Principal Consultant (Executive Search) - Industrial & Aerospace

Über die Stelle / About the Role Cielo ist der weltweit führende Talent Acquisition Partner — und unser Executive Search-Bereich führt komplexe Führungskräftesuchaufträge für einige der bedeutendsten Industrie- und Aerospace-Unternehmen der Welt durch.

We are hiring a Principal Consultant to join our Germany-based search delivery team, working across a portfolio of major clients in the Industrial and Aerospace sectors. This is a senior delivery role — you will own and execute retained executive search assignments end-to-end, managing the full search process and hiring manager relationships with a high degree of autonomy.

Account strategy and overall client relationships are managed by senior Partners. Your focus is on search execution: running rigorous, high-quality processes, building trust with the hiring managers you work with day-to-day, and delivering results that reflect the standard our clients expect. The role requires fluency in German (native or near-native) and strong English for collaboration within our international team.

What You'll Do Lead end-to-end delivery of retained executive search assignments across Industrial and Aerospace clients in Germany and the DACH region Manage hiring manager relationships within active assignments — maintaining clear and professional communication on process, candidate pipeline, and timelines Develop and execute targeted search strategies, including talent mapping and market research to identify passive leadership candidates Conduct rigorous candidate assessments and produce high-quality written evaluation reports and summaries for client and Partner review Manage multiple live searches concurrently with a high degree of independence and strong process discipline Work closely with Partners to ensure search briefs are well-scoped and client expectations are clearly managed throughout the assignment Contribute German market and sector intelligence that deepens client engagements and sharpens search strategy Collaborate across the global team — including UK and international colleagues — on cross-border mandates where relevant

What We're Looking For Substantial executive search experience, from a retained search firm or an embedded/RPO function, with a clear track record of owning and delivering searches independently Sector knowledge across Industrial and/or Aerospace in the German or DACH market is strongly preferred Experience delivering searches at Director, VP, or C-suite level, and the confidence to engage credibly with senior hiring managers Fluency in German to native or near-native standard is essential; strong English required for internal collaboration and reporting Excellent process discipline — able to run complex, multi-stakeholder searches without close oversight High standard of written communication in both German and English; your assessments and client-facing materials represent Cielo's quality directly Collaborative and transparent by nature — you will be part of a global team where communication and knowledge-sharing matter

Why Cielo This is an opportunity to work on substantive, complex leadership searches for major clients in one of Europe's most important industrial markets — backed by Cielo's global research infrastructure, proprietary tooling, and an established international team.

Competitive salary and benefits. Germany-based with hybrid working. Some travel to client sites and UK/international team locations will be required.