Research Consultant (Executive Search)

We are a boutique executive search firm specialising in placing investment professionals into private equity, family offices, sovereign wealth funds and other investment institutions, as well as leadership talent into private equity-backed portfolio companies. We work with some of the most ambitious PE funds across Europe and MENA and their portfolio companies, delivering leaders who drive growth, transformation and value creation.

Your responsibilities

As a Research Consultant, you will be working directly on live search projects and work side-by-side with Senior Consultants and the company Founder from day one.

This role is designed for someone who wants to think, not just execute – someone who is curious about people, businesses and markets, and who enjoys building a narrative from fragmented information.

You will contribute both before mandates are signed on an initial research and throughout the entire delivery process, shaping how we understand markets and how we present talent to clients.

Your Responsibilities:

• Supporting consultants in building pitch materials: preliminary target company mapping, talent pool construction, sector trend analysis and competitor landscape.
• Tracking market signals: M&A, funding rounds, management moves and sector shifts.
• Building and maintaining proprietary FPP market maps and target company lists.

During Search Delivery:

• Conducting detailed market and candidate research for executive search mandates.
• Identifying, approaching and engaging mid and senior-level candidates.
• Maintaining high-quality CRM / ATS data with full GDPR compliance.
• Building long-term talent pools in key functional areas (Investment, Finance, Portfolio, C-suite).
• Writing concise, insight-driven candidate briefs that go beyond CVs and explain career logic, motivation and context.
• Supporting post-search reporting: who is in the market, who is accessible, and where real barriers exist.
• Additionally you will be the key person of contact for all the data related to compensation, career moves and competitors research.

Our requirements

• Advanced LinkedIn sourcing and research capability.
• Strong Excel / Google Sheets skills at analytical level.
• Ability to interpret financial statements and market reports at a basic but meaningful level.
• Fluent English
• You treat research as a craft, not a checklist.
• You are proactive – you question assumptions and suggest alternatives.
• You notice the small things in people’s careers and understand why they matter.
• You are naturally curious about business, investment logic and leadership decisions.
• You can turn complex mapping into a clear story that helps decision-makers.
• You are comfortable working independently in a small team where ownership is real, not theoretical.

Optional

• Previous experience in a research role within an executive search or retained search firm.

What we offer

• Competitive salary with performance-based progression bonus.
• Close mentorship from experienced executive search consultants.
• Steep learning curve across private equity, venture capital and growth investing.
• A culture built on trust, quality and intellectual rigour – not hard KPIs and micromanagement.
• The opportunity to grow into a senior consulting role over time

About Us

• First Point Partners is a boutique executive search firm specialising in placing investment professionals into private equity, family offices, sovereign wealth funds and other investment institutions, as well as leadership talent into private equity-backed portfolio companies.
• We work with some of the most ambitious PE funds across Europe and MENA and their portfolio companies, delivering leaders who drive growth, transformation and value creation.
• Built from the ground up, First Point Partners operates with a relentless focus on precision, impact and long-term partnerships. Our clients range from global private equity platforms to high-growth businesses navigating complex transitions - from CFO appointments to steer carve-outs, to Heads of Growth scaling tech platforms, to M&A leaders executing buy-and-build strategies.
• Our culture is entrepreneurial, intellectually demanding and highly collaborative. We believe in speed, precision and a deep understanding of the people behind the profiles, with rigorous research and storytelling forming the foundation of outstanding search execution.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From AED4,500.00 per month