Executive Search Services by Market
Retained executive search and integrated staffing for higher education, healthcare, financial services, and government. We place presidents, provosts, chief nursing officers, CFOs, and federal program leaders, nationally and internationally.
Start a Search Contact UsThe Markets We Recruit In
Tell us about your open leadership role and we will scope a retained search, usually with finalists in three to five weeks.
Start a search For Candidates Looking for a role? See open positions.Browse current openings across higher education, healthcare, financial services, and government, or submit your resume for future searches.
View open rolesExecutive Search Services for Four Core Industries
Excelon Associates is a retained executive search firm founded in 2007 that provides executive search services for higher education institutions, healthcare organizations, financial services firms, and government agencies. The firm is headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, with additional offices in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, Florida, and places candidates throughout the United States and internationally. Excelon also provides temporary and contract staffing across all four sectors.
Recruitment is not a one-size-fits-all service, and we built this firm around that conviction. Instead of covering every industry at surface depth, we concentrate our executive search services on four sectors where we hold large active candidate networks and genuine subject-matter expertise. Each market below links to a dedicated practice page with full role lists and engagement details.
What Is Retained Executive Search?
Retained executive search is a recruitment model in which an organization hires a search firm on an exclusive, committed basis to fill a senior leadership position. The firm conducts proactive, research-driven outreach to qualified candidates, including those not actively job hunting, and manages the entire process from position profiling through final negotiation. This differs from contingent recruiting, where multiple agencies compete to submit resumes and are paid only if their candidate is hired.
Most Excelon Associates engagements follow the retained model. It is the standard for presidential, provostial, C-suite, and agency-level searches because it guarantees dedicated effort, confidentiality, and access to passive candidates who never respond to job postings. Our average search timeline runs three to five weeks from kickoff to finalist presentation, which is significantly faster than the industry norm for retained work. You can read more about how the two models differ on the Excelon Associates blog.
While we prefer the retained model for the depth and commitment it brings, we are flexible. For the right opportunity we are happy to discuss contingency-based arrangements that fit your situation.
Which Industries Do Our Executive Search Services Cover?
Excelon Associates operates five practice areas: four core industry verticals plus an integrated temporary staffing division. Higher education is our founding and largest market. Each practice is described below with the roles we most frequently place.
Higher Education Recruitment
Founding Market, Est. 2007Our founding and largest market, with more than 500 schools engaged and one of the industry's largest candidate networks. We place academic and administrative leaders at universities, community colleges, trade schools, and K-12 organizations across the U.S. and internationally.
- University President / Chancellor
- Provost / Chief Academic Officer
- Dean of Admissions
- VP of Student Affairs
- Dean (All Disciplines)
- Director of Financial Aid
- Campus / Executive Director
- Director of Nursing / Allied Health
- Department Chair
- Director of Clinical Education
Disciplines: nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, business, computer science, engineering, blockchain / Web3, allied health, social work, criminal justice.
Explore Higher Education RecruitmentHealthcare Recruitment
Clinical & AcademicClinical and operational leaders for hospital systems, academic medical centers, outpatient networks, and healthcare education programs, with deep familiarity in CAPTE, ARC-PA, and CCNE accreditation requirements.
- Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)
- Chief Medical Officer (CMO)
- Director of Clinical Education
- Nursing Program Director
- Director of Simulation
- Healthcare Compliance Officer
- Department Chair (Clinical)
- Physician Assistant / PA Educator
Accreditation expertise: CAPTE, ARC-PA, and CCNE standards across acute care, outpatient, and specialty settings.
Explore Healthcare RecruitmentFinancial Services Recruitment
Finance & Web3Senior finance and digital-asset talent for private equity firms, venture capital funds, investment banks, wealth management firms, and blockchain organizations. The practice is led by an active equity and options trader, so candidate conversations happen at a peer level.
- Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
- Private Equity Associate / Principal
- Investment Banking VP / Director
- Portfolio Manager
- Wealth Management Advisor
- Blockchain / Crypto Engineer
- Compliance Officer
- General Partner / Fund Manager
Coverage: traditional finance plus emerging Web3, DeFi, and tokenized asset platforms.
Explore Financial Services RecruitmentGovernment Recruitment
County, City & StateWe recruit leadership and technical talent for county, city, and state government agencies nationwide. Our coverage includes workforce development and technical training leadership funded under WIOA and Perkins, along with the administrative and operational roles that keep agencies running.
- Agency Director / Deputy Director
- Chief Human Capital Officer
- Government Program Manager
- Government Relations Director
- Policy Analyst / Senior Advisor
- Contracting Officer
- IT Director (State / County)
- Inspector General / Compliance
Levels served: county, city, and state government agencies nationwide.
Explore Government RecruitmentTemporary Staffing
Flexible & InterimFlexible temporary, contract, and temp-to-perm recruitment across all four core sectors, from interim leadership coverage to project-based professionals. Fully integrated with our permanent search infrastructure, so vetting and quality standards are identical.
- Interim Campus Director / Administrator
- Contract Faculty / Adjunct Instructor
- Temporary Department Head
- Contract Compliance Officer
- Interim Financial Aid Director
- Contract Healthcare Educator
- Short-Term Program Manager
- Temp-to-Perm Leadership Roles
Engagement types: contract, short-term, interim, and temp-to-perm across every market we serve.
Explore Temporary StaffingWhy Choose a Specialist Executive Search Firm?
Generalist recruiters work from job boards and resume databases. Specialist firms work from relationships. After nearly two decades focused on the same four sectors, Excelon Associates knows the candidates in these markets before a search begins: who is ready to move, what compensation actually closes an offer, and which credentials a hiring committee will scrutinize.
That specialization shows up in practical ways. In higher education, we understand how accreditation cycles shape faculty and leadership searches, from the regional accreditors that oversee America's colleges and universities, including NECHE, MSCHE, the Higher Learning Commission, SACSCOC, and WSCUC, to programmatic standards such as AACSB for business, ABET for engineering and computing, CCNE and ACEN for nursing, CSWE for social work, and CAPTE and ARC-PA for clinical programs. In financial services, our practice lead trades equities and options, so candidate conversations happen at a peer level. In government, we recruit for city, state, and county agencies and understand how their hiring rules and procurement timelines differ from the private sector. With more than 500 institutions engaged since 2007 and 45 combined years of recruiting experience, that depth is why clients return search after search.
See who we have placed
Browse a selection of completed searches across all four markets in our recent campaigns.
View Recent CampaignsWhat Results Do Clients and Candidates Report?
Excelon Associates holds a 5.0 rating on Google from clients and candidates across all four service markets. Read the full set of verified reviews on our Google Business Profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
What industries does Excelon Associates serve?
Excelon Associates serves four core industries: higher education, healthcare, financial services, and government. The firm also operates an integrated temporary staffing practice that covers contract, interim, and temp-to-perm roles across all four sectors.
What is the difference between retained and contingent search?
Retained search is an exclusive, committed engagement where the firm proactively recruits for a single client, including passive candidates not actively job hunting. Contingent recruiting involves multiple agencies competing to submit resumes, with payment only on hire. Excelon Associates works exclusively on the retained model because it produces stronger candidate slates for senior leadership roles.
How long does a typical executive search take?
Excelon Associates typically presents a candidate slate in three to five weeks. A full search cycle, from kickoff through offer and acceptance, usually runs 60 to 90 days, which is faster than the three to six months common for comparable retained leadership searches.
Does Excelon Associates place candidates internationally?
Yes. While headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, with offices in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, Florida, Excelon Associates places candidates throughout the United States and internationally, with global candidate reach across all service markets.
Does Excelon Associates offer temporary or contract staffing?
Yes. The firm provides temporary, contract, and temp-to-perm staffing in all four core sectors, using the same vetting standards as its retained permanent searches. Details are on the Temporary Staffing practice page.
What does an executive search firm cost?
Retained executive search is a professional engagement with a defined fee, commonly structured as a percentage of the role's first year compensation or a flat project fee, agreed before the search begins. Excelon Associates scopes the fee with you during the first call, and there is no cost or obligation to discuss a role.
What is a GSA Schedule recruitment vendor?
A GSA Schedule vendor is a company pre-approved to sell services to government agencies through the General Services Administration. Excelon Associates holds the GSA Human Capital Multiple Award Schedule under contract 47QREA22D000A, with NAICS codes 561320 and 561330, which lets federal, state, and local agencies engage the firm through an established procurement vehicle.
How do I start a search with Excelon Associates?
Submit your open role through the Hire Top Talent form or reach out via the contact page. A team member will follow up within one business day to scope the engagement.
Ready to Start a Search?
Excelon Associates has provided executive search services in higher education, healthcare, financial services, and government since 2007. Tell us about your open role and a team member will follow up within one business day.
Hire Top Talent Contact UsPrefer to talk? Call +1 (828) 417-7094