Principal Consultant - Industrial & Aerospace

Über die Stelle / About the Role

Cielo ist der weltweit führende Talent Acquisition Partner --- und unser Executive Search-Bereich führt komplexe Führungskräftesuchaufträge für einige der bedeutendsten Industrie- und Aerospace-Unternehmen der Welt durch.

We are hiring a Principal Consultant to join our Germany-based search delivery team, working across a portfolio of major clients in the Industrial and Aerospace sectors. This is a senior delivery role --- you will own and execute retained executive search assignments end-to-end, managing the full search process and hiring manager relationships with a high degree of autonomy.

Account strategy and overall client relationships are managed by senior Partners. Your focus is on search execution: running rigorous, high-quality processes, building trust with the hiring managers you work with day-to-day, and delivering results that reflect the standard our clients expect. The role requires fluency in German (native or near-native) and strong English for collaboration within our international team.

What You'll Do

• Lead end-to-end delivery of retained executive search assignments across Industrial and Aerospace clients in Germany and the DACH region
• Manage hiring manager relationships within active assignments --- maintaining clear and professional communication on process, candidate pipeline, and timelines
• Develop and execute targeted search strategies, including talent mapping and market research to identify passive leadership candidates
• Conduct rigorous candidate assessments and produce high-quality written evaluation reports and summaries for client and Partner review
• Manage multiple live searches concurrently with a high degree of independence and strong process discipline
• Work closely with Partners to ensure search briefs are well-scoped and client expectations are clearly managed throughout the assignment
• Contribute German market and sector intelligence that deepens client engagements and sharpens search strategy
• Collaborate across the global team --- including UK and international colleagues --- on cross-border mandates where relevant

What We're Looking For

• Substantial executive search experience, from a retained search firm or an embedded/RPO function, with a clear track record of owning and delivering searches independently
• Sector knowledge across Industrial and/or Aerospace in the German or DACH market is strongly preferred
• Experience delivering searches at Director, VP, or C-suite level, and the confidence to engage credibly with senior hiring managers
• Fluency in German to native or near-native standard is essential; strong English required for internal collaboration and reporting
• Excellent process discipline --- able to run complex, multi-stakeholder searches without close oversight
• High standard of written communication in both German and English; your assessments and client-facing materials represent Cielo's quality directly
• Collaborative and transparent by nature --- you will be part of a global team where communication and knowledge-sharing matter

Why Cielo

This is an opportunity to work on substantive, complex leadership searches for major clients in one of Europe's most important industrial markets --- backed by Cielo's global research infrastructure, proprietary tooling, and an established international team.

Competitive salary and benefits. Germany-based with hybrid working. Some travel to client sites and UK/international team locations will be required.