Job Description

Role Purpose:

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The Principal Consultant will be responsible for driving client engagement, delivery excellence and team performance, while building long-term relationships with clients and developing a high-performing search team.

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Key Responsibilities:

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1. Client Engagement

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- Build and manage strong, trusted relationships with key clients and senior stakeholders.
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- Understand client business, organisation and talent requirements deeply.
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- Lead client discussions, mandate briefings, progress reviews and candidate presentations.
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- Provide informed market, talent and compensation insights to clients.
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- Identify opportunities to deepen existing relationships and generate additional business.
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2. Delivery Excellence

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- Own the quality and timely execution of executive search assignments.
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- Define search strategy, target companies, candidate profiles and assessment criteria.
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- Review and challenge candidate mapping, shortlists and recommendations to ensure high standards.
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- Personally engage with critical candidates and key mandates where required.
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- Ensure a consistently high-quality candidate and client experience.
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3. Team Building & Management

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- Build, mentor and develop a high-performing team of consultants and researchers.
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- Allocate mandates effectively and establish clear ownership and accountability.
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- Coach team members on search methodology, candidate assessment, client management and professional communication.
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- Conduct regular performance reviews and provide constructive feedback.
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- Identify and develop high-potential team members for future leadership roles.
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4. Business & Practice Development

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- Contribute to growth of the assigned industry/functional practice.
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- Develop market intelligence, sector expertise and a strong professional network.
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- Support business development through client insights, referrals and identification of current opportunities.
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- Represent Catenon professionally at industry events and with senior stakeholders.
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Success Measures:

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- Client satisfaction, retention and repeat business
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- Quality and timeliness of search delivery
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- Successful completion of mandates
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- Candidate and client experience
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- Team productivity, development and retention
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- Growth of the assigned practice / portfolio
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Ideal Profile:

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- 8–15 years of experience in executive search, recruitment consulting or a related professional services environment.
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- Robust client-facing and stakeholder management skills.
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- Demonstrated ability to lead search assignments and manage teams.
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- Strong business acumen and understanding of senior talent markets.
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- Excellent communication, influencing and relationship-building skills.
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- Entrepreneurial mindset with a strong ownership orientation.
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- Ability to balance client leadership, delivery quality and people management.
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📌 Principal Consultant - Executive Search (Mumbai)
🏢 Catenon India
📍 Mumbai