Head of Talent Solutions

Candidate Opportunity Brief

Position: Head of Talent Solutions

Reporting to: The Board via (Chief Operating Officer) with a dotted line directly into (Chairman of the Group)

Ford & Stanley Executive Search (Part of the Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group) are a leading Executive search and talent advisory firm specialising in the following sectors:

Rail & Transportation                           
Civils & Construction                          
Manufacturing & Supply Chain     
Technology & Cyber Security         
Logistics & Intermodal Freight      
Defence                                        
Our search directors, search consultants and in house research team specialise in retained opportunities at the highest level of organisational leadership and management.

Our success is based upon a blend of trust-driven relationships, robust market knowledge, and working practices that ensure the best possible alignment of organisational need with experience and personal ambition.

Working with business leaders on bespoke assignments for over a decade, we understand exactly what our customers expect from an executive search and talent advisory service – whether there is a pressing business need for an executive interim or that of a long-term permanent appointment - Ford & Stanley Executive Search provide the solution.

We have been exclusively appointed by a consultancy on a retained search for a Head of Talent Solutions.

Below you will find a ‘Candidate Opportunity Brief’ developed from notes taken during the scoping meeting (Situational Discovery) held between the Principal Consultant & Senior Consultant of Ford & Stanley Executive Search & The Chairman & The Chief Operating Officer of our client, a leading Consultancy.

This brief is designed to give candidates a deeper insight into the opportunity inherent within the role, the challenges the role presents, and provide access to the detail that sits behind the job specification.

Key deliverables within the first 12 months include:

Set the strategy, clearly establish and formalise the Talent Solutions offering, including scope, ownership, and positioning, with clear separation from traditional recruitment activity, identify the product suite apart from the Recruitment service.  
Successfully monetise the Talent Solutions Business, invoicing new or existing consultancy clients for pieces of work delivered by the Solutions Business.
Create and lead a strategic campaign to elevate awareness of the Talent Solutions Business, clearly defining the offering and establishing a strong, consultancy led brand.
Essential Hard Skills (Skills & Experience)

Strong background in HR advisory, people consulting, or talent solutions, with the ability to operate independently in client environments.
Proven capability to take a client challenge from diagnosis through to solution design and tangible delivery, rather than offering strategic advice only.
Understanding of areas such as IR35, strategic work force planning, organisational design, employee relations, governance risk, and operating in regulated or complex organisational environments.
Experience developed across multiple industries and business scales.
Proven commercial acumen and project leadership, the ability to lead and deliver a transformation programme of work through a direct or Associate model. (Leading a TUPE process for example).
Essential Soft Skills (Attributes & Behaviours) 

Able to engage confidently at board and C suite level, quickly establishing trust and being viewed as a peer and strategic advisor rather than a supplier.
Able to balance ambition with credibility and ensure solutions translate into measurable outcomes.
Ability to inspire teams across business areas and integrate quickly.
Pragmatic, commercially aware, and focused on delivery as well as strategic vision. 
Working Arrangements & Location:

This is a remote role primarily, whilst being on customers' sites or in the Consultancy's HQ in midlands as required.

Ford & Stanley Executive Search Pre-Submission Process:

First Engagement: A short engagement and introductory conversation to position the opportunity, gauge candidate early interest level and arrange a time and date for a more detailed discussion. NDA sent (if applicable) upon receipt of signed NDA - Candidate Opportunity Brief shared.

Candidate Discovery: An open, conversational and consultative discussion where candidates and executive search consultant explore and discuss the opportunity brief. Candidates are assessed on their suitability for the role in the context of the key essentials and challenged on how the opportunity lines up with their career aspirations, motivations, financial expectations and personal circumstance. The search consultant will utilise the information captured during candidate discovery to start to build your profile on suitability. Recommendations may be made at this point for adjustments or updates to your CV.

The ‘shortlist’: Shortlisted candidates, having taken time to reflect on the opportunity and undertake subsequent research on the clients business are reengaged where they are asked to provide additional specific information on their suitability (if/where applicable). Final checks of key notes, package details and logistical alignments made. Finishing touches are then made to your profile prior to submission along with our notes and recommendations.
Interview Process:

1st Stage interview: A 30–45-minute Teams interview with (Chairman) & (Chief Operating Officer), focused on introductions, high‑level fit, and initial views on the role.
2nd Stage interview: A face‑to‑face interview with (Chairman) and (Chief Operating Officer), exploring strategic approach, stakeholder engagement, leadership style and cultural fit.
Good to know:

This is a newly created and evolving role. The Talent Solutions remit is intentionally flexible and will shape around the strengths of the individual appointed.
The role will report to The Board via (Chief Operating Officer) with a dotted line directly into (Chairman of the Group) for ongoing development of the offering.
The role has been created to bring leadership, structure, and credibility to the Talent Solutions business area within the Consultancy, moving it from fragmented activity into a focused, and commercially impactful proposition.
The Consultancy is in a key growth phase wanting to move from around 60 employees to 120.
Although this is a new position within the Group, it is not a “cold start”, with an extensive portfolio of established client relationships at a top level.
This role will focus on building upon existing leadership development, performance and mental well-being coaching services. This is likely to include capability spanning workforce strategy, attraction, assessment, on-boarding, governance, and employee experience.
High degree of autonomy to define and shape the overall proposition, service offering, and delivery model, with the freedom to influence direction from the outset.
A clear and credible pathway to building and scaling a significant business unit, with long term growth and leadership opportunity.
Joining an established brand, that provides deeply consultative recruitment partnerships from shop floor all the way to boardroom.
The Consultancy operates in a fast moving, evolving environment, requiring the ability to prioritise, adapt quickly, and make progress amid changing market dynamics and competing demands.
Key Responsibilities:

Lead and shape the Talent Solutions proposition, own the design, development, and evolution of the consultancy, ensuring clear differentiation from traditional recruitment services.
Operate as a senior talent advisor to clients engage with HR Directors, MDs, and C suite stakeholders on Talent Solutions.
Deliver commercially viable Talent Solutions translate client needs into structured, outcome led solutions ensuring delivery drives measurable value and revenue.
Deepen and expand client relationships leverage existing relationships to create broader, multi-service partnerships, distinct from the recruitment services
Own end-to-end solution delivery and oversee the design, execution, and evaluation of Talent Solutions engagements, ensuring quality, credibility, and client satisfaction.
Build and manage delivery capability Coordinate internal teams and external specialist partners to deliver Talent Solutions effectively.
Establish credibility and direction, acting as the internal authority on Talent Solutions, aligning stakeholders around scope, positioning, and go to market approach.
Lay the foundations for sustainable growth of the Talent Solutions offering, identifying future opportunities, services, and routes to market.
Executive Search Delivery Team:

Billy Jackson – Principal Consultant: (Client Recommendations/Advisory, Offer Negotiations, Consulting, Networking)
Josh Winfield– Senior Consultant: (Network, Research, Search, Interviews, Market intelligence, Long listing, Shortlisting, Headhunting)
Ralitsa Kuzeva – Executive Assistant: (Data, diary management and coordination)
About Ford & Stanley Executive Search:

Please see supporting appendix: Executive Search Candidate Journey

Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group Ltd is a Disability Confident employer that is committed to a policy of equal opportunities for all opportunity seekers. We shall adhere to such a policy at all times and will review on an on-going basis all aspects of recruitment to avoid unlawful or undesirable discrimination. We will treat everyone equally irrespective sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief or political beliefs and we place an obligation upon all staff to respect and act in accordance with the policy.

Services advertised by Ford & Stanley Executive Search are that of an executive search and talent advisory business