Research Associate, Talent Acquisition

Who We Are

ghSMART is a premier leadership advisory firm, partnering with CEOs, boards, and investors to solve critical leadership and talent decisions. With over 30 years of experience, we help influential leaders and organizations build winning leadership teams and amplify positive impact. Consistently ranked top in industry surveys and featured in Forbes, ghSMART fosters an entrepreneurial, collaborative culture focused on innovation and client success. Our team of nearly 200 extraordinary individuals across the U.S., Europe, and APAC serve as trusted advisors, doing meaningful work every day.

What You’ll Do as a Research Associate, Talent Acquisition

We are seeking a high-caliber Research Associate, Talent Acquisition to support our global consultant hiring efforts. This in-house, search-caliber role combines market mapping, talent intelligence, and insight generation with structured first-round candidate conversations. You will collaborate closely with the Talent Acquisition & People team, consultants, Partners, and Hiring Committees, becoming an internal "go-to" resource for relevant talent markets, role archetypes, and geographies. You will develop deep familiarity and calibration over time, providing continuity, insight, and perspective across multiple hiring initiatives.

Success requires intellectual curiosity, executive presence, and structured, insight-oriented thinking, along with the ability to synthesize large volumes of information into clear, decision-ready perspectives. You'll exercise sound judgment and pattern recognition, collaborate effectively with senior stakeholders, and operate comfortably in high-stakes hiring decisions where rigor, discretion, and clarity materially influence outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Market Mapping & Talent Intelligence: Conduct market mapping, organizational analysis, and competitive research to identify talent, inform hiring strategy, and build long-term pipelines. Formulate and execute research-driven sourcing strategies to proactively identify, engage, and approach high-quality, diverse candidate pools across priority markets and roles. Develop deep familiarity with assigned talent markets, serving as a trusted internal expert. Ensure candidates are market-validated, systematically capturing and synthesizing insights.
• Candidate Assessment & Hiring Support: Conduct structured first-round screening interviews with experienced candidates, assessing fit, trajectory, and judgment. Produce clear, insight-driven candidate summaries and research briefs for internal stakeholders and Hiring Committees. Support the full internal hiring lifecycle, from role calibration and market research through candidate evaluation and decision support.
• Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing: Work closely with consultants, Partners, and People-team colleagues to calibrate profiles, align priorities, and refine hiring strategy. Clearly articulate ghSMART’s value proposition in candidate conversations, tailoring messages. Collaborate across regions to leverage global perspectives, share market insights, and maintain consistent assessment standards. Maintain high-quality documentation for long-term institutional knowledge.

You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree from a respected institution required; advanced degree (MBA, MA, etc.) preferred.
• Approximately 2–4 years of experience in executive search, in-house recruiting, consulting, or other research-intensive professional services roles.
• Demonstrated strength in primary and secondary research, market mapping, and insight synthesis.
• Preferred experience using LinkedIn Recruiter and other market intelligence, research, and contact-enrichment tools (e.g., ATS platforms such as Lever; ZoomInfo, Lusha, RocketReach, or similar).
• Excellent written and verbal communication, engaging senior internal stakeholders and experienced candidates with confidence and professionalism.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, global environment.
• Strong analytical skills, sound judgment, and discretion.

Why join ghSMART?

At ghSMART, you contribute to meaningful impact daily by helping top leaders build talented teams. You'll join an exceptional team united by excellence and generosity, collaborating with brilliant colleagues who challenge and support you. Enjoy the freedom to shape a career with purpose, supported by flexibility and a flat organizational structure that values proactivity. ghSMART is consistently ranked #1 or #2 in 10 Consulting categories by Vault and highly rated on Glassdoor, reflecting our commitment to a positive work environment.

Compensation

This fully remote role in the United States offers a base salary range of $95,000 - $105,000, along with an annual discretionary performance bonus, a 401(k) plan with employer contribution, and a comprehensive benefits package. Our compensation model reflects our culture of freedom and flexibility, balancing high-intensity work with flexible schedules.

Key skills/competency

• Talent Acquisition
• Market Mapping
• Executive Search
• Candidate Sourcing
• Talent Intelligence
• Research & Analysis
• Candidate Assessment
• Stakeholder Management
• Recruitment Strategy
• Communication