Senior Recruitment Consultant/Principal Consultant

We are expanding our presence in Abu Dhabi and seeking an experienced, high-performing team members to drive growth across our Real Estate and Financial Services (FS) verticals.

This is a 360-degree role designed for a proven recruiter with direct market knowledge of Abu Dhabi. You will be responsible for originating client relationships, leading strategic pitch meetings, and executing end-to-end mandates—from C-suite and senior leadership headhunting to technical mid-to-senior placements across the GCC.

Key Responsibilities

1. Business Development & Account Origination

• Client Acquisition: Prospect, map, and acquire new corporate clients across Abu Dhabi's key ecosystems, including government/semi-government master developers, private real estate firms, investment houses, private equity funds, sovereign funds, and financial institutions.
• Strategic Pitching: Lead high-level client meetings, pitch capability decks, and negotiate terms of business (retained search, exclusive contingent, and advisory fee structures).
• C-Suite Advisory: Serve as a trusted advisor to C-suite executives, HR Directors, and Talent Acquisition leads, providing ongoing insights on market compensation, talent availability, and sector hiring trends.
• Relationship Management: Build and nurture long-term strategic relationships to secure repeat mandates and preferred supplier agreements (PSL)

2. Search Execution & Delivery Excellence

• Mandate Ownership: Take full ownership of search mandates, managing the candidate lifecycle from briefing to post-placement integration.
• Proactive Sourcing: Conduct headhunting, direct search, and mapped market outreach to engage passive, high-caliber candidate pools across local and international markets.
• Assessment & Evaluation: Conduct rigorous behavioral and technical interviews to assess candidate suitability, cultural alignment, and strategic fit for senior-level mandates.
• Offer & Onboarding: Manage multi-stage client interview processes, candidate feedback loops, offer negotiations, and resignation/counter-offer advisory.

3. Practice Building & Market Intelligence

• Market Mapping: Maintain up-to-date mapping of the Abu Dhabi Real Estate (development, asset management, capital markets) and Financial Services (corporate finance, private wealth, private equity) landscapes.
• Industry Presence: Establish a personal brand as an industry specialist by attending high-profile Abu Dhabi real estate and investment networking forums.
• Opportunity Tracking: Track key industry movements, deal announcements, and organizational restructures to identify emerging hiring needs before they are publicly listed.

Candidate Profile & Required Qualifications

• Abu Dhabi Market Experience: Minimum 5 years of active, hands-on recruitment experience within the Abu Dhabi market (agency background strongly preferred).
• Sector Background: Proven track record delivering recruitment solutions specifically within Real Estate (e.g., Development, Project Management, Sales & Strategy, Asset Management) and/or Financial Services (e.g., Banking, Private Equity, Asset Management, Wealth Management).
• Proven 360 Track Record: Demonstrated history of acquiring new client accounts and consistently achieving personal revenue/billing targets in the UAE.
• Executive Presence: Strong command in client-facing environments with the confidence to advise C-level executives, negotiate commercial terms, and pitch complex search solutions.
• Communication & Network: Exceptional verbal and written English communication skills; existing local network of candidate and client contacts within Abu Dhabi.
• Language Skills: Proficiency in Arabic is an advantage, though not mandatory.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Financial Target: Consistent quarterly revenue generation and fee billing against agreed targets.
• Client Acquisition: Number of new client meetings secured, terms signed, and active mandates brought in monthly.
• Execution Metrics: Conversion rate from submission-to-interview (target: >60%) and shortlist-to-placement ratio.
• Delivery Speed: Maintaining a high standard for time-to-shortlist (target: 7–10 days for executive briefs)

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: Competitive base salary commensurate with market experience in Abu Dhabi.
• Incentive Structure: Tiered, uncapped monthly/quarterly commission structure with strong split incentives on high-margin mandates.
• Career Path: Clear progression path to Practice Director / Head of Abu Dhabi Office based on fee targets and leadership contribution.

Ready to take ownership of a high-growth desk in Abu Dhabi Submit your application directly to [Confidential Information] or DM for a confidential conversation.