Our senior HR network has been built over more than 30 years across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. We do not rely solely on advertising a vacancy. For executive search assignments, we identify and approach relevant HR leaders directly, including people who may be successful and settled in their current organisation but prepared to consider the right opportunity.

Executive search is typically used for senior, specialist or business-critical appointments where the strongest people may not be actively applying for jobs. It involves identifying, researching and approaching relevant leaders directly rather than relying on the active job market alone.

Start with what your business needs the HR Director to achieve. An organisation preparing for growth may need very different experience from one going through restructuring, transformation or succession. Board exposure, leadership style, team size, commercial experience and the maturity of your existing HR function can all shape the right profile.

There is no universal distinction. In some organisations an HR Director holds a formal board or executive position, while a Head of HR reports into another senior leader. In others, the roles are very similar. Scope, reporting line, decision-making authority, team responsibility and ownership of people strategy are often better indicators than the title itself.

Yes. MCS Group recruits interim HR Directors, Heads of HR and other senior HR leaders for organisations that need experienced leadership during transformation, restructuring, absence, a permanent executive search or another period of change.

Yes. Some of the most useful career conversations happen before you start actively searching. If you want to understand the market, discuss where your experience could take you or hear about relevant senior HR opportunities, you can speak to our team confidentially.