The posting
Job Description: Sourcing Manager – APAC
Location: Philippines – Remote Employment Type: Full-time Reporting to: Executive Search Leadership Team Working Hours: Australian business hours, with flexibility to support APAC markets
Position Overview
The Sourcing Manager – APAC will lead talent identification, market mapping, and candidate engagement activities across the Asia-Pacific region for an Australian executive search firm.
This role is responsible for developing high-quality candidate pipelines for senior, specialist, and executive-level appointments across multiple industries and functions. The successful candidate will combine hands-on research and sourcing expertise with team leadership, stakeholder management, and strong commercial awareness.
Working closely with executive search consultants and client-facing leaders, the Sourcing Manager will translate search strategies into targeted research plans, oversee delivery standards, and ensure that every assignment is supported by accurate market intelligence and a well-qualified candidate pipeline.
Key Responsibilities
Search Strategy and Execution
- Partner with executive search consultants to understand each client's business, organisational structure, industry, culture, and leadership requirements.
- Translate position briefs into structured sourcing strategies, search parameters, target-company lists, and candidate profiles.
- Lead sourcing activities for executive, leadership, specialist, and hard-to-fill appointments across APAC.
- Conduct comprehensive market mapping across relevant industries, functions, geographies, and competitor organisations.
- Identify both active and passive candidates through LinkedIn Recruiter, internal databases, professional networks, referrals, industry associations, and other research channels.
- Build and maintain longlists of qualified candidates aligned with the agreed search criteria.
- Approach prospective candidates professionally and communicate the opportunity in a compelling, confidential, and accurate manner.
- Conduct initial candidate screening to assess career history, leadership scope, technical or functional alignment, motivation, location, availability, and remuneration expectations.
- Prepare clear candidate summaries and market intelligence for consultant and client review.
- Maintain candidate engagement throughout the search process and support the delivery of a positive candidate experience.
Team Leadership and Quality Management
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of sourcing specialists, researchers, or recruitment support professionals.
- Allocate searches and research activities based on priority, complexity, capacity, and team capability.
- Set clear expectations regarding sourcing quality, candidate relevance, turnaround times, database accuracy, and communication.
- Review market maps, candidate lists, outreach messages, screening notes, and candidate summaries before submission.
- Monitor team performance and provide regular coaching, feedback, and development support.
- Establish consistent sourcing methodologies, templates, workflows, and quality-control processes.
- Identify capability gaps and provide training on executive search research, candidate engagement, market intelligence, and the use of sourcing technologies.
- Foster a collaborative, accountable, and high-performance team culture.
Stakeholder and Search Management
- Work closely with executive search consultants to monitor search progress, candidate pipelines, market feedback, and delivery risks.
- Participate in search calibration, progress, and strategy meetings.
- Provide timely updates on sourcing activity, candidate availability, market conditions, remuneration expectations, and potential delivery challenges.
- Recommend adjustments to search parameters when market findings indicate limited candidate availability or misalignment.
- Manage multiple concurrent assignments while maintaining quality, confidentiality, and agreed timelines.
- Escalate risks early and propose practical solutions to maintain search momentum.
- Support consultants in preparing client reports, talent maps, competitor analysis, and search progress updates.
APAC Talent Intelligence
- Develop a strong understanding of talent markets across Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Greater China, India, Japan, Korea, and other relevant APAC locations.
- Build knowledge of regional employment markets, talent availability, mobility considerations, remuneration trends, and cultural differences.
- Create and maintain talent pools for recurring leadership, functional, and specialist requirements.
- Track executive movements, competitor activity, organisational changes, and emerging talent trends.
- Produce market intelligence that strengthens client conversations and supports evidence-based search recommendations.
- Develop regional networks and referral channels that improve access to high-quality passive talent.
Systems, Governance, and Reporting
- Maintain accurate and complete information within the firm's applicant tracking system or executive search database.
- Ensure candidate records, sourcing activities, contact details, screening notes, and search progress are updated promptly.
- Track and report key sourcing metrics, including pipeline size, outreach activity, response rates, qualified candidate conversion, and delivery timelines.
- Ensure sourcing practices comply with data privacy requirements, confidentiality obligations, and the firm's professional standards.
- Identify opportunities to improve sourcing efficiency through automation, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and new recruitment technologies.
- Support continuous improvement initiatives across the executive search delivery process.
Key Performance Indicators
Performance may be measured against:
- Timely completion of search strategies and market maps.
- Quality and relevance of longlisted and shortlisted candidates.
- Candidate outreach and response rates.
- Conversion of sourced candidates into consultant interviews and client submissions.
- Achievement of agreed search milestones and turnaround times.
- Accuracy and completeness of candidate and search records.
- Stakeholder satisfaction and responsiveness.
- Strength and growth of APAC talent pipelines.
- Team productivity, quality, capability development, and retention.
- Candidate experience and professional representation of the firm.
Qualifications and Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Psychology, Communications, or a related discipline.
- At least five years of experience in talent sourcing, recruitment research, executive search, agency recruitment, or a related field.
- Previous experience leading or supervising a sourcing, research, or recruitment delivery team.
- Demonstrated experience supporting executive, senior leadership, specialist, or difficult-to-fill searches.
- Strong experience in market mapping, talent intelligence, competitor research, and passive candidate identification.
- Experience sourcing talent across multiple APAC countries or international markets.
- Previous experience within an executive search or specialist recruitment firm is strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple searches and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Experience partnering with Australian stakeholders or working within an Australian recruitment environment would be advantageous.
Technical Skills
- Advanced proficiency in LinkedIn Recruiter and other candidate sourcing platforms.
- Experience using applicant tracking systems, executive search databases, or recruitment CRM platforms.
- Strong capability in Boolean search, online research, talent mapping, and database mining.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office or Google Workspace, particularly spreadsheets and presentation tools.
- Ability to prepare professional market maps, candidate summaries, progress reports, and talent intelligence.
- Familiarity with AI-assisted sourcing, recruitment automation, and data-enrichment tools would be advantageous.
Core Competencies
Executive Search Capability
Understands the research-driven and confidential nature of executive search and can identify senior talent beyond conventional applicant channels.
Commercial Awareness
Recognises the connection between sourcing quality, client confidence, candidate experience, and successful search outcomes.
Leadership and Coaching
Provides clear direction, develops team capability, addresses performance issues, and creates accountability for delivery.
Stakeholder Management
Builds trusted working relationships with consultants, candidates, and internal leaders while communicating progress and risks clearly.
Research and Analytical Ability
Can interpret complex position requirements, identify relevant talent markets, and convert research into actionable search intelligence.
Communication and Candidate Engagement
Communicates confidently and professionally with senior candidates across different countries, industries, and cultures.
Quality and Attention to Detail
Maintains high standards in candidate assessment, written documentation, database management, and confidential information handling.
Agility and Prioritisation
Manages multiple assignments, adapts to changing search requirements, and maintains delivery momentum under pressure.
Cultural Awareness
Understands differences in communication, employment expectations, and candidate behaviour across APAC markets.
Preferred Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate is a hands-on sourcing leader who enjoys both conducting complex research and developing other sourcing professionals. They are naturally curious, commercially aware, and confident working with senior stakeholders and executive-level candidates.
They can move beyond keyword matching to understand organisational context, leadership scope, transferable capability, and the factors that make a candidate credible for a particular appointment. They are also comfortable working in an environment where priorities can change quickly and where discretion, responsiveness, and quality are essential.
Why Join the Firm
- Work on high-impact executive and specialist appointments across APAC.
- Collaborate with experienced executive search professionals in Australia.
- Build and lead a regional sourcing and research capability.
- Gain exposure to multiple industries, functions, and international talent markets.
- Contribute to the development of talent intelligence, sourcing technology, and executive search best practices.
- Join a collaborative and results-focused environment that values quality, professional integrity, and continuous improvement.
