Embedded Executive Search Support for a FTSE-Listed Public Services Provider

The client

The client is an international provider of public services, listed on the London Stock Exchange. It delivers critical services for government. It employs thousands of people and runs long-term contracts that keep essential public infrastructure working every day.

The challenge

In 2026 the client restructured its Talent Acquisition function. It moved from a model aligned to business units to one built around specialisms. The Talent Acquisition Manager for Executive and Group Functions took on a much larger remit. Before the change he could run five or six senior searches at once; afterwards he could run two or three.

That left more than 20 senior roles needing attention, many of them in Group functions. The business was also doing well and wanted to grow, especially in defence. It couldn't wait for a permanent hire to fill the gap, and paying a percentage-based agency fee on every role would have been very expensive.

Our solution

Talent Acumen provided an embedded senior researcher for an initial three months, with scope to extend as the client’s needs grew. The seat ran five days a week, with the option to scale down as the workload settled. Our researcher, Charlotte Shelton, worked as an extension of the in-house team. She held weekly priority briefings with the Talent Acquisition Manager, joined hiring manager briefings to really get an understanding of the company and the roles, and moved between end-to-end search, market mapping and proactive pipelining as the business needed.

We charged a day rate rather than placement fees. That kept costs predictable and let the client point the resource wherever it would add the most value at the time.

The work and the results

Deputy Company Secretary. This was a high-priority, Board-facing role reporting to the Group General Counsel and Company Secretary, with the annual report and AGM cycle approaching. We mapped the market across Heads of Secretariat, Company Secretaries in smaller listed businesses and Deputy Company Secretaries in larger groups, with a strong focus on personality and leadership fit. We presented a shortlist of seven. The client appointed from our shortlist. By its own calculation, the client saved £60,000 against the fee its preferred supplier list (PSL) search provider would have charged.

Digital Portfolio Director. This was a newly created senior role within a major digital transformation programme, partnering with business unit Managing Directors across its government services divisions. The brief was nuanced. The client needed people with genuine delivery credibility and experience of complex government technology programmes, who could also influence at MD level without direct control. We presented a shortlist of four, and the client is in discussions with them at time of writing.

Contract Director, flagship transport contract. The client had recently won the next generation of a flagship transport contract in a major UK city. It wanted to plan ahead for succession because the current post-holder was expected to move into a bigger role. Earlier attempts to hire from facilities management had not worked, so we focused on transport operators and technology-enabled mobility businesses. We confidentially mapped 46 people, giving the client a ready-made pipeline before the role was even live.

Bid Director mapping. With defence a strategic priority and a significant bid pipeline ahead, the client expected six to twelve senior defence roles over the following year. We mapped bid and business development leaders across facilities, infrastructure and justice-adjacent businesses, followed by the defence sector. The map included high-flying Senior Bid Managers ready to step up. We mapped 103 people, giving the client an intelligence-led talent pool to draw on as roles come through. This wasn’t just a list of names. It included individuals’ contact details in the form of emails and phone numbers, as well as a bio on why they are suitable for the opportunities. This means when the time comes, the internal recruitment team have all the information in front of them to make the approaches. No legwork or hunting down details before starting conversations, so time is saved instantly.

Why it worked

• Capacity without headcount. The client got experienced executive search capability straight away, with no recruitment cycle or fixed-term contract.

• Flexibility. One embedded resource covered live searches, succession mapping and long-term pipelining, all adjusted week by week.

• Commercial value. Day-rate pricing with no placement fees meant much lower costs than traditional agency search across several senior roles. On the Deputy Company Secretary appointment alone, the client saved £60,000 against its PSL search provider.

• Lasting insight. Besides filling live roles, the client now has mapped talent pools of nearly 150 people across transport and bids to use for future hiring.

Could this work for your business?

Our embedded seats run for set periods from two weeks to 12 months. You choose the days, set the priorities and keep all the data. We bring experienced researchers who can map a market, approach senior candidates confidentially and give you the insight to make better hiring decisions.

If your team is facing a busy period, a growth programme or a gap in headcount, get in touch to talk about an embedded seat.