Family Office Recruitment
Specialist recruitment for family offices and private structures
Squad Placements is a specialist family office recruitment agency, building discreet, high-functioning teams for single family offices, multi-family offices, and the private companies that sit alongside them. Whether you are establishing a new private office, replacing a long-serving leader, or expanding an existing structure, we find people who fit the family as well as the role.
Family office recruitment is not corporate hiring with a different job title. Trust, discretion, emotional intelligence, and long-term alignment matter as much as technical experience — and they rarely show up on a CV. Our approach combines genuine insider knowledge of private office life with a rigorous, consultative search process.
Family Office Roles We Recruit
Running a family office requires a small team of people who can operate with discretion, initiative, and absolute reliability. Because these teams are compact, every hire carries disproportionate weight.
We regularly place:
- Chief of Staff and Private Office Directors
- Chief Executive, Chief Financial and Chief Operating Officers
- Executive Assistants and Personal Assistants to principals
- General Counsel, finance, legal and compliance professionals
- Property and Estate Managers
- Tax advisors, accountants and risk managers
- Philanthropy and Foundation Directors
Each candidate is selected against your specific structure — whether you need financial expertise, operational fluency, or the finesse required to support a principal directly.
What Makes Family Office Recruitment Different
Most searches fail for the same reasons, and almost none of them are about qualifications:
- The brief is unclear. Chief of Staff, Private Office Director and COO are used interchangeably, and the role shifts once the search begins.
- The best candidates are not applying. Senior private office professionals move through trusted networks, not job boards.
- Discretion cannot be assessed from a CV. It has to be tested through structured interviewing and thorough referencing.
- Cultural fit determines retention. Technically strong hires leave when the working rhythm does not suit them.
We resolve the brief before approaching anyone. In practice, that single step prevents most mis-hires.
Our Family Office Recruitment Process
Our process is deliberately rigorous and entirely bespoke. We do not send volume; we send a shortlist you can act on.
Consultation — We start by understanding your structure, your principal’s working style, and where the role genuinely sits. Where several hires are needed, we map the sequence.
Search & Selection — We activate our network to identify candidates aligned with your needs, values, and pace.
Screening & Interviews — Every candidate is interviewed by us before you see a CV. We assess judgement, communication and discretion, not just track record.
Shortlist — You receive a curated shortlist of genuinely suitable candidates.
Placement & Follow-Up — We stay close to both client and candidate to ensure the placement settles.
Family Office Recruitment Across Borders
Family offices rarely sit in one jurisdiction. We run searches for families with residences and interests across Europe, the United States, and the Middle East — including cross-border placements, candidates comfortable with international travel, and awareness of the compliance differences between markets.
Why Families Choose Squad
We are not generalist recruiters. Squad was founded by professionals who have worked inside family offices, private service, and founder-led businesses. We know what these roles demand because we have done them and this means we know how to hire family office staff .
That experience shapes how we screen, how we advise, and how we protect your confidentiality throughout.
Family Office Recruitment FAQs
What does a family office recruitment agency do? A specialist agency defines the role, sources candidates from private office networks rather than job boards, screens for discretion and long-term fit, and manages the process confidentially from brief to placement.
Which roles should a new family office hire first? Most offices begin with a Chief of Staff or Private Office Director who can help shape the rest of the team, then add finance and operational support, then personal and household staff as needs become defined.
How long does a family office search take? Senior searches typically run six to twelve weeks, depending on the seniority of the role and how quickly the brief is settled.
Is the search confidential? Yes. Every search is run confidentially, and candidates are only given identifying details once mutual interest is established.