Engineering
Engineering Leader Recruitment
Specialist engineering leadership recruiters working across the US, UK, EU and UAE.
Trusted by tech teams from start-ups to globally recognised brands
“Every candidate they sourced was an exact match, which saved us real time. More of a trusted partner now than a recruiter.”
Mark T. · Director of Engineering, HR-tech platform
Overview
Engineering generally has two routes into leadership. Some engineers move into management as tech leads, engineering managers and heads of engineering. Others stay close to the code as principal and staff engineers, setting technical standards without running a team.
We recruit for both types of engineering leaders across the UK, Europe, the US and the UAE, through Permanent Recruitment and Contract Recruitment. For senior technical leadership a few days a week, see Fractional CTO and Engineering Leadership, or read how we placed a fractional Head of Information Security at Nokkel. For CTO and VP appointments, we run Engineering Executive Search.
How we recruit engineering leaders
Before anyone is approached, Consortia will agree with the hiring manager how much of the role is code, how much is architecture and how much is people as the answer will vary widely.
One Head of Engineering role we recruited for involved no coding. The brief covered around eight direct reports and a new European team of 40 and regular work within the executive team. However another engineering leadership role was for a SaaS client who needed a Software Engineering Manager with more direct technical involvement, leading 23 people across software, QA and infrastructure through a move to Azure.
For senior technical roles, we look closely at the systems candidates have helped design. We ask which decisions they made and how those systems performed over time. Relevant industry experience can matter too. One global enterprise needed a Director of Software Architecture for its fraud prevention systems. Fraud detection experience was a requirement for that search.
Strong engineering leaders are often already in permanent roles, so we approach them directly and discreetly. Some already know us: many of the engineers we have placed over the last 15 years have since moved up into leadership, from engineering managers to CTOs. Salary, office days, notice period and, where it applies, equity are settled before anyone is introduced.
Market insights· Updated October 2026
Engineering leadership recruitment insights
About one in eight UK engineering job adverts we track is now for a leadership or senior technical role, up from one in nine a year ago. Most of that growth is in principal and staff engineers, architects and lead engineers. Engineering manager pay is rising too, with a median advertised salary of around £90,000.
Advertised CTO, VP and head of engineering roles have become rarer. The CTO roles that are advertised are mostly at smaller businesses, and their pay has come down. Fewer than one in ten leadership adverts shows a salary, so public data says little about senior packages.
Time at the top is short. One study of US public companies found CTOs stay around two and a half years on average. That makes succession, and what the first year should achieve, worth building into the brief.
Permanent Recruitment
Permanent hires for specialist and leadership roles across technology teams.
Contract Recruitment
Day-rate and fixed-term specialists for projects, change programmes and interim cover.
Fractional Engineering Leadership
Executive Search
Retained search for technology leaders and hard-to-find specialists.
Customer Stories
How we've helped
6
shortlisted within days
Customer Stories
Bose
Placing an Android specialist with audio-streaming expertise for Bose
Bose needed an Android developer with deep audio-streaming experience for a new app. Consortia shortlisted six and placed one within days.
Learn more
4
CVs within a day of sign-off
Customer Stories
Bupa
Filling two hard-to-hire QlikView BI roles for Bupa
Bupa needed two QlikView developers in a location with little local specialism. Within a day of sign-off Consortia shortlisted four; two were placed.
Learn more
51
roles filled in under 2 years
Customer Stories
FNZ
51 niche hires for FNZ in under two years
As FNZ scaled rapidly through acquisition, Consortia filled 51 niche roles across teams and locations in under two years.
Learn more
4 days
to introduce the right person
Customer Stories
Nokkel
A fractional Head of Information Security for Nokkel's ISO 27001 and SOC 2 accreditation
Consortia found Nokkel a fractional Head of Information Security to guide ISO 27001 and SOC 2 accreditation, introducing the right person within four days.
Learn more
Customer Stories
Perkbox
Landing Perkbox's first remote React engineers in three weeks
Three months into the search, Consortia helped Perkbox secure its first fully remote React engineers within three working weeks.
Learn more
Customer Stories
Marex Spectron
Securing expert Xamarin talent for Marex Spectron's trading app
With expert Xamarin developers thin on the ground, Consortia delivered a shortlist at speed and secured the hire for Marex Spectron's trading app.
Learn more
Customer Stories
CrossLend
Hiring JavaScript engineers for CrossLend in Berlin
Three months into its search, CrossLend re-engaged Consortia for JavaScript engineers. The placed engineer was in post within eight weeks.
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10%
added to the engineering team
Customer Stories
VesselMan
Three senior JavaScript hires through a post-acquisition rebuild
Consortia helped maritime SaaS VesselMan hire through a platform rebuild, making three JavaScript placements across contract and permanent and growing the team by over 10 percent.
Learn more
Salary guide
Engineering Leaders salaries
These ranges reflect what employers are advertising right now. Accepted offers can look different. Speak to a consultant about what's actually getting accepted.
We track what UK employers are advertising for this role. Ask us for the current ranges.
US salaries often run ahead of UK ranges, and vary with region and funding stage. Tell us where you're hiring and we'll share what's being advertised.
European salaries vary widely by country. Tell us where you're hiring and we'll share what's being advertised.
UAE packages are often structured differently, with tax-free salaries and allowances. Tell us what you're hiring for and we'll share what's being advertised.
Live jobs
Live Engineering jobs
- Permanent
Technical Lead
London · Hybrid
£60,000 - £65,000 per annum
View role - Permanent
Director of Architecture
Remote
£110,000 - £130,000 per annum
View role - Permanent
Tech Lead
London · On-site
£90,000 - £110,000 per annum
View role - Permanent
Software Engineering Manager
Bristol · Hybrid
£75,000 - £85,000 per annum
View role - Permanent
Head Of Engineering
London · Hybrid
£130,000 - £165,000 per annum
View role - Permanent
Technical Lead
London · Hybrid
£90,000 - £110,000 per annum
View role
Related roles
Other roles our Engineering recruiters fill
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Backend engineers across modern stacks, permanent and contract, from senior IC to architect.
ExploreFront End Developers
Front end engineers across modern frameworks, permanent and contract, including fully remote.
ExploreFull Stack Developers
Full stack engineers who work end to end across frontend and backend, permanent and contract.
Explore
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a tech lead, an engineering manager and a head of engineering?
A tech lead usually guides the technical work of one team and still writes code. An engineering manager focuses on people: hiring, growth, performance and delivery, often across one or two teams. A head of engineering typically runs the whole engineering function in a smaller business, or a large part of it in a bigger one.
Should we hire a principal engineer or another engineering manager?
It depends on the gap. Technical problems, such as an ageing architecture or inconsistent standards, often call for a principal or staff engineer. People problems, such as slow hiring or uneven delivery, are more likely to need an engineering manager. UK adverts for both roles have grown over the past year, so plan for a direct search either way.
Does an engineering leader need to know our tech stack?
Usually well enough to make sound architecture calls, even when the role involves no coding. One head of engineering brief we worked on still asked for a solid grasp of the team's Java, AWS and React stack for that reason. For a tech lead, who builds alongside the team, the stack matters more. Sector experience can matter as much in areas like fraud or payments.
Can we hire an engineering leader on an interim basis?
Yes. An interim leader can steady the team while a permanent search runs, or fix a specific problem. One client brought in a contract head of product and technology for three weeks to clear blockers in its development process. For senior direction a few days a week, a fractional CTO may suit better.
How do I start working with Consortia?
Clients can get in touch to discuss a brief, and candidates are welcome to register their interest. The quickest route is our contact page or a call to +44 203 397 4565, and one of our consultants will pick things up from there.
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