If you are comparing chemical executive search firms, most of what you read sounds the same: deep networks, a proven process, a trusted partner. This page sticks to things you can check. What we cover, who does the work, how long it takes and what it costs.
What we search for
Commercial leadership
VP Sales, Commercial Director, Business Development Director, Country Manager, and the sales managers who report to them. Chemical sales recruitment
Technical leadership
Head of R&D, Technical Director, Application Development Manager, and technical service and regulatory leads. R&D and technical recruitment
Operations leadership
Plant Manager, Operations Director, and site, engineering and supply chain leadership. Plant and operations recruitment
General management
Managing Director, General Manager, business unit heads, Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Operating Officer.
The sectors we cover
Chemicals and plastics is the only market we work. Within it we cover more than fifteen sectors, and we have written in detail about six of them:
- Coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers (CASE)
- Chemical distribution
- Agrochemicals
- Polymer additives, masterbatch and compounding
- Medical plastics
- Fuels and lubricants
We also work in home and personal care, industrial chemicals, printing, packaging and inks, and across automotive, electrical and electronics, consumer and packaging plastics.
Who does the work
Every search is led by Elliott Leek, who founded MK Search in 2022 and has recruited in chemicals and plastics since 2016. The person who takes your brief is the person who calls the market. Nothing is handed to a junior researcher.
That matters most in a small industry. Senior people in chemicals mostly know each other, and a clumsy approach is remembered. A search goes better when the person making the call already understands the difference between a coatings formulator and a personal care formulator.
How a search runs
| Stage | What happens | When |
|---|---|---|
| Confidential briefing | A detailed conversation about the role, the team and what "exceptional" looks like here. If the specification is unrealistic for the market, you hear it now. | Day 1 |
| Market mapping | The full competitor set and the qualified people within it: who is where, who is ready to move, and who you would never find on a job board. | Days 2–5 |
| Qualified shortlist | Interviewed, referenced and genuinely interested candidates, with our honest read on each, including the reservations. | Days 6–10 |
| Offer & onboard | Interviews, expectations and counter-offers managed through to a signed contract and a smooth start. | To completion |
Total time to a signed offer depends on your interview process and the candidate's notice period more than on the search itself.
What it costs
| Retained search | Contingent search | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | 25–30% of the first-year total package | 25% of base salary |
| When you pay | A fixed engagement fee up front, the balance on placement | Only on a successful placement |
| Replacement guarantee | 12 months | 6 months |
| Best suited to | Director, VP and C-suite roles, confidential replacements, small talent pools | Commercial and technical roles with an active market |
We publish our fees because almost no other firm in this market does. If you are hiring several people against a site or regional deadline, RPO usually fits better than either. We explain how we choose between the models in retained or contingency: the honest version.
What the market pays
We publish an open salary guide for specialty chemicals and plastics, with every source named. Three findings from the 2026 edition that affect senior searches:
- Chemical manufacturers underpay technical people. US chemical engineers earn a median of $112,300 in chemical manufacturing against $125,040 across all industries (BLS, May 2025).
- Plant leadership is the exception. Industrial production managers earn a median of $135,530 in chemical manufacturing against $126,060 across all industries.
- Senior commercial pay. The 10 US VP and C-level leaders in our own interview and placement data had a median base salary of $250,000, in a range from $225,000 to $350,000. The bonus targets they described ran from around 17% to 75% of base.
US, UK and Europe: one team
We run one search team across both markets and do not refer work to a partner firm. In the US we cover the market coast to coast, from Gulf Coast production to East Coast headquarters. In Europe we cover the UK, DACH, Benelux and the wider chemical corridor from London. When a US business needs a European commercial lead, or a European group is building a US operation, the same team works both sides.
Recent searches
Three searches we ran between 2024 and 2026, with the clients unnamed. The figures come from our own search records.
VP Sales for a bio-based materials producer
The brief. A US producer of bio-based materials needed a VP of Sales. The role was about 80% sales and 20% marketing, and the brief arrived a week before Christmas.
What we did. We identified 70 people and sent the first CVs within 15 days, over the holiday. The client chose four to interview, and the finalists met the CEO and Chief Commercial Officer in person.
The result. The hire was agreed 45 days after the search opened, and the new VP started three weeks later. The client also asked us to run a second search in Europe.
VP Marketing and Business Development for a polymer compounder
The brief. A US polymer compounder needed a VP of Marketing and Business Development.
What we did. We identified 164 people across the US and presented a first shortlist of seven within 25 days, then two more. We took references on the preferred candidate before the offer went out.
The result. The hire was agreed 70 days after the search opened. The client briefed us on three further searches over the next five months.
Senior Technical Manager for a specialty pigment manufacturer
The brief. A US specialty pigment manufacturer needed a senior technical and R&D manager who could grow into its future Technical Director.
What we did. We identified 123 people and sent a shortlist within 19 days. The preferred candidate visited the plant and met the operations team, then hesitated over the package. We worked between both sides until the offer was right.
The result. The candidate accepted the improved offer and joined the business.
How to choose a chemical executive search firm
Ask who will make the calls
In many firms a partner wins the work and a researcher does it. Ask for the name of the person who will speak to candidates, and how long they have worked in chemicals.
Ask for the fee and the guarantee in writing
Before the first meeting, not after it. A guarantee measured in weeks expires about when a poor hire stops looking like a settling-in period.
Ask which companies are off limits
A firm cannot approach the people of its own clients. The more of your competitors a firm works for, the smaller the market it can search for you. Ask every firm on your list, including us.
Ask what they would advise against
A good firm will tell you when a retained search is more than the role needs, or when the specification describes someone who barely exists. If nothing in the first conversation pushes back, be cautious.
Questions we get asked
What does a chemical executive search firm do?
It finds and approaches the people who could do a senior role but are not looking for one. That means mapping every company that could employ your next hire, identifying the people in the relevant seats, and holding a credible conversation with each. An advert only reaches people who are already looking.
How much does chemical executive search cost?
Our retained search fee is 25–30% of the successful candidate's first-year total package, with a 12-month replacement guarantee. Our contingent search fee is 25% of base salary, paid only on a successful placement, with a 6-month replacement guarantee.
How long does a chemical executive search take?
We deliver a qualified shortlist within ten working days of the briefing. Total time to a signed offer depends on your interview process and the candidate's notice period.
Do you work in both the US and Europe?
Yes. One team covers the US coast to coast, and the UK, DACH, Benelux and the wider European market from London.
Do you only handle executive roles?
No. Retained search covers Director, VP and C-suite appointments. Contingent search covers commercial and technical roles such as account managers, technical service and process engineers. RPO covers multi-hire projects.
Which parts of the chemical industry do you cover?
Specialty chemicals and plastics only, including CASE, chemical distribution, agrochemicals, polymer additives, medical plastics, fuels and lubricants, home and personal care, and industrial chemicals.
Tell us about the role
Send a few lines and a sector specialist will come back to you within one business day. Or book a 15-minute call.
Have a leadership hire to make?
Every conversation is confidential, and there is no obligation attached to any of them.
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