Transforming knowledge and networks in international education
The PIE network
A specialist executive search and recruitment partner for international education, helping organisations and institutions appoint mid to senior level commercial, strategic and leadership talent, across the sector and globally.
We support universities, pathway providers, EdTech companies, testing organisations, agents, aggregators, accommodation providers, study abroad providers and global education brands to appoint high-impact talent across leadership, commercial, recruitment, admissions, marketing, partnerships and operations roles.
Our work is built on deep sector knowledge, targeted search, trusted candidate relationships and the global reach of The PIE’s media, events and professional community.
Whether you are making a confidential senior appointment, strengthening a commercial team, entering a new market or reviewing your leadership capability, we help you identify, engage and assess the people who can move your organisation forward.
We’ve sat on both sides of the interview table. For fifteen years, we’ve built a successful track record of searches across 20+ countries, becoming a trusted partner to the industry by combining recruitment discipline with an understanding of the commercial, cultural and regulatory realities that shape the sector.
Sector credibility: Backed by The PIE News, The PIE Live and The PIEoneer Awards, we are known and trusted across the international education community. Candidates are often more receptive to a conversation with The PIE than they are to a generalist recruiter.
Global reach, specialist focus: International education is not one part of what we do. It is our entire focus. We understand the differences between higher education, pathways, schools, EdTech, testing, student services, agents and global education brands.
Access to active and passive candidates: We combine targeted headhunting with an established candidate network, referrals and long-standing relationships built through The PIE’s editorial, events and community platforms.
Market intelligence: Our live conversations with employers and candidates give clients insight into salary expectations, market movement, role design, talent availability and candidate motivations.
Objective assessment: Where appropriate, we use structured screening, reference checks and psychometric testing to support fairer, more informed hiring decisions.
Confidentiality: We are experienced in managing discreet searches for sensitive leadership, restructuring, replacement and market-entry appointments.
We approached The PIE Exec Search following an unsuccessful attempt to fill one of our senior roles ourselves. The team proactively sought out candidates who might not have otherwise seen or applied for our role. Our HR team loved working with them as they knew exactly what they were doing and just made things easy for all involved.”
We partner with organisations and universities across the international education sector supporting searches in the UK, Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Ireland, APAC and South America.
Organisation types include:
We work across the full spectrum of senior appointments in international education, so if there’s a role with a leadership angle, we’re likely able to help.
Typical role we support include:
Looking for talent in international education?
The strongest partnerships happen when the hiring challenge requires sector knowledge, candidate trust and a targeted approach.
We are a strong fit if you:
We may not be the right fit if you:
Need support with a senior or hard-to-fill hire?
Every search is shaped around the seniority, urgency, sensitivity and complexity of the appointment. We offer retained executive search, targeted recruitment support and project-based screening or benchmarking depending on what the hiring challenge requires.
Best for: Critical senior, commercial or leadership appointments where the organisation needs a dedicated partner to manage the search from brief to appointment.
What we do: We lead the process on an exclusive basis, including briefing, role positioning, market mapping, targeted headhunting, candidate engagement, screening, assessment, weekly client updates, interview coordination, reference checks, and offer support and psychometric testing where appropriate.
Deliverables: A carefully assessed shortlist, detailed candidate profiles, structured feedback, market insight, candidate information pack support and guidance throughout the process.
Typical timeline: Shortlists are usually delivered within 4–6 weeks, depending on the seniority, geography and complexity of the role.
Fee structure: Retained search fees are calculated as a percentage of base salary and payable across three stages: upfront, shortlist and candidate start date. A 12-week guarantee applies. The first two fee stages are non-refundable.
We work exclusively on retained searches, which means we do not operate alongside other recruiters or duplicate parallel recruitment efforts. This allows us to commit the time, market access and senior attention required to deliver a high-quality result.
The PIE Exec Search team worked very closely with me throughout the process, really
getting to understand the role and our needs, and advising on how we might revise our
approach to maximise our appeal.
VP Business Development, UK & International
Best for: Organisations running their own recruitment process but looking to strengthen the field, widen the candidate pool or sense-check market response.
What we do: We use our sector database, network and candidate relationships to identify relevant profiles, validate interest, confirm key details such as salary expectations, location and notice period, and introduce suitable candidates into a client-led process.
This model is lighter-touch than retained search. It does not include full headhunting, detailed assessment or end-to-end process management. The client takes ownership once candidates enter the formal interview process.
Fee structure: Fees are agreed based on scope, usually through a fixed upfront fee plus a success fee on appointment.
Best for: Roles that have attracted a large applicant pool where the client needs specialist help identifying the strongest candidates quickly and objectively.
What we do: We review applications, screen candidates against agreed criteria, reduce noise in the process and provide a more focused shortlist for interview.
Fee structure: Fees are agreed depending on scope and are typically structured as a fixed project fee paid upfront.
Alongside executive search and recruitment support, we offer project-based services to help organisations make better hiring decisions, understand the talent market and support teams through change.
Psychometric testing: Psychometric testing can be used as part of a search process or as a standalone service to support more objective, structured and informed decision-making. Pricing is shared based on the number of profiles and the intended use case.
Salary and market benchmarking: We provide market benchmarking to help clients understand salary expectations, talent availability, role design, candidate motivations and competitive positioning. Benchmarking projects are delivered on an agreed project-fee basis.
Research, development and training: We offer bespoke support for client teams on topics including leadership in international education, inclusive hiring, interview best practice, commercial capability and candidate assessment.
Redundancy and outplacement support: For organisations managing restructuring or redundancy, we can provide tailored outplacement support to help affected employees navigate their next career step. This can be offered as a one-off package or structured support programme, with credits valid for 12 months where appropriate.
Practical guidance regarding applications and interviews has been considered and thorough, based on their knowledge and experience of the sector. They are quick to provide actionable feedback and carefully consider both employer and candidate perspectives.
Our consultants come from international education. We are not generalist recruiters applying a standard recruitment model to a specialist sector.
We understand the dynamics of student recruitment, admissions, partnerships, international strategy, commercial growth, operations and leadership in education organisations. That context helps us advise clients more effectively, ask better questions and build stronger candidate relationships.
Our search work gives us a live view of hiring trends across international education. Through active assignments, candidate conversations and The PIE’s editorial insight, we help clients understand how the talent market is moving.
This insight can support role design, salary positioning, workforce planning, succession planning and market-entry decisions. It can also help clients understand where the market is competitive, where candidates are moving and what senior professionals now expect from employers.
For clients, that means better-informed hiring decisions. For candidates, it means a search partner that understands the context behind the opportunity, not just the job title.
No two hiring challenges are exactly the same. A confidential leadership replacement, a first senior hire in a new region, a commercial team build, a post-restructure appointment and a high-volume applicant review all require different levels of support.
That is why our engagement models are flexible. We can lead a full retained search, support a client-led process, benchmark the market, assess an existing candidate pool or design a bespoke project around the outcome you need.
We also support inclusive hiring practices and can advise on process design, candidate assessment and interview best practice to help clients make fair, consistent and effective hiring decisions.
If you work in international education and are considering your next move, The PIE Exec Search can help you stay visible to relevant opportunities across the sector.
Registering with us allows you to build a relationship with a specialist search team, hear about relevant roles and access opportunities that may not be publicly advertised.
Our candidate relationships are built on discretion, honest advice and long-term sector knowledge. Even when a role is not the right move, we aim to make every conversation useful.