Commercial Specialist, Executive Search Researcher

The Opportunity

Position Summary 

We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Commercial Specialist to join our Expert team supporting the U.S. market. In this dynamic role, you will collaborate with our teams of consultants and subject matter experts to drive business development efforts and support the growth of Consumer relationships across segments – Consumer Packaged Goods, Retail, Apparel, Luxury, Media, Entertainment, Sports & the broader Food chain. Key responsibilities include generating business development materials, conducting market research, managing project workflows, and maintaining knowledge assets. As a core member of the U.S. Commercial Center of Excellence, you will provide strategic insights and client engagement support to help deliver impactful human capital solutions.

The ideal candidate is a strong communicator and problem-solver with the ability to manage multiple priorities. This role reports primarily to the U.S. Consumer Research Leader, with additional reporting to the US Consumer Team Leader.

Practice Team Summary

At Egon Zehnder’s Consumer Practice, we have the unique privilege of collaborating with some of the world’s most iconic brands. In an era marked by disruption and escalating shareholder demands, the need for transformational leadership in consumer companies has never been more critical.

Our expertise lies in identifying and nurturing top-tier talent while fostering leadership development within organizations. With a team of over 150 seasoned consultants globally who hail directly from the consumer industry, we possess an insider’s understanding of the challenges our clients face. Over the past five years, we've successfully completed more than 6,500 assignments, including over 500 CEO searches, establishing ourselves as leaders in talent advisory, CEO succession, and C-suite assessment and coaching. With 67 offices around the globe, 15 in the US, we bring a wealth of diverse perspectives to the table, empowering us to deliver insights that matter.

The Commercial Specialist should bring relevant experience—or a strong interest—in engaging with senior executives and supporting business development at the highest levels. This includes creating materials, tools, and processes that enable consultants to expand and deepen client relationships across our firm’s Services. Success in this role requires a collaborative mindset and a proactive approach to sharing ideas, asking questions, and contributing to a culture of continuous improvement.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

Business Development  

• Provide creative pitch materials and outreach strategies to client facing teams with a consistent focus on quality and speed
• Create high-quality client documentation (e.g., pitch decks, scope of work/letter of proposal documents, pricing strategies, sample reports, etc.)
• Design and implement self-service tools and resources to streamline pitch development and execution, including standardized templates, pricing models, and customized materials.
• Lead and support business development initiatives by proactively tracking market trends, company developments, and executive movements to inform strategic outreach in collaboration with the Practice Team Leader, Research Leader and Market Analyst.
• Act as a partner with consultants to build targeted event lists for business development-related dinners, conferences, and other points of connection

Research & Project Planning 

• Build strong relationships and collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Serve as the Pre-Project (pitches & business development) Expert for multiple simultaneous projects in collaboration with Consultants and other members of the Research team
• Work with the market analyst to identify priority targets through market research, leveraging various data sources, and developing tailored, scalable business development solutions.
• Identify, calibrate and prioritize potential business development materials and solutions through a thorough research process, the internal Firm network and external resources
• Work broadly across different Firm offerings to continue developing a well-rounded understanding of our solutions to identify the best solutions for individual client needs

Knowledge Management 

• Support global knowledge management by sharing expertise, capturing best practices, and building a strong internal network within key segments or functions.
• Maintain and grow the US Consumer Practice’s regional Knowledge Base by sharing bespoke work product, generating new standard materials, and categorizing submitted materials.
• Develop an area of subject matter expertise, providing strategic guidance and high-quality insights on important trends and topics to support client teams 

Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree required
• A minimum of 3 years’ professional work experience (post-undergrad)
• Demonstrated functional experience of a similar nature (e.g., B2B sales, pitching, qualitative or legal research, professional services/consulting, project planning)
• Previous project-based experience working effectively on multiple mandates simultaneously
• Ability to effectively operate in a fast-paced, client-driven environment
• Exceptional critical thinking and analytical skills
• Proficient in MS Office, specifically PowerPoint
• Excellent verbal and written communication ability
• Demonstrates strong attention to detail

Preferred Qualifications 

• Affinity and interest in the Consumer market and/or professional services
• Superior engagement management abilities and initiative to lead projects with minimal guidance or supervision
• Demonstrated ability to push back constructively and offer solutions
• Forward-thinking, structured, and process-oriented thinker
• Proficient in Excel, Sharepoint administration
• Certified in Knowledge Management and/or Project Management
• Self-starter mentality with good business judgement

About Egon Zehnder  

Egon Zehnder is the world’s preeminent leadership advisory firm, inspiring leaders to navigate complex questions with human answers. We help organizations get to the heart of their leadership challenges and offer honest feedback and insights to help leaders realize their true being and purpose. 

We are built on a foundation that supports partnership in the truest sense of the word and aligns our interests with the interests of our clients. Our 560 consultants across 64 offices and 36 countries are former industry and functional leaders who collaborate seamlessly across geographies, industries and functions to deliver the full power of the Firm to every client, every time. 

We partner closely with public and private corporations, family-owned enterprises, and non-profit and government agencies to provide executive search, leadership solutions, CEO search and succession, and board advisory. 

We believe that together we can transform people, organizations and the world through leadership. 

Due to high volume, we will only be contacting applicants who meet all of the minimum requirements listed in the job description. Only those applicants who align most closely with our minimum and preferred qualifications will be contacted for an interview. The Recruiting team at Egon Zehnder will retain your application materials and may contact you regarding future opportunities.  

(The salary for this role is $85,000 - $95,000 USD annually.)