Senior Researcher | Corporate Affairs | London | Odgers Berndtson Executive Search

About the Corporate Affairs team

The Corporate Affairs Practice is our fastest growing, functional search practice.

Led by Hannah Peech, the team works with some of the most high-profile clients in the UK, hand in glove with our international Corporate Affairs specialist teams in Washington, Dubai, Australia, Brussels and across Europe.
Searches are highly nuanced and culturally sensitive. This is a sector agnostic profession. Searches require the ability to think ‘beyond the brief’ and consider how individuals might thrive in different sectors and types of businesses with varied stakeholder groups. We cover the breadth of Corporate Affairs, from Executive Committee Leadership roles to specialist number two hires in the larger functions, spanning internal communications, government affairs, media relations, CSR, internal communications, policy and public affairs.

Our clients include FTSE 100 businesses, mid-cap, large private companies and the most high-profile roles in the wider public sector, including UK Government. We work closely with our leadership assessment team to design processes that provide scientist and relationship led assessment of professionals who will achieve for the businesses they are appointed to.
Alongside of search the Corporate Affairs team runs a busy schedule of events and engagement with the community of professionals in the UK and abroad. They also work closely with underrepresented groups to ensure that we can develop networks with the broadest most high potential talent in the UK.

Hannah has led the UK Corporate Affairs Practice for over ten years, having spent four years working in our not-for-profit practice, managing CEO and Board appointments. As a functional search practice, the corporate affairs team intersects across all sector teams across Odgers, working in partnership to ensure best understanding of the sector clients.

About the Opportunity

Research is at the heart of what we do. Our approach to creating non-transactional and highly engaged partnerships with our clients and candidates is a testament to our commitment to providing trusted service and advice.
The role of our Researchers is to identify, approach and assess candidates for the high-profile executive, non-executive & board appointments we work on, for our clients.

As a Senior Researcher within our Corporate Affairs team, not only will you be expected to actively define and carry out the search strategy following on from the client briefing, you will also be expected to know the functional space and have a reasonable understanding of the roles you’ll be working on.
Where appropriate, you will have the opportunity to attend client meetings, and lead on many elements of delivery and communication with clients – including preparing weekly client progress reports, illustrating the assignment landscape, and adapting/amending as the assignment develops.

The successful candidate may bring a strong track record and network in the Corporate Affairs space from within an Executive Search or Recruitment environment.

We are also happy to consider candidates with transferable knowledge and experience who are looking to make a lateral move into executive search from a role focused on communication, such as journalism, PR, or media.
Whichever professional background you join us from, you will be supported with ample training and development to succeed in your role.

At Odgers Berndtson, we all have different journeys. We don’t measure you against these. Instead, we look for the core characteristics that connect us and make us great.

Curiosity
You have a hunger for knowledge and a genuine interest in people, current affairs, and business.

Communication
You can speak and write clearly, confidently, and concisely with a range of people, from colleagues to industry influencers, and understand that listening is the most important part of communication.

Resilience
You are not afraid to try; if you make a mistake, you regroup, bounce back, and try again.

Collaboration & Teamwork
You enjoy working as part of a team, can build strong relationships, have your own opinions but can take on other people’s too.

Proactivity
You drive your destiny; don’t wait for things to come to you, but make things happen instead

Odgers Berndtson is one of the world’s leading Global Executive Search firms. Our reputation for excellence and integrity has been established over 50 years and we are a partnership-driven by the client, candidate, and employee experience. We function as trusted advisors to our clients and candidates and engage with a diverse range of leaders for the most influential roles across a wide variety of industries. The service we deliver is creative, insightful, and most importantly, in partnership; we pride ourselves on maintaining personal relationships.

At Odgers Berndtson, we are proud of our progressive, diverse, meritocratic, and collaborative culture where you will find support, training and career development working with colleagues striving for excellence in all they do. We are UK headquartered with colleagues across 33 countries specialising in over 50 sectors and functions. 

Hybrid Working

Our head office is in London and Ideally, this person will be based out of our London office or happy to commute in.
Our Hybrid working policy is based on the principles of empowerment, mutual trust, and flexibility, recognising that we work best when we make choices about when, where, and how we work. At the same time, we are reminded that time together is so important. We are a client-service business in which our relationships and our culture provide a significant advantage. Our offices remain critical to how we work; they are a place for collaboration, learning, and support and an anchor for the culture of which we are so proud.

We operate a hybrid working model which would typically see you spending a minimum of 2 days working from the office and the rest remotely.
Your work pattern will be reliant on business demands, and we would expect you to manage your time accordingly.

Odgers Berndtson is committed to continually improving the diversity of our workforce through the attraction, retention, and development of a diverse range of talented people. We want people to be comfortable bringing their whole selves to work and recognise that inclusion brings further opportunities for innovation and creativity.

We welcome all new employees to get involved by joining one of our Allies groups or simply being part of one of our many initiatives to help us promote Inclusion in our business. Our Inclusion & Diversity agenda is driven by our I&D Council and our Allies Programmes, and we celebrate our diversity each year with our ‘Unlimited Festival’.

As an equal opportunities’ employer, Odgers Berndtson is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination of any kind. We strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join our business, and we will support any requirements for reasonable adjustments

Sustainability

Modern businesses have a duty to be environmentally responsible and operate sustainably. We believe this represents not only sound commercial sense but also recognises our ethical responsibility to minimise the impact of our activities on the environment and to leave a positive legacy for future generations.

We have committed to, and set, science-based decarbonisation targets, and have received verification of these goals from the Science Based Targets initiative  (SBTi). These targets will hold us accountable to our sustainability strategy while enabling us to measure our progress. This is complemented by us continuing to provide sustainability insight to our clients and cultivating a track record within sustainable businesses and in placing sustainability leaders.

Corporate Social Responsibility

We take Charity seriously – but like to have fun too. Our CSR team are always thinking up new events and activities to get involved in and raise funds for our chosen charity British Heart Foundation. 

We also have a variety of social clubs and learning opportunities to suit everyone such as the Brunch and Learn Session, Odgers choir, the book club or one of the many sports clubs

Whats on offer?

A competitive base salary, supplemented by our benefits package and discretionary bonus

• 25 days Annual leave + 3 gift days for the Christmas closure + bank holidays
• Private Medical Insurance with Bupa and cash plan with Simply Health
• Group Company Pension
• Season Ticket Loan & Cycle to work scheme
• Give As You Earn
• Group Income Protection
• Group Life Assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Charity Day
• Wellbeing Programmes, support and speakers
• On-boarding, induction training and ongoing professional development
• Corporate member discounts and benefits available through Bupa and Simply Health including Gyms Discounts 

Applications

We are committed to ensuring everyone can access our website and application processes. This includes people with sight loss, hearing, mobility and cognitive impairments. Should you require access to these documents in alternative formats, need to apply in a different format or need any reasonable adjustments made for any interview please contact our Talent Team at careers@odgersberndtson.com 

If you have any comments and/or suggestions about improving access to our application processes, please don't hesitate to contact us at careers@odgersberndtson.com

Eligibility

You must be eligible to live and work in the UK