The RoleWe’re a fast-growth, highly agile shop looking for a generalist who is comfortable flexing without a playbook: priorities move, we build the process, use it, and adjust when it stops working. 10th St. Talent is a retained executive search firm backed by Permanent Equity, placing senior leaders in PE-backed and founder-led companies. The firm has seen steady and impressive growth over its three years, doubling in size each year. The growth has also added layers of scale complexity as the team and search count grows.The Search Operations Manager will own search-level project management and quality across the firm’s active searches (20+ concurrent searches). This is not a recruiting role. It is an operational role focused on funnel health, execution quality, process adherence, and margin protection. The right person is deeply data-literate, catches blips in numbers before they become problems, and builds the rhythm that lets recruiters focus on candidates while the CEO focuses on growth.
How We WorkEach search is run by a Principal Recruiter who owns the client relationship, supported by one or more Analysts who source candidates and manage ATS hygiene. The Search Operations Manager sits alongside this structure as a purely internal role. They project-manage every active search with the Recruiter and Analysts but do not engage directly with clients.
Core ResponsibilitiesSearch Funnel Analysis & EvaluationMonitor every active search’s funnel (sourced → outreach → responded → interested → screened → interviewed → submitted) and flag conversion breakdowns before they stall a searchBenchmark stage-over-stage conversion rates against firm averages; identify which searches are healthy, thinning, or need interventionPioneer the project of establishing firm-level search benchmarks by role seniority (conversion rates, time-in-stage, time-to-fill) so every search is measured against the right baselineTrack leading indicators (outreach velocity, response rate, time-in-stage, pipeline depth) and produce a weekly search health dashboard for the CEOSearch Delivery & PacingRun weekly search-level reviews with each recruiter: milestones on track, pipeline depth adequate, next bottleneck identifiedIdentify blockers early and partner with the CEO and recruiter to unblock stalled searchesEnforce tiered process cadence by contract value — right-sizing process depth/speed so lower-fee searches stay profitable without sacrificing qualityTrack time-to-fill, days-in-market, and aging metrics; escalate aging searches with a recommendation Quality & Deliverable ReviewEnsure all deliverables are client-ready and meet 10th St.’s quality bar before they go out Audit CRM hygiene and process adherence: pipeline stages current, activities logged, pass reasons documented, candidate data completeCapacity & Resource ManagementMonitor recruiter workload and flag imbalances; coordinate analyst/sourcer allocation across searches based on priority and pipeline needsHelp define priorities for analysts with regard to workload distributionManage the analyst pool (5+ contractors). Hold them accountable, coach and develop them, and help build systems that improve their efficiency Profile5+ years in professional services delivery project management or rev opsFluent in funnel math — can look at a pipeline and immediately see where conversion is breaking down and whyComfortable in data & with new tools: CRM analytics, dashboards, and using AI to perform data analysis (Claude Code a plus). Doesn’t need a data team to pull their own numbersOperational mindset: builds systems, enforces standards, runs meetings with structure, follows up relentlessly. Organization + action + accountabilityAbility to influence stakeholders and empower change AI-fluent: uses AI tools as a daily part of the job to analyze data, build workflows, and automate repeatable workConcise communicator: gets to the point, gives the yes or no first, and doesn’t overcomplicateComfortable with constant context-switching across 20+ active searchesNo recruiting background required; curiosity and openness to learning how search works matter moreKey Performance IndicatorsMargin per search by contract tierAverage time-to-fill and days-in-market across portfolioEfficiency of analyst team (able to support effectively across more searches) Compensation & BenefitsBase Salary: Commensurate with experienceBonus: Tied to KPIs and up to 10% of base salaryHealth Insurance, 401(k), unlimited PTOYou’d be great for this role if you’ve come from:Program Manager, Project Manager (agency or consulting), Implementation Manager, or Delivery ManagerRevenue Operations Manager, Sales Operations Manager, or Marketing Operations ManagerBusiness Intelligence Analyst, Operations Analyst, Business Operations Manager, or Strategy & Operations
Traditional executive search isn’t built for small business. Our process is.
10th St. Talent has designed an approach that fits the realities of scaling teams. The challenge isn’t finding qualified candidates. It’s identifying leaders who can navigate ambiguity, accelerate growth trajectories, and deliver measurable impact when resources are tight.
Who We Serve:
Growing businesses backed by investors, founder-led companies planning for their next chapter, or enterprises owned by private capital—organizations that recognize talent as their most powerful lever for transformation.
Our Focus:
Low-Frequency, High-Impact Roles
We specialize in the positions you hire for once every few years. The pivotal roles where the right leader transforms your business trajectory.
Our Evolution:
10th St. Talent was born as the hiring arm of Permanent Equity where we weren’t theorizing about best practices. We were living them. This is where we refined our approach by solving real talent challenges for growing portfolio companies first.
No theory.
No outdated playbooks.
Just a practical method that delivered results for companies navigating rapid transformation.
People are messy, and so is traditional hiring. We're here to change that. You shouldn't need unlimited resources to access the sophisticated search process your pivotal roles deserve.
Our end-to-end approach combines deep operational understanding with proprietary multi-science assessments, delivering the strategic partnership growing organizations need to succeed. We specialize in serving essential industries — the businesses that build, make, and deliver the products and services that power our economy. Through our comprehensive process, we create powerful matches that drive lasting success for both businesses and leaders.
