Search Consultant (Marketing and Development Focus)

Compensation

$80,000-95,000 annually

Reports to: Vice President, Executive Search

Direct Reports: N/A

Internal Collaborators: President, VicePresidents, Director of Search Operations & Community, Search Associates

External Collaborators: Executive Search Clients, Applicants/Candidates, Applicant Referral Sources, Industry Associations

Compensation: Salary of $80,000-95,000 annually (paid monthly), plus opportunity for annual bonus based on performance and overall company success at year-end; business development bonus opportunity also to be considered.

Benefits: All TOCG staff receive generous paid time off. TOCG participates in a PEO that offers health, dental, 401k with automatic employer contribution after 90 days, and more.

Timeline: As soon as possible, ideally Q2 2023

FLSA Status: Full-Time, Non-Exempt (remote/work-from-home)

About the Opportunity

TOCG seeks a Search Consultant to carry out searches on behalf of our arts and culture clients, primarily focused on roles in Marketing and Development. Reporting to the Vice President of Executive Search, the Search Consultant will initially co-lead searches with the President and Vice President to ensure supportive onboarding and alignment with TOCG practices and values, and will eventually serve as the primary lead on Marketing and Development searches in collaboration with the Search Operations team, including the Director of Search Operations & Community and Search Associates. In addition to TOCG’s Executive Search offerings, our Consulting and Strategy team works with a variety of arts and culture clients to provide marketing and strategic planning services, and there is possibility to work across these projects as well, bandwidth permitting. While this is not contained in the formal job duties below, please note any interest in this type of work in your materials.

This is a prime opportunity for a Marketing or Development professional who has worked in the arts administration field, preferably in a hiring capacity, or in the recruiting/executive search field—but regardless of background, a passion for the arts and belief in its power to strengthen individuals and communities is essential. The successful candidate will have an ability to understand the nuances and needs of each specific role we are hiring, and then practice discernment in the identification of appropriate candidates, all while having an eye for potential and possibility in the arts workforce.

As with all TOCG roles, the position is full-time remote with occasional in-person meetings required in New York City at company expense.

About the Company

Tom O’Connor Consulting Group, LLC was founded in 2015, and is a New York City-based consultancy for arts and cultural institutions and leaders, offering two integrated services: organizational strategy and executive search, each guided by a seasoned team of arts professionals. Our clients represent a full range of artistic genres, budget categories, business models, geographies, and cultural contexts. What unifies them is that they are all mission-driven organizations building community through arts and culture. We share their passion. Our Executive Search offerings originally began focused exclusively in Marketing and Audience-centric roles, and have since expanded to include Executive Leadership, Development, Artistic, Operations, HR/People and Culture, and other related areas.

As for our team, we are a growing startup made up of high-performing, passionate, collaborative, and kind individuals, and seek someone who identifies with these attributes and brings new ideas and perspectives. Our company is fully distributed and remote (with our President Tom O’Connor based in New York City and our VP of Executive Search Cynthia Fuhrman based in Portland, Oregon), and prioritizes frequent virtual collaboration for cohesion, shared learning, and comradery. We gather in-person as a full team at least annually. Importantly, we work very hard and care deeply about what we do, but whether considering potential clients or potential team members, we prioritize kindness and generosity, and do not abide the brand of ambition that manifests as disrespect or ruthless individualism. We mean that. Read more about our company and our team at www.tomocgroup.com.

Duties and Responsibilities

Executive Search Client Relations (40%)

• Lead retained search engagements for arts and cultural organizations in areas to primarily include (but not limited to) Marketing and Development/Fundraising; direct experience working within one or more of these areas is strongly preferred, and candidates’ specific areas of domain expertise will be considered in determining client portfolio and ongoing focus
• Facilitate client/hiring manager meetings to establish search priorities, provide status updates, seek feedback on candidate pools, and advise on interview and hiring protocols
• Regularly report to clients on search progress, and provide direct, constructive feedback on search criteria and expectations for candidate profiles

Candidate Relations (40%)

• Continually expand and activate the TOCG network of arts and culture professionals (and those interested in entering the industry) to foster robust and diverse candidate pools for each of our searches
• Evaluate applicant materials and conduct frequent candidate interviews, providing feedback that is transparent, constructive, and kind
• Provide updates to candidates at various search stages, including advancement notifications to successful candidates and empathic delivery of unpleasant news to candidates not advancing
• Negotiation of employment offers within the terms approved by the client
• Continuously pursue opportunities to build cultural responsiveness for yourself and the team, as well as embed the values of DEIA and Anti-Racism in all search practices
• Seek opportunities to diversify the arts and culture workforce through continual network expansion, advocacy for arts careers, and championing of rising arts leaders
• Utilize TOCG applicant tracking system (currently RecruiterFlow) to maintain clean and robust candidate records and streamline internal and client-facing processes
• Draft client- and public-facing search related documents, including position profiles, strategy documents (with support from the Director), and candidate assessment briefs

Marketing & Business Development (10%)

• Stay abreast of industry developments to identify prospective clients and potential search engagements
• Provide support in gathering material for periodic newsletters, company social media channels, and company podcast
• Craft periodic original content for the TOCG website in your areas of domain expertise
• Document business development prospects and contact with Hubspot, TOCG’s CRM system of record; training provided

Personal & Career Advancement (10%)

• Pursue learning opportunities to expand your skills and improve company processes and systems
• Approachchallengingtasksthatwillservecompanygoalswhilepushingyououtofyour comfort zone
• Continually set measurable goals for your own performance, and increase your aptitude with giving and receiving feedback; all employees receive two formal performance reviews per year, but feedback in all directions is an ongoing expectation

Qualifications and Requirements

• Kindness, confidence, and a generous spirit
• A commitment to the principles of DEIA and Anti-Racism, and an appetite for continual reflection at the personal, company, and process levels
• Excellent relationship building skills, and a genuine interest in the success of others
• An ability to confidently and respectfully engage in constructive disagreements, acknowledging that conflict is a healthy part of sound decision making
• 5+ years working in either the arts and culture field or not-for-profit executive search field, with direct experience with hiring
• Excellent time management abilities and desire to work in a remote setting. We are a small, fast-paced company with very high standards of excellence, but one that also respects and encourages work-life balance and appropriate boundary setting with all stakeholders.
• Familiarity with and passion for the arts, and a strong desire to pursue a career within the arts and culture industry
• Exceptional written communication and organizational skills required, including proficiency in all major Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Powerpoint), Google Workplace/Drive, and videoconference platforms; Slack and Hubspot also preferred, but not required
• High attention to detail absolutely required

Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Research shows that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria. Yet, women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend to only apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply.

We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you’re new to arts & culture administration, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or take the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar.

Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in the arts & culture space and what you hope to bring to this role.

Application Instructions

The deadline for this position is May 31, 2023. Please submit materials on or before that date for consideration. We are moving expeditiously and would like for this role to begin as soon as possible.

Interested applicants should apply here. Please indicate in your cover letter how you learned of this opportunity, your geographic location, any specific timing considerations, and confirmation of your understanding of the published salary range. No phone calls, please. Finalists may be asked to complete a written and/or verbal communication assignment with compensation for time spent.

Tom O’Connor Consulting Group, LLC is committed to diversity in all hiring, both internally and on behalf of search clients. Applicants from populations historically excluded from the arts and culture industry are strongly encouraged to apply.