Executive Search Senior Associate, Healthcare and Life Sciences

​ Heidrick & Struggles is the world’s foremost advisor on executive leadership, driving superior client performance through premier human capital leadership advisory services. For more than 70 years, we’ve delivered value for our clients by leveraging unrivaled expertise to help organizations discover and enable outstanding leaders and teams. Learn more at  www.heidrick.com

Job Description:

What We Do

• Executive Search Senior Associates play a critical role in the execution of all facets of the executive recruiting lifecycle, from candidate identification to placement.  Working closely with our expert Search Partners & Principals (Consultants), Senior Associates build upon their existing professional skills in a hands-on environment and continue to receive world class mentorship and professional development in an apprenticeship-style method.  Our Senior Associates drive most aspects of the recruitment process, from developing the search strategy with the Consultant through managing its execution. Senior Associates also get exposure to business development activities.  The search process includes working with clients to develop position specifications; interviewing, and assessing prospective candidates and building a pipeline of qualified candidates for active searches meeting the client’s requirements; developing the candidate relationship; and candidate referencing. An integral part of a Senior Associate’s role is assisting with client relationship management, sustaining relationships with senior executives and guiding candidates through their recruitment journey.
• While learning the Search industry, Senior Associates invest significant time researching and learning about various industries, executive roles and functions, and do so in collaboration with colleagues across the globe. The Senior Associate role provides a great degree of visibility, significant responsibility and the opportunity for high impact with an excellent career track potential on a well-defined path.
• The Opportunity

This role is designed for individuals in the top decile of their peer group who seek a high-trajectory, apprenticeship-based career with early responsibility and direct exposure to senior executives and board-level talent.

Senior Associates operate at the center of the search process—owning workstreams, shaping strategy, and driving execution in fast-cycle, high-performance environments. The role requires a bias to action, strong judgment, and the ability to synthesize complex information quickly into insight and impact.

Role Responsibilities

Search Strategy & Execution

Partner with Consultants to design and execute differentiated search strategies.

Apply creative problem solving to identify non-obvious talent pools and develop unique approaches to market mapping.

Build and manage high-quality candidate pipelines with a focus on precision, speed, and insight.

Candidate Assessment & Client Delivery

Conduct rigorous, insight-driven interviews assessing capability, trajectory, motivations, and cultural fit.

Produce clear, structured, and high-judgment written assessments for client presentation.

Synthesize large volumes of qualitative and quantitative data into actionable recommendations.

Market Intelligence & Research

Develop deep insight into industries, companies, and leadership trends—particularly within life sciences and healthcare.

Generate differentiated perspectives that elevate client discussions beyond standard search execution.

Relationship Management

Build trusted relationships with senior executives and high-potential candidates.

Demonstrate strong emotional intelligence and the ability to accurately read, assess, and influence people.

Support client relationship management alongside Consultants.

Performance & Professional Standards

Operate with urgency, ownership, and accountability across multiple concurrent searches.

Deliver consistently high-quality work products under tight timelines.

Uphold the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, and confidentiality.

Basic Role Qualifications

4-6 years professional experience or a minimum of 3+ years of transferable recruiting experience.

Undergraduate BA/BS required, background in science, healthcare, or a related field preferred.

Early career success in high-performance environments with structured training and development.

Demonstrated creative problem solving in ambiguous environments.

Exceptional communication skills.

• Strongly Preferred Backgrounds
• Top-tier consulting firms (McKinsey, BCG, Bain)
• Investment banking or private equity
• High-growth operating roles (strategy, product, operations)
• Life sciences / healthcare companies
• Differentiating Attributes

Bias to action

• Intellectual curiosity and learning agility
• Personal drive and commitment to excellence
• High emotional intelligence and sound judgment
• Business acumen and financial literacy

What Success Looks Like

• Rapid mastery of search execution
• Trusted judgment with clients and candidates
• Delivery of differentiated insight
• Clear trajectory toward Consultant roles
• Preferred Role Qualifications

Prior experience in full life cycle recruiting in Executive Search, Contingent Search or In-House Talent Acquisition or other industry requiring applied sales and research skills strongly preferred.

Proven success simultaneously managing multiple projects and working across teams.

Experience targeting potential candidates and developing pitch materials.

Experience identifying market trends and researching information effectively through various channels.

Ability to analyze, organize and synthesize large volumes of information into insights.

Demonstrated skill in building and maintaining relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders.

Experience working with Salesforce or other CRM.

Pay Range Guidelines for this Position:

The salary range for this position is 100000 USD to 125000 USD. Compensation is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience and skills. In addition to your salary, Heidrick & Struggles offers discretionary bonuses (subject to eligibility requirements) and a comprehensive benefits package including: medical, dental, vision, disability leave, parental leave, paid time off and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements).

Note: we have a location based compensation structure; there may be a different range for candidates in other locations.

Qualified consultants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for this opportunity in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Heidrick & Struggles is committed to providing reasonable accommodations and/or adjustments during our recruitment process. If you are selected for an interview and require an accommodation and/or adjustment, please inform your Talent Acquisition professional.