and a proven ability to attract and close senior-level talent in competitive markets.
RESPONSIBILITIES- Own the end-to-end executive recruiting process for senior leadership and executive-level roles across McCarthy
- Build and lead McCarthy's executive search strategy, aligning executive hiring priorities with talent planning and succession planning efforts
- Develop and scale a small executive search function, including processes, tools, operating rhythms, and service standards
- Serve as a hands-on search leader who personally drives executive requisitions, candidate strategy, sourcing, assessment, and closing activities
- Create and execute proactive market research and talent intelligence strategies to identify and track top executive talent across target industries and competitors
- Build long-term executive talent pipelines through thoughtful outreach, relationship-building, and sustained candidate engagement over time
- Partner closely with senior executives, HR leaders, and hiring managers to define role requirements, candidate profiles, search strategies, and hiring timelines
- Deliver a polished, high-touch internal client experience, including executive candidate slate presentations, market insights, search updates, and sourcing strategy recommendations
- Prepare and present executive talent market data, benchmarking, and competitive insights to support hiring decisions
- Manage candidate and requisition activity with strong discipline, accuracy, and executive-level communication throughout the search lifecycle
- Lead and support high-level compensation discussions, offer strategy, and closing conversations for executive candidates
- Ensure a premium candidate experience that reflects McCarthy's brand and values, especially for highly targeted and relationship-driven searches
- Influence and improve executive hiring processes, governance, and stakeholder alignment to increase effectiveness and consistency
- Coach and develop team members as the function grows, while maintaining direct ownership of critical searches and stakeholder relationships
QUALIFICATIONS- Bachelor's degree required
- 10+ years of progressive experience in executive recruiting or executive search
- Significant experience leading executive-level searches with demonstrated success owning complex, high-visibility requisitions
- Prior experience in a top-tier executive search firm strongly preferred
- Demonstrated experience building or scaling small teams, processes, and operating models in executive recruiting or search environments
- Strong expertise in executive talent market mapping, research, candidate development, and long-cycle relationship management
- Proven ability to align recruiting strategy with broader talent planning and succession planning priorities
- Experience managing executive candidate pipelines, requisition workflows, search reporting, and stakeholder communication with a high degree of rigor
- Strong capability in executive candidate assessment, slate development, and search strategy consultation
- Experience leading compensation, offer negotiation, and executive closing discussions
- Exceptional stakeholder management skills with the ability to build trust and credibility with senior leaders
- Polished executive presence with strong written, verbal, and presentation skills
- Ability to operate strategically while also executing at a high level in a hands-on, player-coach capacity
- Experience in construction, engineering, or professional services environments preferred
The successful candidate will be:
- A strategic and hands-on executive search leader
- Highly credible with executives and capable of operating with discretion and sound judgment
- Skilled at building relationships with passive executive talent over extended periods of time
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity and creating structure where processes are still being built
- Analytical and consultative, with the ability to translate market data into actionable hiring insights
- Detail-oriented and operationally strong in managing executive requisitions and candidate progress
- Service-oriented, with a commitment to creating a best-in-class experience for both internal stakeholders and candidates
This role will play a critical part in strengthening McCarthy's leadership pipeline and executive hiring outcomes. By building a more proactive, market-informed, and high-touch executive search capability, the Director of Executive Search will help ensure McCarthy can identify, attract, and secure the leadership talent needed for long-term success.
