A portfolio manager move is a market event. We treat it as one.
Portfolio managers, investment leadership, technology and operations hires for hedge funds, from launch to multi-strategy scale.
The hire touches capital, compliance and reputations on both sides.
We run these searches in private, with the discretion the move requires and a clear view of what the candidate's track record is worth to your platform.
Our reach covers the investment seat and the infrastructure behind it: the technology, data and operations leaders who decide whether a fund can scale.
Senior mandates across Hedge Funds.
Investment
Technology & Data
Operations
Three things decide whether a hire here works.
Track record under scrutiny
Returns examined alongside drawdowns, capacity and the conditions that produced them.
Mandate and culture fit
A strategy that suits your risk framework and a working style that suits your investment committee.
Operational readiness
Leaders who have built the infrastructure a growing fund needs before allocators ask for it.
We are not incentivised to place. We are incentivised to be right.
Relationship depth. No noise.
We work from relationships built over years in these markets. Our shortlists come from people we know personally.
Private signal. No public data.
Market intelligence drawn from confidential conversations with the people doing the work.
Senior-led. No delegation.
The person who takes your brief runs your search, makes every approach and sits in every key conversation.
The search firm that says no.
If the role is mis-scoped, the compensation is off or the candidate is wrong for you, we say so. This costs us fees. It is also why people call us back.
What clients and candidates say about working with us.
“Spearpoint has been a trusted partner on some of our most critical leadership searches. Their market knowledge, professionalism and access to hard-to-reach talent have consistently delivered exceptional results.”
“Without a shadow of a doubt, Sam is one of the most connected people in the market. Every candidate he brought us was exactly who he said they would be.”
“Sam and the team were instrumental in facilitating a board appointment I was a part of. Throughout the process they demonstrated professionalism, discretion, and a strong network across both the public and private sectors.”
Three ways we work with hedge funds.
Leadership Search
Retained search for the hires that set direction. Board, C-suite and senior leadership.
Specialist Search
Staff and principal engineers, senior researchers and principal product leaders.
Market Intelligence
Compensation benchmarks, talent maps and competitor insight from confidential conversations.
Questions clients ask about hedge fund hiring.
What roles do you hire for at hedge funds?
Portfolio Managers, Investment Directors, Chief Investment Officers, senior analysts, Heads of Technology and Data, quantitative developers, COOs and fund operations, risk and compliance leadership.
How do you keep a portfolio manager search confidential?
Approaches are made in person by the person running the search, and no names are circulated. We run these searches in private.
How do you assess a portfolio manager's track record?
We examine returns alongside drawdowns, capacity and the conditions that produced them, before a candidate reaches your shortlist.
Do you hire for fund launches?
Yes. We hire from first close through to multi-strategy build-out, including the technology and operations leaders a growing fund needs.
Can you benchmark hedge fund compensation?
Yes. Hedge funds are covered in our compensation guide at spearpointsearch.com/resources/salary-guide.
What is retained executive search?
A retained search is an exclusive mandate. We work only on your role, map the whole market, approach candidates directly and stay on the search until the hire starts. A contingent recruiter is paid only on placement, which rewards speed over fit.
How long does a search take?
Our standard timeline is 8 working weeks from signature to offer. Approaches go live in week 1, you receive a written shortlist in week 4, and your interviews run in weeks 5 to 7. Notice periods then set the start date.
How are your fees structured?
The fee is a percentage of first-year total compensation, paid in two parts. A retainer is due on signature and covers the market map and shortlist. The balance is due when the candidate starts. If we miss the agreed shortlist date, the retainer is refunded in full.
What happens if a hire does not work out?
If no shortlisted candidate reaches second interview, we restart the search once at no further fee. If the hire leaves within the guarantee period agreed in the mandate, we replace them at no fee.
Where do you run searches?
We work from offices in London and Dubai and run searches globally. Every approach is made in confidence, by the person running your search.
The most important hires at hedge funds happen in private. We handle those.
Or call +44 (0)20 3873 9433
London · Dubai