Executive & C-Suite Search
CTO Search
Recruiting cto search talent for mid-market and enterprise clients across US, UK, Canada. Project-based.
Tier: Project-based
Built per engagement with senior search consultants. Ramp time is three to four weeks. Best run as a defined-scope project with executive-search rigor.
Benchmarks
Salary range, time-to-fill, market coverage.
Sourced from public benchmark data (BLS, Robert Half guide, Levels.fyi public data, Glassdoor) plus our internal placement history. Updated annually.
- Salary range (USD)
- $325K to $800K
- Time to fill
- 75 to 150 days
- Top markets
- US, UK, Canada
Median around $563K
Median around 113 days
How we source CTO Search
A three-step approach calibrated to the role.
- 01
Calibrate the search
We spend the first 5 to 7 business days aligning on persona, must-haves versus nice-to-haves, target compensation band against the $325K to $800K market range, and the must-go and no-go company list. Output is a signed-off role brief.
- 02
Source against the brief
Retained, exclusive engagement. Off-market candidate sourcing through senior consultant networks. Multi-stakeholder competency mapping and structured interview design. For CTO Search specifically, we expect to deliver 60 to 100 qualified contacts within the first three weeks of an active search.
- 03
Screen, present, support the close
Phone-screened candidates with structured screen reports, panel coordination, candidate prep and debrief, offer drafting and negotiation support. Median time-to-fill on this role is around 113 days when search is run as a focused engagement.
Compensation transparency
How we calibrate offers.
We benchmark against the $325K to $800K range with adjustments for tenure, geography, and equity stage. We do not lowball offers to win a close. If your target band is below market for CTO Search in US, we will tell you in the calibration call and offer the trade-off honestly: accept the band and a smaller pool of candidates, or adjust the band and reach the full pool. The conversation is on the table from week one, not after a failed offer.
Related roles in this category
Pair this with.
Hiring CTO Search? Send the brief.
48-hour response with a worked plan, an indicative price, and a named recruiter on your engagement.