26-10 Executive Search Firm Services

Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt), a Commonwealth agency located in Suffolk County, seeks proposals from multiple executive search and recruitment search firms to provide both full executive search services and supplemental search services on a pre-qualified basis. Full search services encompass comprehensive, end-to-end recruitment support for senior leadership positions including Vice President, Dean, Associate/Assistant Vice President, Director, and equivalent roles, with six defined phases: position definition and planning, candidate recruitment and sourcing, screening and assessment, due diligence and reference verification, offer negotiation and onboarding support, and search reporting and close-out. Supplemental services are available on an à la carte basis and include position profile development, compensation benchmarking, diversity and inclusion strategy, sourcing and pipeline development, candidate screening, search committee training, reference checks, interview facilitation, offer negotiation support, interim leadership placement, succession planning consultation, and leadership assessment. Minimum qualifications require respondents to demonstrate five years of documented experience conducting executive searches in higher education, nonprofit, or public sector environments, with preferred experience in art, design, and creative institutions; firms must also demonstrate commitment to diversity in recruitment practice and compliance with applicable employment and anti-discrimination laws. Proposals must include firm overview, relevant experience, search methodology, supplemental service offerings, transparent fee structures with descriptions of what is included in fees versus reimbursable expenses, minimum three client references from completed searches within the past three years, and identification of key team members. The proposal deadline is March 17, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST, with written questions required by March 11, 2026, at 11:59 PM EST; responses to questions will be issued in an addendum by March 13, 2026, and the anticipated bid award date is the week of March 23, 2026. Evaluation will be based on best value, best practices, superior service capabilities, and cost-effectiveness, with rates being an important but not sole evaluation criterion.

No set-aside designations or restrictions limiting respondent eligibility are indicated in the RFP, and Commonwealth Supplier Diversity Program participation is not required for this contract. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available documentation. The contract does not require integration with MassArt's current applicant tracking system, Interview Exchange, though selected vendors must provide their own candidate portal or applicant tracking system and submit demographic data reporting for both candidates contacted and candidates formally submitted. The resulting contract shall be for a three-year duration with the ability for either party to terminate without cause by providing thirty days advance written notice; MassArt anticipates conducting approximately 2-4 executive searches annually and does not guarantee any minimum volume to awarded vendors. Pricing is structured on a milestone basis for full executive searches, with payments allocated as 33 percent upon contract execution, 33 percent upon presentation of a final qualified candidate pool approved by the campus search committee, and 34 percent upon receipt of an executed candidate acceptance letter; all indirect expenses including communications, web portals, postage, printing, reference checks, and background checks are included in the search fee, while direct expenses such as travel and advertising require pre-approval with receipts. No specific total contract value or budget range is provided in the RFP documentation.