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.

For more information on our Nutraceuticals services, get in touch with

Keva Campbell

Principal Consultant

Hundreds of 'Excellent' reviews

Nutraceuticals Executive Search

Helping Nutraceuticals companies unlock their next stage of growth

Specialisms We Cover

Active Nutraceutical Ingredients Amino Acids Botanicals Branded Ingredients Cannabinoids Cannabis APIs Capsules CBD Oils Contract Manufacturing Dietary Supplements Distillates Enzymes Extracts Functional Foods Gummies Health, Wellness & Fitness Hemp Ingredients Isolates Liquids Medicinal Cannabis Minerals OTC Peptides Powders Private Labrl Probiotics Proteins RX Softgels Solvents Sports Nutrition Stick Packs Topicals Vitamins

The global nutraceutical ingredients market is valued at approximately USD 150–200 billion, with continued growth driven by preventative health trends, ageing populations, and rising demand for high-quality, science-backed ingredients.

Nutraceutical ingredients form the foundation of supplements and preventative health products. As demand grows for safe, effective, and differentiated therapies and nutrition solutions, the sector faces increasing pressure to innovate while meeting stringent regulatory, quality, and supply chain requirements. Advances in formulation science, bioavailability, and functional ingredients are reshaping the market.

Our commitment to the nutraceutical ingredients and contract manufacturing market sets us apart from traditional executive search firms. We specialize in partnering with ingredient manufacturers, contract manufacturers (CMOs/CDMOs), formulators, and wellness-focused organizations to secure highly specialized scientific, technical, operational, and commercial talent.

Precision starts at formulation.

Organizations in this space supply functional compounds that must meet exacting standards for purity, traceability, and consistency. Decisions are governed by data, documentation, and validation, with little tolerance for deviation across development or scale-up.

Success here is shaped by how well science holds up under scrutiny. Roles aligned with analytical rigor, regulatory readiness, and formulation relevance help businesses support compliant development and credible product performance across global markets.

Download our brochure

Learn more about our services, approach and the sectors we operate in.

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.

Stats

387 active opportunities

1,908 placements made across 25 sectors

262,736 companies in our CRM

"At Irving Knight, we don't just fill positions; we build lasting partnerships. Our commitment to understanding your unique needs ensures that we deliver leaders who drive success and embody your company's values. When it comes to identifying the high-performers of tomorrow, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Our bespoke approach ensures every search is personal, diverse, and tailored from the ground up — delivering an individual, unrivalled experience for both clients and candidates. "

- Joe Davey, Group CEO of Irving Knight Group

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

Nika Kuchaidze

Senior Continuous Improvement Chemist, US

It was a pleasure working with Joseph on transitioning to a position with a new company. Communication was prompt,...

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

Valeria Pozzi

Procurement Category Manager, Italy

Working with Oliver has been a real pleasure!His highly professionalism and transparency made me comfortable to consi...

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Anja Florbach

Digital & Commercial Excellence Manager

Thank you so much Joseph! You have given me a great support. It was really nice to be in contact with you and I thin...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

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

Jeff Borchardt

Director of Planning, US

Mr. Clay was a wonderful recruiter. He was communicative and helped keep me informed through the process. He also fou...

Christopher Clay

Real Estate & Homebuilding

Rania Metwall

Head of Sales, France

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

Stewart Boyd

Construction Materials & Mining

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

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

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

Guillermo Leal

Global Director of Pricing, US

I've worked with a few recruiters in the past but Oliver surprised me not only for his professionalism, excellent com...

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Keith Parvin

Automation Division Director

I found Joseph to be extremely professional in every way when going through a recent recruitment process, always doin...

Joseph Davey

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Kay Witte

Global Director Performance Excellence

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

Irving Knight Group delivers executive search across 20+ core industries.

Keva Campbell

Helping Nutraceuticals companies unlock their next stage of growth

Specialisms We Cover

The global nutraceutical ingredients market is valued at approximately USD 150–200 billion, with continued growth driven by preventative health trends, ageing populations, and rising demand for high-quality, science-backed ingredients.

Precision starts at formulation.

Download our brochure

Did you know?

We hire right

Stats

Joerg Schlagmann

Senior Global Manager

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Nika Kuchaidze

Senior Continuous Improvement Chemist, US

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Sara Benoit

Regional Account Manager, US

Aidan Kerr

Chemicals

Valeria Pozzi

Procurement Category Manager, Italy

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Anja Florbach

Digital & Commercial Excellence Manager

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Michel Cas

Sales Manager, France

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Jeff Borchardt

Director of Planning, US

Christopher Clay

Real Estate & Homebuilding

Rania Metwall

Head of Sales, France

Luca Dowdell

Lubricants, Oil & Gas

Tim Staniels

Territory Sales Manager, US

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Kyle Corrigan

Technical Account Manager

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Corinne Grice

Strategic Account Manager, US

Luca Dowdell

Lubricants, Oil & Gas

Daniel Villanueva

Key Account Manager

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Franz-Leo Nedo

Territory Sales Manager

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Tim Mitchell

Plant Manager, US

Stewart Boyd

Construction Materials & Mining

Lucas Quadflieg

Sales Manager, Netherlands

Aidan Kerr

Chemicals

Andreia Sa

Director, Italy

Ewan Ball

Food Ingredients & Biotechnology

Matt Engelbrecht

VP Industrial Ops, US

Lily Newton

Animal Health

Guillermo Leal

Global Director of Pricing, US