Senior Search Lead

Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is widely used in enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation and IoT. Our customers include leading public cloud and silicon providers and industry leaders in many sectors. The company operates with a global distributed model, with 1200+ colleagues in 75+ countries and very few office-based roles. Teams meet two to four times yearly in person at locations around the world to align on strategy and execution. The company is founder-led, profitable and growing. We are a remote-first tech company and hire globally. We maintain a hiring process led by our Talent Leadership team and supported by our Talent Science team to hire high-performing talent across the globe.

Our Talent Science team ensures objective, scientifically rigorous and efficient processes to select the very best new colleagues regardless of location, culture or background. We work with key stakeholders to ensure decisions are made correctly and that our hiring model supports world-class talent selection. We develop best practices and offer expert viewpoints on talent assessments. We are not recruiters; the focus is the science of talent and performance, providing analytical insights to enable the selection of the best talent from our global pool.

We have a brand-new opportunity for an experienced Tech-focused in-house search consultant to teach our senior executives how to source talent for their senior leadership roles.

Your key skills will be:

• Professional experience identifying and approaching senior leadership talent from a professional search firm or an in-house search function within the Technology industry.
• Experience training senior stakeholders in identifying and approaching prospective talent.
• Excellent knowledge of tools used to identify future talent including market mapping.
• Strong grasp of behavioral interviewing techniques (competency-based and psychometric assessments).
• Strong analytical problem-solving ability to identify trends and patterns from data.
• An exceptional academic background including a Bachelors or Masters degree in Psychology or a people-based subject, with a good level of Maths at High School.

Location: EMEA - Home based

• Developing a search strategy for our business, ensuring processes enable headhunted talent to move smoothly through the pipeline.
• Coaching our senior leadership teams to become expert at approaching and attracting exceptional talent for their management and leadership positions.
• Driving talent analytics to provide real-time insight, partnering with the business to move through hiring processes efficiently.
• Conducting in-depth behavioural talent interviews, providing insights into motivations and behaviours.
• Building key relationships with global stakeholders to deliver against the hiring agenda, monitor hiring activities, drive results and ensure consistency in processes.
• Considering our employer brand and candidate experience during interactions.
• Seeking continuous improvement on hiring processes and outcomes.
• Bringing a passion for diversity and inclusion, removing unconscious bias from the hiring process and ensuring sourcing underpins this.

• Professional experience headhunting senior Tech talent from a reputable executive search firm or in-house search function, with best-practice insights.
• Experience working with senior stakeholders, creating learning programmes to develop ability to identify and engage with passive talent.
• Exposure or appreciation of psychometric assessments.
• Experience conducting behavioural, competency-based interviews with the ability to train stakeholders and advise on interview outcomes.
• An exceptional academic background including a Bachelors or Masters degree in Psychology or people-based subject and a good level of Maths at High School.
• Strong analytical problem solving ability to identify trends and patterns from data and proficiency with LinkedIn talent modules.
• A high level of personal organisation to work remotely and be effective.
• Willingness to travel to company events 2-4 times a year, for up to two weeks each.

Other Skills You May Bring

• Experience of more advanced analytical and statistical analysis to interrogate data (e.g., SQL).
• Exposure to tools such as Greenhouse ATS, Thomas International and DISC profiling.
• Psychometric validity and reliability metrics.

What we offer colleagues

• Distributed work environment with twice-yearly team sprints in person
• Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year
• Annual compensation review
• Recognition rewards
• Annual holiday leave
• Maternity and paternity leave
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues
• Priority Pass and travel upgrades for long-haul company events

About Canonical

Canonical is a pioneering tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source. As the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most important open source projects and the platform for AI, IoT and the cloud, we are changing the world daily. We recruit globally and set high standards for new hires. Canonical has been remote-first since 2004. Working here challenges you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game.

Canonical is an equal opportunity employer

We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background create a better work environment and better products. Whatever your identity, we will give your application fair consideration.