How do you match candidates to the right opportunities?

Our priority is fit, not speed. We take time to understand your background, goals, and motivations, then provide clear insight into each opportunity so you're only considered for roles that truly align with your experience and ambitions.

What types of roles and industries do you specialise in?

We specialise in senior, specialist, and leadership appointments across the markets we serve. Our focus is on roles where experience, judgement, and cultural alignment are critical — typically mid- to senior-level management through to executive and board appointments.

How does working with Irving Knight benefit me?

You'll gain honest market insight, access to high-quality opportunities, and clear guidance throughout the process. Our aim is simple: to help you make the right move, at the right time, with confidence.

Do I need to pay for your services?

No. Our services are completely free for candidates. We are retained by our client partners to manage their hiring processes, meaning there is never a cost to you at any stage. Our role is to represent your interests professionally, provide guidance throughout the process, and help you assess opportunities objectively — without any financial obligation.

Will using your services put me at a disadvantage compared to direct applicants?

No — if anything, it gives you an advantage. We provide context, insight, and advocacy that ensure your experience and motivations are clearly understood from the outset. Our role is to strengthen your candidacy and guide you through a transparent, well-managed process.

What makes Irving Knight different from other recruitment firms?

We operate as a retained, partnership-led search firm rather than a transactional recruiter. That means fewer searches, deeper engagement, and a far higher level of commitment to outcomes. By combining sector specialism, market intelligence, and a disciplined search methodology, we deliver hires that are aligned not only to role requirements, but to culture, strategy, and long-term growth plans.

How do you find and assess candidates?

We don't rely on databases or job advertising alone. Our searches are driven by proactive market mapping, targeted outreach, and insight gained from long-standing sector networks. Candidates are assessed on capability, leadership style, cultural alignment, and long-term potential — not just CV fit — ensuring a robust and well-informed shortlist.

How do you approach confidential searches?

Confidentiality is fundamental to how we operate. Every search is handled with discretion, clear communication, and controlled market engagement. As your representative in the market, we protect your brand, manage messaging carefully, and ensure sensitive information is only shared when appropriate — safeguarding both your business and your candidates throughout the process.

What is your success rate in filling roles?

Our retained model is designed to deliver outcomes, not volume. Because we invest the time to fully understand the role, the business, and the wider context, we achieve a consistently high completion rate across our searches. More importantly, our focus is on long-term retention and impact, not short-term placement metrics.

What happens if a hire doesn't work out?

While our process is designed to minimise risk, we recognise that circumstances can change. In the rare event a placement doesn't succeed, we work closely with our client to address the situation and agree the most appropriate next steps. Our commitment is to the partnership and the outcome — not just the initial hire.

Rated 'Excellent' on Trustpilot

Redefining search

Irving Knight Group is a global executive search and talent partner trusted by organisations worldwide to deliver senior leaders in complex, competitive markets. We identify and secure high-impact talent across multiple industries, partnering closely with clients to design search strategies tailored to their exact commercial and leadership needs.

Did you know?

Hiring the wrong candidate costs more than just time—it can waste salary, training resources, and opportunities. The Department of Labour estimates a bad hire can cost up to 30% of the role’s first-year earnings.

We hire right

Organisations are often reluctant to use external recruiters due the percieved cost. Think about it like this - what financial benefit could a top candidate bring to your business unit? You could make a 100x return on your investment.

97% Placement Rate 1
1.78:1 CVs Sent to Interviews 2
Avg. 32 Day Engagement to Placement 3

1. Based on all roles engaged on by a client on an exclusive basis from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

2. All CVs Sent from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

3. From Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

Our people are the foundation of everything we do. We foster a culture built on trust, collaboration, and high standards, empowering our teams to take ownership, perform at their best, and grow with confidence. How we work matters as much as what we deliver — and it’s this culture that drives high-performance outcomes for our clients.

Meet the Team

Why Us

Standing out takes more than just promises

Mission

Exceptional talent fuels exceptional organizations

Culture

Performance comes from creating the right environment

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Expertise

Industrial

Ingredients

Built Environment

Healthcare

Life Science

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placements made

Corinne Grice

Strategic Account Manager, US

Luca was an absolute gem to work with ! He reached out to me on linkedin with several different opportunities & was a...

Luca Dowdell

Lubricants, Oil & Gas

Matt Engelbrecht

VP Industrial Ops, US

Working with Lily was a phenomenal experience. She was fully transparent, professional, and provided timely communica...

Lily Newton

Animal Health

Brian Carpenter

VP Continous Improvement, US

Stewart was instrumental in helping me through this process and alleviating my concerns as I’ve been out of the workf...

Stewart Boyd

Construction Materials & Mining

Daniel Villanueva

Key Account Manager

Joseph is a dedicated professional and a stand up person to work with. His patience and his understanding certainly s...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Lucas Quadflieg

Sales Manager, Netherlands

Good vibes on finding a new opportunity... I was contacted by Aidan Kerr for a position of Sales Manager Benelux. Af...

Aidan Kerr

Chemicals

Jane Scates

Packaging Engineer, US

Henry was a true professional, perfect attention to detail at every step of the process. Would definitely recommend!

Henry Spooner

Packaging, Paper, Recycling

Kay Witte

Global Director Performance Excellence

Joseph was instrumental in making my last professional opportunity happen. He was easy to work with, responsive, and ...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Nathan Radue

Channel Marketing Manager, US

Oliver is a thorough and effective recruiter, representing both sides with character and solid communication. He appr...

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Andrew Coutts

Director Global Strategy, US

First Class Service Emma shared details of a relevant opportunity and did a great job helping to manage lengthy nego...

Emma Conlin

Animal Health

Jon Steele

CFO, US

Grace taught an old dog some new tricks! I had been in my previous position for 30 years. I loved my job for most of...

Grace Smith

Electronic Components & Products

Rishi Sarkar

Environmental Process Engineer, US

Irving Knight helped place me with a company that I could have a positive impact on that aligned with my career goals...

Cian ODonnell

CDMO & CRO

Christoph Snaga

Investment Manager, Germany

Christopher from Irving Knight handled the overall process well and we managed to get to a successful completion smoo...

Christopher Clay

Real Estate & Homebuilding

Joerg Schlagmann

Senior Global Manager

Great expert: supportive, challenging and always empowered for his customers and his work! Not more to say: just exce...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Sara Benoit

Regional Account Manager, US

Irving Knight Group is a fantastic company. I was contacted by Aidan Kerr regarding a sales position opportunity in t...

Aidan Kerr

Chemicals

Rania Metwall

Head of Sales, France

Would highly recommend working with Luca Dowdell. He helped me find the perfect job. Very professional, friendly and ...

Luca Dowdell

Lubricants, Oil & Gas

Michel Cas

Sales Manager, France

Incredibly human oriented executive search, candidates handled with great care and respect, precise and concise infor...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Sandeep Kulshrestha

Formulation Director, US

Oliver is very good in matching skills of the candidates with the company’s requirements. I personally got benefits o...

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Veronica Hagborg

Senior Director Global HR, Sweden

I have had the opportunity to co-operate with Joseph in a process and I found him very proactive in keeping me inform...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Andreia Sa

Director, Italy

I would like to sincerely thank Evan Ball for all the support throughout the process. He provided assistance at diffe...

Ewan Ball

Food Ingredients & Biotechnology

Kaitlin Lammers

Account Manager

Oliver made the hiring process smooth from start to finish. He was consistently responsive, understanding, and suppor...

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances