Last updated: June 2026
Where executive search gets tricky
Each of these has a specific failure mode. We've shaped briefs and run searches across all of them — across regions.
CTO / first technical co-founder hire
When the company has never had a CTO and the founder doesn't yet know what they're hiring for. Brief shaping is the search — once that's clear, the candidate often appears in week 3.
VP of Engineering
For companies past first product-market fit, scaling the engineering org. Calibration on builder vs. operator, technical depth vs. people leadership, ownership model with the CTO.
Head of AI / Head of ML
Hot market, thin senior pool. We've placed Heads of AI in regulated banking, B2B SaaS and product tech — and we know who isn't a Head of AI no matter what the LinkedIn says.
Chief Architect / Head of Platform
For companies whose architecture decisions ripple across the org. Engineering depth plus stakeholder readiness — both screened explicitly, not assumed.
VP of Sales / Chief Revenue Officer
For tech companies entering new markets or moving up-market. The right profile depends on which segment you actually want to win — we shape that question first.
COO / VP Operations
Often the hardest brief: the role looks generic and is specific. Shaping the operating model with the CEO is half the engagement; the search runs against the result.
Brief shaping, then calibrated search, then close
Executive search at NGRS is consultative — we don't take a brief and disappear for ten weeks. The intake itself is part of the value.
For context on why brief shaping matters at this level: senior engineering roles in the US take a median 62 days to fill, and AI/ML roles 89 days (SHRM 2025) — and embedded, consultative models run up to 40% faster while cutting agency dependency 25–50% within six months (CIPD 2024). Against those benchmarks, the calibrated NGRS executive engagement below typically closes in 8–14 weeks because the brief is right before the search begins.
- W 0–1
Brief shaping with the hiring principal
1–2 conversations with the CEO / hiring manager. We pressure-test the role, the success criteria, the ownership model, the trade-offs. Often this is where the role itself changes shape — for the better.
- W 1–2
Calibrated long-list
Senior engagement of passive candidates across regions. Calibration calls with you on 3–4 profiles before formal pipeline begins — so the search runs against the right shape.
- W 3–8
Short-list and interviews
Typically 3–5 finalists. We run reference work in parallel — not after offer. Candidate experience owned end-to-end so finalists stay finalists, not "we lost them".
Close & onboarding
We own the offer flow — comp, equity narrative, motivation. First-90-days planning before signing. Replacement window per engagement terms.
Head of AI for a scale-up that hadn't had one
The founder knew there was a gap, but the role title wasn't right and the spec was forming. We acted as a thinking partner first, worked the brief with the CEO and CTO over two weeks, then ran a calibrated search across US and UK.
Closed in 11 weeks. The hire shipped the company's AI product line in 12 months and is still in role.
Heads of AI in regulated finance are an especially thin pool: AML/KYC job postings rose 98% year on year (Ravio 2025) and 47% of financial institutions say they struggle to find compliance talent. Brief shaping is what keeps a search like this from stalling.
"At this level the brief is the work. Get the question right and the candidate often appears in week three." — NGRS delivery team
See all selected casesWhen you've never hired this role before
We don't even have the JD yet — can we still talk?
Yes — that's our sharpest fit. We work the brief with you before the search begins. Often the JD as you'd have written it is not the JD we'd run against.
Is it different from your Surge Hiring engagements?
Yes — different shape, different cadence. Executive search is intentionally slower up front (brief shaping) and tightly calibrated downstream. Same senior team, different playbook.
Do you do contingency or retained?
Retained — executive search is too high-stakes for contingency incentives. Commercial terms are shaped to the engagement on the discovery call.
Replacement / guarantee?
Yes — per engagement terms. We share risk fairly. What we don't agree to is unconditional full-refund clauses if the hire leaves during probation — that shifts all post-hire risk onto recruitment, which isn't where it sits. See FAQ — guarantees.
Tell us the role you're trying to write
30-minute discovery. Bring the gap as you understand it. We'll work the question with you — and tell you honestly whether NGRS executive search is the right move.