4 Executive Leadership jobs in the United Kingdom

Partner track: a co-owned firm for experienced professionals ready to build something lasting

A Structurally Different Firm

Philanthrope LLP is a cooperative executive search and leadership advisory firm, where co-ownership creates continuity, accountability, and deep client investment. We are trusted by investors, B Corps, and boards who want leadership decisions to serve the long term. Our consultants are co-owners, with a direct say in governance and a share in profits. Clients benefit from a stable, accountable team invested in long-term outcomes, not short-term transactions. We work with values-led organisations, from B Corps to responsible investors, to appoint and develop leaders who align purpose with performance and culture with governance.

Our approach combines a structured, five-stage search process with behavioural insight, co-ownership, and shared accountability, ensuring a rigorous, human-centred experience from role definition through integration. We don’t just fill roles. We help shape leadership that builds culture, serves stakeholders, and delivers lasting value — whether by strengthening board succession, aligning leadership with values, or supporting scale without losing integrity.

As a co-owned partnership, we operate with transparency, rigour, and integrity. Influence and value are shared, not concentrated. Members shape strategy, share profits, and take part in decisions that guide the future of the firm.

If you are serious about the craft but question the industry’s incentives, if you want to grow something principled, not just personal, this is a rare opportunity to help build a firm designed for long-term trust.

The Role

This is an opportunity to join Philanthrope at a thoughtful and purposeful stage in our development. We have strong client momentum, a growing portfolio of retained mandates, and a team committed to careful, long-term growth.

As Principal, you will lead retained C-1 search mandates and advise on high-stakes C-suite transitions. Just as importantly, you will help shape how we evolve — through systems, standards, and culture.

You will work across all aspects of the firm: delivery, design, and development. One day, you might build a psychometric evaluation brief. The next, draft governance diagnostics for a client. Then mentor a Consultant, contribute to a white paper, or refine our revenue attribution model.

This is a high-trust, high-autonomy role, ideal for someone who wants to do serious, meaningful work in a collaborative environment. You’ll often be engaged before a formal search begins, helping clients define leadership needs, assess organisational risk, and align stakeholders around the right decisions.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead search : Manage C-1 mandates from start to finish and support complex C-suite transitions.
• Build intellectual property : Shape frameworks, write thought pieces, and develop proprietary methods.
• Develop the firm : Improve systems, methodology, business development, and team capability.
• Contribute broadly : Mentor consultants, co-design client diagnostics, or refine our profit-sharing model.
• Act like a partner : Share insight, uphold quality, and help steward a firm you co-own.

Who You Are

You are a thoughtful, experienced professional who values substance over style and wants to do work that matters.

• You bring serious retained search experience at Principal or Partner level. Whether you are already established or ready to step into that level, we support progression with structure and trust.
• You think systemically about leadership, organisations, and value creation.
• You’ve advised boards, earned trust, and delivered in high-stakes contexts.
• You care about governance, culture, and long-term outcomes, not just placement.

You may not think of yourself as a salesperson, especially if you’re tired of transactional targets, narrow KPIs, or credit battles that reward noise over substance. Our growth is rooted in long-term relationships, not pressure-based origination. But you care deeply about trust, quality, and helping clients get leadership right. If you’ve ever thought, “I love the work, but not the industry,” this could be your next step.

What We Offer

• Co-ownership from day one : Every Principal becomes a cooperative member with a stake in governance, profits, and long-term direction.
• Progression with influence : Advancement brings a genuine voice in strategy and model design, not just a new title.
• Revenue-linked earnings : Remuneration is structured around attributable revenue, ensuring clarity and fairness. You are rewarded not just for origination, but for meaningful delivery, evaluation, and engagement.
• Profit share and strategic voice : You share in firm-wide profits and have a say in how we grow — structurally and financially.
• Autonomy and impact : You help shape both client outcomes and the firm’s evolution — structurally and culturally.
• Psychologically informed evaluation : Our approach combines behavioural science, narrative-led assessments, and AI-supported research, enabling us to assess leadership potential in context, not just credentials on paper.
• A serious but human culture : Grounded, flexible, and intellectually ambitious, without bravado or bureaucracy.

This is a home for thoughtful consultants who want to do the best work of their careers without compromising their values.

How to Apply

We don’t scale fast. We scale well, focusing on meaningful growth, long-term partnerships, and refining our model with every new engagement.

If you care as much about how a firm works as what it delivers, and want to build with people who share your standards, get in touch via LinkedIn or email

Feel free to include a short note on:

• What kind of leadership you believe the future needs
• Where you see search, or yourself, going next

What Makes Us Different

• Co-ownership over commission
• Insight over heuristics
• Leadership ecosystems over placements

If that resonates, we’d love to hear from you.

• Manage complex calendars and schedule appointments for senior executives.
• Coordinate and prepare materials for meetings, including agendas and minutes.
• Handle all forms of executive correspondence, including emails and calls.
• Arrange and manage domestic and international travel itineraries.
• Prepare reports, presentations, and other documents as required.
• Conduct research and gather information for various projects.
• Manage confidential information with the utmost discretion.
• Act as a liaison between executives and internal/external stakeholders.

• Proven experience as an Executive Assistant or in a similar administrative support role.
• Exceptional organizational and time-management skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• High level of discretion and confidentiality.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Proactive approach and strong problem-solving abilities.
• Experience with remote work tools and platforms is desirable.