Executive Search Business Development Consultant (United States)

ProFound Executive Search is hiring part-time Executive Search Business Development Consultants to join our firm in a virtual, contract role. The role reports to ProFound's Founder and CEO.

About ProFound Executive Search

ProFound is a boutique executive search firm specializing in identifying exceptional leaders for nonprofits, foundations, corporations, and other mission-driven organizations. We conduct CEO, Executive Director, and C-suite searches.

Our work is informed by deep experience in governance, human resources, organizational leadership, and executive transitions, including succession planning, leadership development, and change management. We combine the rigor and high-touch service of executive search with a deliberate commitment to inclusive, accessible, and welcoming candidate experiences.

Our aspiration is to build one of the most trusted executive search firms in the U.S., known for the quality and depth of our executive network, our expertise in inclusive hiring practices, and the experience we create for clients and candidates.

We are particularly committed to elevating disability leadership at both the individual and systems levels: expanding access to executive opportunities, surfacing exceptional leaders with lived disability experience, and helping organizations across industries and sectors strengthen the inclusivity of their leadership and hiring practices.

Position Summary

We are seeking experienced business development professionals to help ProFound expand its client network and generate new executive search opportunities and strategic partnerships. This individual will bring an established professional network and the credibility to develop relationships with leaders who make or influence executive search decisions, including Board members and officers, CEOs, Executive Directors, and other senior executives.

This individual will identify prospective client organizations, coordinate initial contact for new relationships with ProFound's CEO, and generate qualified leads for ProFound's CEO to advance through the proposal and client engagement process. Priority markets include disability-centric and other mission-driven nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, healthcare and behavioral health organizations, and select corporate functions, including accessibility and technology.

This is not a transactional, high-volume cold-calling role. ProFound's approach to business development is relationship-driven and focused on building trusted connections over time. This individual will thoughtfully research prospective clients and initiate targeted outreach, in consultation with the CEO, to develop relationships and generate qualified opportunities. ProFound's CEO will lead formal pitches, proposals, and ongoing client engagement management.

This role is well suited for an accomplished professional who has developed a strong network over the course of their career, enjoys connecting with organizations’ decision makers, and is interested in leveraging those relationships to help grow a mission-driven executive search firm. The role offers significant flexibility and autonomy, with an opportunity to directly participate in and benefit from ProFound's growth.

Position Responsibilities

• Prospect Development: Identify and prioritize prospective organizational clients and their decision makers, to develop ProFound's target organization pipeline.
• Strategic Outreach: Conduct initial outreach to organizational prospects, in coordination with the CEO, including individual introductions, meetings, and potentially conferences and events.
• Market Intelligence: Help identify leadership transitions, executive vacancies, and other signals that may indicate current or future executive search needs.
• Client Expansion: Identify potential opportunities to deepen relationships with current and former ProFound clients.
• CRM Management: Maintain timely and accurate notes regarding prospective clients, outreach, and referrals within ProFound's CRM to support coordinated business development activity.
• Team Collaboration: Participate in periodic team meetings to develop and refine ProFound's business development methodology, target lists, goals, and processes.
• Brand Representation: Represent ProFound internally and externally with professionalism and in a manner consistent with the firm's values.

Time Commitment

This is a flexible, part-time role with a workload that will vary based on ProFound’s business development priorities and opportunities. The individual will have flexibility in determining when work is completed, while maintaining consistent business development activity, responding to prospective opportunities in a timely manner, and participating in select team meetings and external conversations as needed.

Location

This is a 100% remote role offering significant flexibility in where work is completed. Virtual meetings with prospective clients and other external stakeholders must be conducted from a professional, private, and distraction-free environment, with professional attention to appropriate attire, background, sound quality, and punctuality.

Compensation

This role features a performance-based compensation model tied to ProFound’s executive search volume. Compensation includes a defined percentage of contracted search engagement fees for searches originated by this role, creating earning potential that grows with the firm’s search volume.

Additional details regarding the compensation structure will be shared during the interview process.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sales, or a related field
• Experience in business development, relationship development, executive search, nonprofit leadership, or a related field
• Familiarity with executive search and the circumstances that lead organizations to engage an external search partner
• Established professional network that includes Board members, CEOs, Executive Directors, senior executives, or others who make or influence executive search and leadership hiring decisions
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with senior-level leaders and organizational decision-makers
• Experience identifying and developing new business opportunities, prospective clients, referral relationships, strategic partnerships, or similar opportunities
• Research skills, with the ability to identify and prioritize prospective organizations, decision-makers, relationship pathways, and relevant market opportunities
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the credibility to represent ProFound effectively with senior-level external stakeholders
• Discretion in managing professional relationships, prospective client information, and confidential or sensitive information
• Experience using a CRM or similar technology platform to document relationships, outreach, prospective opportunities, and follow-up activity
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise initiative, and consistently follow through on commitments with limited oversight
• Comfort operating in a small business or entrepreneurial environment where priorities and processes continue to evolve

Preferred Qualifications

• Existing relationships within one or more of ProFound’s priority markets, including disability-centric nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, healthcare and behavioral health organizations, or corporate accessibility
• Experience generating business for executive search or a similar professional services business
• Experience working with, serving on, or developing relationships with nonprofit Boards of Directors
• Experience developing referral networks and strategic organizational partnerships
• Familiarity with executive search and the circumstances that lead organizations to engage an external search partner
• Experience using research, technology, or AI-enabled tools to identify leadership transitions, executive vacancies, or prospective business opportunities
• Knowledge of disability inclusion and accessibility, with a preference for CPACC, WAS, CPWA, or similar certification

To express interest and learn more about the role from the ProFound team, please visit: