REF: 8119

About Us

Perrett Laver is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm, partnering with mission-driven organisations that are shaping a better future. From world-leading universities and research institutes to pioneering health, education, and social impact organisations, we help appoint leaders who drive innovation, equity, and lasting change.

With offices across the Asia-Pacific, the UK, Europe, and the Americas, we operate at the intersection of purpose and leadership. Our clients include globally recognised institutions tackling the most complex challenges of our time, from climate change and public health to education reform and technological advancement.

Perrett Laver Higher Education; Research, Technology & Innovation

Perrett Laver is a leader serving the global higher education sector, advising on approximately 400 leadership appointments per year worldwide. We have advised on over 500 Vice-Chancellor/President and Chief Executive searches globally, including the searches for 11 of the current leaders of the world's top 30 universities (QS 2026).

Perrett Laver is also home to a major Research, Technology and Innovation practice. The practice focuses on providing international executive search for senior industry R&D leads, Chairs, and full Professors—from purely research positions through institute-building and programme-development leadership positions to industrially sponsored Chairs with deep professional or industry engagement—for the world's premier research universities and institutes, as well as companies and government agencies.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an accomplished and intellectually curious Partner / Principal Consultant to join our team in Australia (preferably Sydney). This appointment will focus on advancing our work in higher education and research, primarily across Australia and New Zealand.

This is a significant role for someone who combines rigorous analytical thinking with genuine passion for education, research, and the people who lead it. You will need a deep understanding of what constitutes exceptional leadership in universities and research institutions, and a commitment to working as a true partner with clients on their most complex challenges.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lead complex, high-profile executive search mandates across the higher education and research landscapes in Australia and New Zealand, and collaborate with colleagues across the firm on similar appointments worldwide.
2. Drive client engagement and business development, cultivating long-term partnerships with institutions of regional, national, and global significance.
3. Advise institutions on leadership and talent strategy, succession planning, and organisational development.
4. Mentor and lead project teams, ensuring excellence in candidate identification and engagement, and client service.
5. Contribute to thought leadership and best practice across Perrett Laver globally, and represent Perrett Laver in sector forums, panels, and publications.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for a confident and strategic professional who brings:

1. Exceptional interpersonal, analytical, and influencing skills, with the ability to engage credibly at the most senior levels.
2. A postgraduate qualification (Master's degree or higher).
3. Deep sectoral knowledge and senior professional experience in higher education, research, or adjacent mission-driven sectors.
4. A track record of managing complex projects and stakeholder relationships in dynamic, multi-stakeholder environments.
5. A genuine commitment to purpose-driven work and the advancement of leadership in relevant organisations.

Why Join Us?

1. Global reach, local impact: work across borders while deeply embedded in the Australian higher education and research context.
2. Mission-driven leadership: every appointment contributes to research, education, and social progress.
3. Intellectual engagement: collaborate with some of the most thoughtful and values-led leaders in the sector.
4. Collaborative culture: join a team that values rigour, curiosity, and shared purpose.