Headhunter for executives: executive search for industrial leadership
As an experienced headhunter for executives we fill managing director roles, C-level positions and divisional leadership in industrial mid-caps and corporate groups in automotive, chemicals and mechanical engineering.
Six-month placement guarantee: If an executive we placed leaves the company within the first six months, we run the search again free of charge.
Why filling leadership roles calls for a specialised headhunter
A wrong appointment at managing director or divisional level costs a company a multiple of the annual salary — studies put it at six to ten times the annual salary.
Excellent managing directors, plant managers and divisional heads are on secure contracts and do not respond to advertisements. Reaching this hidden job market is possible only through targeted direct approach by experienced headhunters. That is exactly our core competence.
Searching for an executive differs fundamentally from filling a specialist role. Leadership, cultural fit and strategic judgement decide success.
As a specialised headhunter for executives based in Düsseldorf we offer a solution that combines three elements: deep industry specialisation, diagnostic rigour and personal senior attention.
What executive search at leadership level gains you
- Hidden market: access to executives who are not looking and are invisible on job portals
- Diagnostic depth: NEO-PI-R, BIP and structured interviews to DIN 33430 instead of gut feeling
- Discretion: anonymised first approach — your company name is disclosed only after mutual agreement
- Speed: first qualified shortlist in 4–6 weeks thanks to industry-specific networks
- Senior consultant: Jan Bohlken personally — no junior consultant, no handover
- Six-month guarantee: fee-free repeat search — we take responsibility for the outcome
Which leadership positions we fill as headhunters
Our executive search covers the entire leadership level — from the managing board and C-level through to divisional and department leadership.
- Managing director
- Plant managing director
- Spokesperson of the management board
- CEO / chairman of the board
- Managing partner
- CFO / chief financial officer
- COO / chief operating officer
- CTO / chief technology officer
- CSO / chief sales officer
- CHRO / chief human resources officer
- Plant manager
- Divisional head
- Branch manager
- Division director
- Regional Director
- Production manager
- Head of R&D
- Head of sales
- Head of HR
- Head of procurement
Headhunter for executives — with genuine industry knowledge
A headhunter for executives without industry specialisation can neither assess candidates technically nor approach them credibly.
Automotive industry
Leaders for OEMs and tier suppliers: managing directors, plant managers, heads of development and sales leadership.
To the automotive page →Chemical industry
Plant managers, heads of R&D, production management and technical managing directors in speciality, fine and petrochemicals.
To the chemicals page →Mechanical & plant engineering
Managing directors for mid-caps, divisional leadership, heads of design and sales leadership for manufacturers and suppliers.
To the mechanical engineering page →Executive search for leaders in five steps
Every executive assignment follows a structured process that combines discretion, speed and diagnostic depth.
A personal meeting on site. Analysis of the challenges, the company culture and a precise definition of the requirement profile.
Systematic identification of target companies and candidates, drawing on 25 years of industry network.
Personal, anonymised contact. We present a strategic perspective, not merely a vacancy.
In-depth interviews plus aptitude diagnostics (NEO-PI-R, BIP, DIN 33430). Three to five hand-picked candidates with full profiles.
Support through to contract and onboarding. Fee-free repeat search if the placement leaves within the first six months.
Aptitude diagnostics: the decisive difference in executive assignments
Most headhunters rely on interviews and instinct. We add scientifically validated procedures.
Big Five & NEO-PI-R
The best validated personality model worldwide. It captures the five dimensions that predict leadership success.
BIP & leadership style analysis
The Bochum Inventory of work-related personality, developed specifically for the leadership context.
DIN 33430 interviews
Structured, behaviour-based interviews to the DIN 33430 quality standard, assessing decision-making, leadership and resilience.
Your personal headhunter for executives
Jan Bohlken
For more than 25 years I have been running executive search assignments for leaders in automotive, chemicals and mechanical engineering. Thousands of conversations with managing directors, plant managers and C-level executives — and hundreds of successful appointments.
My standard: every appointment must fit technically, personally and culturally — evidenced by objective diagnostics.
„The best executives are not looking. They have to be found — and convinced that the next step is the right one.“
Frequently asked questions: headhunter for executives
Answers on executive search, fees, process and aptitude diagnostics when filling leadership positions.
In thirds: one third on assignment, one third on shortlist, one third on contract signature. Total fee 25 to 33 per cent of the gross annual target salary. Aptitude diagnostics included.
Shortlist in –6 weeks. Final appointment after –12 weeks. C-level assignments up to 16 weeks. Plus a six-month placement guarantee.
First, Industry specialisation with knowledge of the target companies. Second, diagnostic depth (NEO-PI-R, BIP, DIN 33430). Third, personal senior attention at eye level — no junior recruiter.
Automotive industry (OEMs, suppliers), Chemical industry (speciality chemicals, fine chemicals, life sciences) and mechanical and plant engineering (including special-purpose machinery and engineering).
Anonymised first approach without naming your company. Candidate profiles only after mutual agreement. No competing assignments in the same segment.
Yes. A fee-free repeat search if the placement leaves within the first six months — a fixed part of the contract.
NEO-PI-R, BIP and DIN 33430 as a fixed part of every assignment. They reveal patterns that stay hidden in an interview.
Yes. Potential analyses for internal candidates using the same instruments as for external ones — an objective basis for comparison.
Across Germany and the DACH region. Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands.
Confidentially at +49 (0) 211 9252 9518 or via the contact form. View current vacancies.
We open doors that are not visible on the open job market. If you are planning your next career step in automotive, chemicals or mechanical engineering discreetly, talk to us in confidence.
Functional & industry expertise
Ready to fill your leadership position for the long term?
Every unfilled leadership role costs strategic capability. Talk now to your specialised headhunter headhunter for executives in Düsseldorf.