Executive Recruiter, Headhunter & Job Coach — Higher Education Leadership

# Executive Recruiter, Headhunter & Job Coach — Higher Education Leadership ## Overview I am seeking an experienced executive recruiter, headhunter, and job coach for an ongoing engagement focused on senior leadership opportunities in higher education. This assignment has two connected goals: 1. Manage and strengthen my personal executive job search. 2. Build a long-term pipeline of qualified leaders who could become future vice chancellors and senior executives at private universities in Bangladesh. This is not a high-volume résumé-submission job. I need someone who can develop relationships, reach decision-makers, uncover opportunities that may not be publicly advertised, and create a measurable recruiting pipeline. ## Responsibilities ### Executive search and career support * Refine my executive résumé, LinkedIn profile, professional positioning, and outreach materials. * Identify senior opportunities that closely match my experience and goals. * Prepare and submit carefully tailored applications. * Contact recruiters, university leaders, board members, trustees, search committees, and other relevant decision-makers. * Seek referrals, introductions, sponsor conversations, and unadvertised opportunities. * Maintain follow-up schedules for every active application and lead. * Provide interview preparation, negotiation support, and executive job coaching. ### Future vice-chancellor pipeline * Research and identify accomplished academic and executive leaders who may be suitable for future vice-chancellor or senior leadership roles at private universities in Bangladesh. * Build relationships with university leaders, professors, deans, presidents, provosts, trustees, education executives, and members of the Bangladeshi diaspora. * Maintain an organized, confidential candidate and relationship database. * Assess each prospective candidate’s experience, leadership potential, interest, availability, and connection to Bangladesh or South Asian higher education. * Help invite appropriate leaders to participate in my podcast as guests. * Where mutually appropriate, participate in a podcast conversation about executive recruiting, leadership, and higher education. ## Expected Weekly Deliverables Each week should include: * Approximately 5 carefully selected and tailored executive applications or opportunity submissions. * At least 8 personalized outreach messages to relevant decision-makers, recruiters, candidates, or referral sources. * At least 1 action aimed at uncovering an unadvertised opportunity or developing a strategic relationship. * Continued development of the future vice-chancellor candidate pipeline. * Timely follow-up on all active applications, introductions, and conversations. * A concise Friday report showing completed work, results, responses, blockers, and recommended changes for the following week. All activity must be documented in a shared tracker. Applications should include the opportunity description, fit assessment, final materials, and submission confirmation. Outreach entries should identify the person contacted, why the person matters, the message sent, and the current response status. If two consecutive weeks produce no meaningful replies, referrals, screening conversations, interviews, or candidate interest, I expect a clear strategy adjustment before additional outreach is conducted. ## Budget and Payment The budget is $1,000 per month, paid as four weekly milestones of $250 each. A weekly milestone is earned after the agreed deliverables and supporting activity report are completed and accepted. All payments will be handled through Upwork. An additional success bonus will be paid through Upwork following a successful placement. The bonus structure and qualifying placement conditions will be agreed upon before the engagement begins. This may become a longer-term assignment for a recruiter who produces consistent, well-documented results. ## Ideal Candidate You should have: * Proven experience in executive recruiting, retained search, headhunting, talent sourcing, or senior-level career coaching. * Experience recruiting university, education, nonprofit, public-sector, or C-suite leaders. * Strong research, networking, and personalized outreach skills. * The confidence to approach senior decision-makers and passive candidates. * Excellent written and spoken English. * Strong organization, follow-through, discretion, and reporting discipline. * Familiarity with Bangladesh, South Asia, international higher education, or diaspora networks is strongly preferred. * The ability to work independently and recommend changes when a strategy is not producing results. Please do not apply if your process consists mainly of submitting generic applications or sending mass messages. ## To Apply Please answer the following questions: 1. Describe two executive or senior leadership searches you have completed. What was your specific role, and what results did you achieve? 2. What experience do you have with higher education, university leadership, Bangladesh, South Asia, or international executive recruitment? 3. How would you reach university trustees, search committees, senior academic leaders, and passive candidates who are not responding to ordinary job applications? 4. What would you deliver during the first four weeks of this engagement? 5. How would you build and assess a pipeline of potential future vice-chancellors for private universities in Bangladesh? 6. Are you comfortable supporting podcast guest outreach and potentially appearing as a guest? 7. Please provide a sample recruiting tracker or anonymized weekly report from similar work. Begin your proposal with the words “Higher Education Leadership” so I know you have read the complete posting.