Senior. Advisor, Executive Search- HR Talent Acquisition and Talent Management - Akron FirstEnergy Headquarters

FirstEnergy at a Glance
We are a forward-thinking electric utility powered by a diverse team of employees committed to making customers’ lives brighter, the environment better and our communities stronger.
FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability, and operational excellence. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, FirstEnergy includes one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, and a regulated generating fleet with a total capacity of more than 3,500 megawatts.
About the Opportunity

The reporting location for this on-site position will be Akron, OH or Reading, PA.

FirstEnergy is seeking a highly experienced and strategic Senior Advisor, Executive Search and Talent Intelligence to lead executive recruitment initiatives across the enterprise. Serving as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, this role is responsible for identifying, assessing, and attracting senior leadership talent for critical positions across the organization.

The Senior Advisor will partner closely with executive leadership, Human Resources Business Partners, and Talent Management to align executive search strategies with business objectives, succession planning priorities, and long-term workforce needs. This individual will leverage deep market expertise, executive assessment capabilities, and proactive talent mapping to build robust external leadership pipelines while delivering an exceptional candidate and stakeholder experience.

This is a senior individual contributor role that requires executive presence, strong business acumen, and the ability to influence outcomes across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Search Strategy

• Lead the full lifecycle of executive search engagements for Director, Vice President, Senior Vice President, and other critical leadership positions.
• Develop customized search strategies aligned with business objectives, organizational priorities, and talent requirements.
• Conduct executive market mapping, talent identification, candidate engagement, assessment, and selection activities.
• Build and maintain proactive pipelines for critical leadership roles and anticipated succession needs.

Executive Talent Advisory

• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leaders and hiring teams throughout the search process.
• Consult with business leaders to define leadership profiles, organizational requirements, and candidate success factors.
• Provide guidance regarding executive talent availability, competitive market conditions, and recruiting strategy.
• Facilitate calibration discussions and candidate evaluations to support informed hiring decisions.

Succession & Talent Pipeline Development

• Partner with Talent Management and HR Business Partners to understand succession risks and leadership capability gaps.
• Develop external talent pipelines aligned with future leadership needs.
• Maintain relationships with high-potential external executives and industry leaders.
• Support enterprise succession planning efforts through ongoing talent market intelligence.

Executive Assessment & Selection

• Evaluate executive candidates through structured assessment methodologies, behavioral interviewing, and leadership competency evaluations.
• Develop candidate summaries, leadership profiles, and executive search recommendations.
• Ensure a rigorous, objective, and consistent evaluation process.
• Market Intelligence & Competitive Insights
• Monitor executive labor markets, industry trends, competitor talent movement, and emerging leadership capabilities.
• Provide data-driven insights regarding organizational design, talent availability, compensation trends, and executive hiring strategies.
• Conduct benchmarking and competitive analysis to inform executive hiring decisions.

Search Operations & Vendor Management

• Manage relationships with retained executive search firms and external partners when utilized.
• Evaluate search firm performance and ensure alignment with organizational expectations.
• Track executive search activity, pipeline health, and key performance metrics.
• Continuously identify opportunities to improve executive search practices, tools, and processes.

Strategic Projects

• Support critical Talent Acquisition and Talent Management initiatives related to leadership talent.
• Participate in executive talent reviews, workforce planning discussions, and strategic talent projects as requested.
• Contribute to the development of enterprise talent acquisition strategies and best practices.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, or related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive recruiting experience, including significant experience leading executive-level searches.
• Demonstrated success recruiting Director, Vice President, and executive-level talent.
• Strong understanding of executive assessment, candidate evaluation, and leadership competency frameworks.
• Experience consulting with senior leaders and influencing executive hiring decisions.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong business acumen and ability to translate business strategies into talent acquisition solutions.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment in highly sensitive situations.

Preferred

• Experience within the utility, energy, infrastructure, engineering, or industrial sectors.
• Experience in retained executive search, executive recruiting, or executive talent acquisition functions.
• Knowledge of succession planning and leadership pipeline development.
• Experience supporting publicly traded or highly regulated organizations.
• Familiarity with executive compensation concepts and offer negotiations.

Key Competencies

• Executive Presence
• Strategic Thinking
• Business Acumen
• Talent Assessment
• Relationship Building
• Influencing Without Authority
• Market Intelligence
• Consultative Problem Solving
• Candidate Engagement
• Confidentiality and Professional Judgment

Why Join FirstEnergy?

At FirstEnergy, you will play a critical role in shaping the future leadership of the organization. As a trusted executive talent advisor, you will influence strategic hiring decisions, strengthen leadership pipelines, and help ensure the company has the executive talent needed to achieve its long-term business objectives.

Benefits, Compensation & Workforce Diversity

At FirstEnergy, employees are key to our success. We depend on their talents to meet the challenges of our changing business environment. We are committed to rewarding individual and team efforts through our total rewards philosophy which includes competitive pay plus incentive compensation, a company-sponsored pension plan, 401(k) savings plan with matching employer contribution, a choice of medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and life insurance programs, as well as skills development training with tuition reimbursement. Please visit our website at www.firstenergycorp.com to learn more about all of our employee rewards programs. FirstEnergy proudly supports workforce diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability. No recruiters or agencies without a previously signed contract. Unable to sponsor or transfer H-1B visas at this time.

Safety

Safety is a core value for FirstEnergy and is essential to all of our business activities. We ensure employees have the tools, information, and processes to perform their duties in a manner that assures safety for themselves, their co-workers, our customers and the public. Our goals are to provide a safe work environment, to maintain an accident-free, injury-free workplace, and to promote and maintain public safety. To meet these goals, we dedicate ourselves to achieving world-class safety standards.