Principal Engineer to CTO.
Software engineering, architecture and platform engineering.
We work with software engineers and architects across the whole arc of their senior tech career. That arc runs from the move into Principal, through the technical and people leadership tracks, and up to CTO.
Principal Engineer · Lead Architect · Chief Architect
Tech Lead · Engineering Manager · Head of Engineering · VP of Engineering · CTO
(Note: we operate at the experienced end of the market and don’t work in junior or volume recruitment)
Services
Embedded Search Partnership
A search professional working inside your team for a defined period - usually three to six months. With shared accountability for senior appointments in your tech or software engineering function. You get 20+ years of experience in this precise domain. Plus market intelligence, recruitment process advice, and an in-depth picture of your talent landscape. Suited to scale-ups, PE transitions, and periods of significant growth.
Retained Search
For the senior technical and leadership appointments that shape an organisation - Lead Architect, VP of Engineering, CTO. Our work is direct, discreet and targeted rather than advertised. We have particular depth in PE-backed and scale-up businesses. Northern England is our home ground; searches extend nationally when needed.
Research & Talent Intelligence
Most firms map the market at the point of hire. We've placed technology leaders across Northern England for well over a decade, and Alec has worked this market since 2004. We've stayed close to people over that time - through promotions, moves, and the teams they've gone on to build. Our benchmarking, market intelligence and pipelines are built on those relationships.
Results
Head of Software Engineering
£750m t/o insurance business, PE-backed, Liverpool
VP of Software Engineering
High-growth retail scale-up, VC-backed
Technology Director
Product engineering, FTSE 250 consumer fintech group
Chief Enterprise Architect
£2bn t/o digital retailer, PE-backed, Liverpool
Head of Platform Engineering
SaaS transition, listed software group, Leeds
Group Chief Technology Officer
£100m t/o software company, AIM-listed, Manchester
For a confidential chat