Division Director, Search
Position Type: New Position
About Clarity
Clarity is a recruitment agency for companies experiencing rapid growth or transformation. Our approach has always blended a human-centric process, built on quality and trust, with innovative hiring technology that enables speed and delivery. We are specialized recruiters in Finance, HR, Operations and Technology, not generalists.
We help companies hire exceptional leaders and build the teams that support them through direct hires and project and interim consultants. We believe the right hire and the right job can change everything.
The Role
Clarity’s Permanent Search business has been established for more than a decade and continues to grow its market share. We’re now looking for a dedicated leader to take full ownership of the division, including its clients, team, performance, and results. Reporting directly to the founder, you’ll have clear decision-making authority and accountability for delivering against an established business strategy. This is a hands-on leadership role for a proven operator who can effectively execute, lead with confidence, and drive results from day one.
What You'll Do
- Lead a team of seven: senior Contingent Recruiters, client-facing Engagement Managers and a Recruitment Coordinator. Weekly one-on-ones, live development plans, and in-office onboarding for every new hire.
- Run the ops every day: deal-working support on live mandates, a weekly pipeline review by job order, and a standard for time-to-shortlist and shortlist quality on every accepted order.
- Own the quality bar. Hold fill rate on accepted orders at or above the floor agreed with the CEO, and decline or requalify orders that cannot be filled to standard rather than carry them.
- Keep the business at the senior end of the market: finance and accounting hires from senior analyst through VP, typically $95,000 and above.
- Run a tight intake-to-placement process on every order: qualification, pricing inside the rate card, terms, shortlist, close. Attend or lead discovery meetings, so mandates are framed properly before they are accepted.
- Own coverage of every active Search account: a named owner, contact ownership maintained to standard, quality calls after placement, repeat business from the base.
- Grow the book in two ways. A meaningful share of Search orders arrives through cross-sell from our Project & Interim sales team and from marketing; you make sure every lead is picked up within one business day. Your team develops the rest.
- Identify opportunities for the rest of the firm. Every contract, interim or transformation need that surfaces in a Search conversation becomes an introduction to our Project & Interim team, booked and logged. You own that number from the Search side and report it weekly.
- Deliver the annual Search plan: revenue, contribution margin, fill rate and team. Own a weekly forecast (orders in, orders in process, expected placements, expected revenue by month) and explain variances with a recovery action, not just a report.
- Manage the desk's cost base inside the approved plan: headcount, tools, sourcing spend. Administer commission and deal splits to Clarity's Operating Guidelines.
- Teach at the tactical level. Sit beside a recruiter on a live mandate and show them the call, the intake, and the close. Hold hard conversations early and directly.
- Attend the weekly production meeting with the Project & Interim leaders and the CEO, with a standing item you own where we have been, what is coming, and introductions made.
- Keep the Search scoreboard current every week, using the same measurement definitions the rest of the firm uses, so the two practices can be read side by side.
- Leverage Clarity’s AI and automation tools to streamline sourcing, research, note-taking, and pipeline management. Maintain accurate, up-to-date records in Loxo, our system of record, ensuring all activity is consistently documented.
- Attend in-person training, staff meetings, and company events at our Oakville or Toronto offices, with an increased in-office presence during the first 90 days to support onboarding and team integration.
How the Role Starts
The two leaders who run Search today will onboard you personally for your first three months and stay available through month six, after which the business is yours with the founder. The target start date is December 2026.
What You'll Bring
- In this seat, you are a performer, not a learner. You have run a permanent search desk to a number before, led a small team to a margin or fill result rather than activity alone, and you can do it here from the first quarter with coaching rather than training. You hold a standard, you hold hard conversations, and you like running a business more than you like a title.
- Seven or more years in agency recruitment, some of it in finance and accounting permanent search at the senior analyst to VP level. You have carried a desk and hit a number, repeatedly.
- You have led a team of three to eight Recruiters or Engagement Managers with accountability for revenue, margin or fill number. You have taken at least one new recruiter to independent performance, in person.
- You have worked on both sides: you can run an intake, qualify and price an order, and manage the client through placement and repeat business. You have also done the recruiting.
- You have led a team that developed permanent business in a defined territory while staying out of accounts owned elsewhere. Not a pure hunter, not a pure farmer.
- You have worked alongside a contract or interim practice and can describe how perm conversations turned into contract introductions
- You teach at the tactical level and can demonstrate the call, the screen, and the close.
- You hold hard conversations early and directly. You have managed someone out and can describe how you did it.
- You run the year with discipline and can describe what the business should look like across two views. Clarity will test this with a level-of-work assessment as part of the process.
- You work well with a hands-on founder: you take context and limits, decide inside them, and bring recommendations rather than problems.
- You listen, and it shows. You build credibility with CFOs and controllers quickly; you tie together what a client told you three calls ago, and you answer the question that was asked.
- You are fluent in ATS and CRM discipline (Loxo or equivalent), and you hold your team to it.
- You look for leverage in every part of your work, including how AI changes sourcing, screening and pipeline management. You've experimented, you have results to talk about, or you have a real interest in learning. Clarity is rebuilding as an AI-augmented firm, and the desk you run will change under you.
- An undergraduate degree is an asset.
Why Join Us
- MAKE AN IMPACT: We encourage experimentation and innovation. You’ll directly contribute to Clarity’s success by improving the hiring experience for both clients and candidates.
- BE SEEN AND BE HEARD: You’re not just a number here. Your ideas matter, and your contributions will be recognized at every level.
- PERFORMANCE-BASED COMPENSATION: We offer a competitive base salary plus bonus.
- COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT: You’ll be set up to succeed with internal managers who are excited to grow their own teams.
- GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT: Our leaders are committed to supporting your personal and professional development. Expect regular one-on-one time with your manager and access to senior leadership.
- TIME OFF & WELLNESS: We provide a competitive compensation package with company-paid benefits, generous paid time off, a winter break closure, and a $500 wellness credit. We also encourage taking time off to recharge.
- FLEXIBLE WORKING: We offer hybrid working arrangements (with offices in Toronto and Oakville) and a $1000 work-from-home credit to help you set up.
- CULTURE & PERKS: We celebrate team wins and milestones with fun events in a collaborative, upbeat work environment.
Recognize Yourself Here? Let’s Talk.
If you feel you’d be a great fit but don’t meet all the requirements listed, we still encourage you to apply. Thank you for considering Clarity!
We do appreciate all interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Clarity Recruitment is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible recruitment process and workplace. If you require accommodation, please let us know in advance, and we will work with you to meet your needs.
Please note: We use AI-assisted tools for note-taking during the screening process.
JOB ID: 3707731
