Design executive recruiters work within a wide range of markets, finding top executives for corporations, museums, city planning commissions and cultural organizations requiring executive talent in art and design. Positions can vary from advertising to museum curation to architectural planning to high-end art procurement or design.

A recruitment firm specializing in executive design searches should be your first stop when looking for top level talent. These types of professional recruiters have extensive networking capabilities. They can provide you with viable candidates, both domestic and abroad, and can act in a third party capacity — quietly approaching potential candidates without jeopardizing their current employment status or stepping on competitive toes.

Before retaining a firm to perform a design executive search, gather the following information:

1. An exact job description;

2. Salary and benefit information;

3. Educational and background requirements; and

4. A personality profile and managerial style design executive recruiters must look for in a qualified candidate.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose graphic arts recruiters to find executives for print and web media

Advertising and promotional companies can spend millions of dollars on a single ad campaign. With tremendous investments at stake, the most competent executive must be at the helm. A graphic executive search, design-specific in its focus, is the best solution for finding top talent in the industry.

I recommend: Roz Goldfarb Associates is a multi-service recruiting firm that has been a leader in the industry for over 20 years. In addition, PrintQuest offers full service recruiting within the graphic arts and multimedia industry.

Fill an art executive job by retaining specialists within the recruiting industry

Art museums and galleries rarely advertise top-level positions. Conventional recruitment of these executives involves identification and confidential approach by a third-party search firm.

I recommend: The executive search firm of Witt/Kieffer has 3 decades of experience providing top managerial talent for the cultural arts sector. C. Anderson Associates is also a highly recommended firm that specializes in art executives with sales capabilities.

Opt for international recruitment for architectural profession

Executive talent in architectural design is often located abroad. Some of the most significant architecture found today is due in part to the influence of cultures all over the world. International arts and executive search go hand in hand when seeking architectural designers.

I recommend: Kimmel and Associates are available for contingency or retained searches for the architectural designer you’ve been waiting for. As a bonus, they also provide recruiting for the construction industry. API Partners offers additional expertise in executive search in design -- the senior executives are all former owners of architectural design firms.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Of all the headhunters working in the arts, executive search firms with prior experience in the art and design field are often the most effective. They understand the industry from both insider and recruiter viewpoints. A recruiter with a previous career in your company's market is a gold mine of a find.