Associate Executive Search

Founded in Switzerland, Chaberton Partners has grown into an international executive search and leadership advisory firm, today present across Switzerland, Italy, Austria, France, Spain and Germany. We partner with leading organisations at the most senior levels, helping them identify, assess and secure the leaders who will shape their future. Our growth continues with the strengthening of our presence in Germany. As we build this next chapter, we are looking for an Associate to join our Research Team in Frankfurt and take on a central role in delivering executive search mandates across the wider DACH region. The Role This is a role for someone ready to operate close to the client and close to the market, and genuinely energised by an entrepreneurial context: joining us at a stage where the German office is still being built, with real room to help shape how we operate, rather than stepping into a fully established structure. Working along with Partners, and with real ownership from day one, the Associate is expected to: Shape and drive search strategy – bringing a sharp understanding of the client's business, competitive landscape and leadership needs to the design of each assignment, and taking responsibility for the pace and quality of execution Build relationships with senior executives – approaching, assessing and building relationships with executive and C-level candidates, forming an informed view of each individual well beyond their track record on paper Act as a trusted counterpart to the client – playing a visible role in the client relationship throughout the mandate, and at times serving as their first point of contact Build and project market expertise – developing a recognised point of view on specific industries or functions, reading trends ahead of the market, and feeding that intelligence into new business pitches and client conversations Own high-stakes deliverables – leading the preparation of the documents on which client decisions are made: search strategies, progress updates, candidate and reference reports What We Are Looking For Roughly 5 years of relevant experience , gained in executive search, research, consulting or another rigorous, client-facing and analytical environment Fluency in English and German ; additional languages are an advantage across our DACH mandates Sharp analytical judgement and the ability to distil complex market information into a clear, defensible point of view Polished written and verbal communication, with the gravitas to engage senior executives and clients directly Comfort in a build-phase, entrepreneurial environment – contributing to shaping how our German office and DACH mandate develop, rather than following an already-established playbook An ownership approach, intellectual curiosity, and the discipline to manage several demanding mandates in parallel Genuine energy for operating in a fast-moving, international and highly collaborative environment What We Offer A defined seat within a dedicated, firm-wide Research Team, with a structured career path and a genuine track to greater autonomy and client responsibility Direct exposure to senior client stakeholders and complex, cross-border search mandates from an early stage A culture built on rigour, transparency and collegiality, where feedback is frequent and growth is expected A front-row seat in our expansion, based in our Frankfurt office and connected to the wider Chaberton Partners network across Europe