Talent Nation | Sydney

Talent Nation is a specialist recruitment agency working across ESG, environment and sustainability. We've been B Corp certified since 2014, the first recruitment company in Australia and New Zealand to reach that standard, and we partner with organisations across more than a third of the ASX100, alongside a growing base of purpose-led and impact-driven clients.

We are a small, tight-knit team based across Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland, and we're looking for a Principal Recruitment Consultant to join us in Sydney or Melbourne as one of the senior faces of the business, someone with the standing and the track record to operate at market-leading level.

The role

This is a senior, market-facing position for someone who already operates as a trusted advisor to their clients, not just a service provider. We operate on a retained model, and we're looking for someone who has built and can point to a genuine book of retained relationships they've won themselves, ideally at C-suite and board level. You'll take ownership of some of our most significant client relationships and searches, working directly alongside our Directors on firm strategy, market positioning and where we invest our growth next.

Alongside your own desk, you'll play a role in shaping the standards the rest of the team works to, bringing your experience to bear on how we brief, search and advise across the business.

You'll be responsible for

- Owning senior and complex retained search mandates across ESG, sustainability, climate and energy, often at executive and board level
- Winning new,



retained client relationships at a senior level through your own reputation and network, not just growing existing accounts
- Acting as a trusted advisor to clients on talent strategy and market conditions, not just fulfilling briefs
- Contributing to Talent Nation's commercial strategy, market positioning and growth priorities alongside our Directors
- Bringing rigour and craft to how the team searches, briefs and advises, and sharing that expertise informally with less experienced consultants
- Representing Talent Nation publicly as a recognised voice in the ESG and sustainability recruitment market

About you

- A substantial track record as a recruitment consultant at senior or principal level, in an agency environment
- A demonstrated ability to win and retain significant client relationships through your own business development, ideally including retained search
- Deep experience working on a retained basis; you understand how to sell it, price it and deliver against it with discipline
- A genuine network and reputation in ESG, sustainability, environment or a closely adjacent professional market
- The judgement and credibility to advise clients at a senior level,



and the maturity to represent Talent Nation's name in the market
- Alignment with Talent Nation's values as a B Corp: we care as much about how outcomes are achieved as the outcomes themselves

What's on offer

- The most trusted and recognised brand in our sector behind you, built over more than a decade
- A market-competitive salary and a generous bonus plan reflecting the seniority of the role
- An Employee Share Options Plan, giving you a genuine stake in the business you're helping to build
- Direct involvement in shaping firm strategy, working alongside our Directors rather than simply reporting into them

This opportunity is best suited to someone who wants to take control of their own career and build something of lasting value, rather than someone looking for the next lateral move. Whether that means running your own premium desk or building towards a Managing Consultant role with a team and P&L; of your own, if you're drawn to genuine ownership and being backed by a brand with real standing in the market, we'd like to hear from you.

How to apply

Send your CV and a short note on why this role interests you to Nathan Kelly at [email protected]. All applications will be treated confidentially.

Talent Nation encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people of all cultures, abilities, sex, and genders.

Applicants can request a reasonable adjustment at any stage during the recruitment process, please contact us so we can provide adjustments for you.

📌 Principal Recruitment Consultant (Sydney)
🏢 Talent Nation
📍 Sydney