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Saxton Bampfylde is a top UK search and leadership consulting firm with global reach and a modest mission to change the world, by changing leaders in interesting and important organisations.
Since our establishment in 1986, we have stayed true to our founding principles, namely our dedication to a uniquely diligent and thorough search process that is different from our competitors, and our commitment to providing the highest quality service when advising on board level roles for our clients. In 2014, Saxton Bampfylde became an employee-owned organisation. The business is held in trust for our Partners – currently a team of over 100 – with oversight from an employee-elected Trustee Board.
As well as placing leaders in interesting and important organisations, we challenge ourselves to find individuals from different backgrounds and experiences to join our team. We strive to build and maintain a workplace where each team member is listened to and feels they can contribute to their fullest. We value each other as individuals worthy of respect and care, and behave towards everyone with honesty, discretion, tolerance, and fair-mindedness. It is important to us to grow, support, and celebrate the diverse voices of all our Partners as an Employee-Owned Business. We have a fantastic book club, an enthusiastic choir, and a very active charity committee – having a strong culture is at the heart of who we are as a firm.
Our Partners are passionate about widening access, and using our skills and expertise to support others. In the past year, 51% of our placed candidates have been women, and 13% ethnically diverse. Our award-winning REACH mentoring programme supports Civil Service employees with disabilities in maximising their career potential. Our Partners also act as mentors for those from diverse backgrounds to help them attain Board roles through the OnBoard programme. We also support survivors of sex trafficking through a partnership with Strength & Stem – a social enterprise that seeks to give survivors the skills and training to find work in the UK.
The Researcher Role
Research is at the heart of what we do. Finding great leaders is tough and hugely rewarding work. Our research team is responsible for identifying and developing candidates and acting in support of business development activities through maintaining a broad, sector-oriented knowledge base. Research is primarily conducted through direct contact with potential candidates and sources on the telephone, and supported through tools such as our database, online research, and expert industry publications. We encourage Researchers to think creatively, and as a result have found much success in our cross-sector placements. Researchers think creatively and outside the box, and as a result we have a fantastic track record of making unexpected and exciting cross-sector moves – not just the usual suspects!
The role requires Researchers to plan and deliver on a project independently over a three-week period with the express aim of attracting and assessing suitable candidates. Unlike many other search firms, all our Researchers work across sectors and with all members of the consulting team. We can find ourselves searching for a Chair of a large commercial business one week, the Director of a national museum the next, and Director General of a large government department the following. Find yourself talking to some of the most interesting and influential people in the country. We work on one assignment at a time which allows us to really get to know a particular market, comprehensively mapping the space, uncovering and engaging the very best possible candidates.
The Research Team
We currently have a team over 30 researchers who have come to us via a range of career paths. Our team spans from recent graduates to ‘career researchers’ who have been in the business for over two decades. We are proud to welcome people from all walks of life. There are many and varied ways of moving through the firm, whether that is progressing to a consulting role – or growing into a world-class career Researcher. We are particularly proud of the fact that three of our current Directors joined the firm as Researchers , and 60% of our Practice Group Leaders began their careers with us in the Research team.
The Research team works across three primary locations, London, Edinburgh, and Guildford as well as employing experienced home-based workers. Despite this geographical spread, the team are a strong, collegiate group. We have a rigorous training programme to offer new starters, combined with regular conversations about your development, regardless of where you join us from. We offer the outstanding prospects you would expect from a top ten search firm.
Who we are looking for
We are looking for both recent graduates and people with prior experience to join our research team. You will need to be able to hold their own with leaders in an exceptionally broad range of sectors, and must be comfortable communicating on the telephone, in writing, as well as face to face.
In addition, you will have an empathy for others, will be intrigued by how businesses and organisations operate and what makes them tick, have a desire to work in a firmly team-based environment and the ability to convey ideas, as well as facts, succinctly and persuasively. Our Researchers are naturally inquisitive and enjoy learning about the world around them. From an early stage we give Researchers a great deal of responsibility and autonomy. Working within and with the support of your project team, we expect you to have a keen attention to detail, an ability to work under pressure to tight deadlines and a high level of self-motivation.
Partners work within a range of flexible working patterns – this includes parents, carers, and those pursuing further education.
