Dawn Slagter is a seasoned Executive Recruiter with over 15 years of experience helping companies across North America identify and secure high-impact talent in highly specialized roles. At Naviga, Dawn supports our clients with searches spanning legal, technology, financial services, life sciences, marketing, and data science, bringing a deep understanding of both industry nuance and candidate motivation.
Known for her high-touch, insight-driven approach, Dawn partners closely with clients to uncover not just the job requirements but the strategic goals behind each hire. She thrives on digging deep, building trust on both sides of the search, and aligning outcomes for long-term success. Her placements range from mid-level professionals to C-suite executives, and she has a particular strength in hard-to-fill roles with narrow candidate pools, like her recent successful search for a Life Sciences Regulatory Attorney with Biotech and in-house experience.
Before entering recruiting Dawn spent five years as an administrative professional, experience she credits with building the organizational discipline, communication finesse, and time management skills that now define her candidate and client experience. She brings a “white glove” service mindset to every engagement, ensuring that hiring is smooth, transparent, and delay-free from first outreach to final offer.
Dawn is also deeply committed to helping clients compete for today’s top talent by helping them refine and market their true value proposition beyond just compensation. She leverages real-time salary benchmarks, candidate feedback, and competitor insights to shape compelling messaging around culture, flexibility, and growth. Her market intelligence and candidate-first thinking make her a critical partner to both hiring leaders and job seekers alike.
Outside of recruiting, Dawn is passionate about cooking and recipe creation, with aspirations of publishing a series of health-conscious cookbooks. Her personal philosophy, “I don’t quit, I adapt, I learn, I push forward,” shapes everything she does in both life and work.
Dawn holds certifications in diversity sourcing and recruiting and is a member of several industry associations including NALS and the American Staffing Association. She brings this passion for equity and inclusion into every search, striving to build workplaces that reflect a wide range of backgrounds, ideas, and experiences.