Executive Search Services

The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is soliciting proposals through a Request for Proposal (RFP) for executive search and recruitment services to be provided on an as-needed basis. The procurement seeks qualified firms to identify and recruit for executive positions, mid-to-high-level leadership roles, and specialized positions that are difficult to fill across the District's ten colleges and education centers. The scope of work includes comprehensive services encompassing search organization, candidate analysis and recruitment, candidate sourcing and evaluation, vetting and interviews, appointment facilitation, and records management. Pricing must be submitted as all-inclusive fees covering pre-recruitment development, position announcements, administrative costs, recruitment fees for permanent and interim candidates at executive, staff, and faculty levels, background investigations, and travel expenses for both contractor staff and candidates. Key deadlines include February 27, 2026, at 5:00 PM local time for submission of questions, March 24, 2026, at 3:00 PM local time for proposal submission via the MCCCD Procurement Portal, potential oral presentations and interviews in mid-April, and an anticipated contract award in May 2026 with a start date of July 1, 2026. The initial contract term is one year with four optional one-year renewal periods, providing a potential total contract period of five years. Contractors must provide detailed pricing for each service category with clearly defined units of measure and must include all overhead and profit in their quoted fees.

The RFP documentation does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to particular classes of organizations, disadvantaged enterprises, or minority-owned businesses. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available materials. Contractors must demonstrate substantial insurance coverage requirements including Commercial General Liability ($2,000,000 general aggregate), Professional Liability ($2,000,000 per claim), and Network Security and Privacy Liability ($5,000,000 per claim and annual aggregate), along with strict compliance with data confidentiality and security protocols, FERPA regulations, incident response procedures, and annual security audits. While specific contract award values or budget ranges are not disclosed in the RFP summary, the District's scale of operation—comprising nearly 4,800 full-time and 6,800 part-time employees serving over 200,000 students annually—suggests a significant engagement with potential for substantial fees across the five-year contract period. MCCCD emphasizes a strategic partnership approach with contractors to identify cost reductions and value-added opportunities, indicating the District seeks collaborative vendor relationships beyond standard recruitment services.