The right hire, the first time.
Permanent, contract and executive hires across four sector desks.
1,400+
Placements since 2015
92%
Still in role after a year
For employers
From
the
first
brief
to
the
signed
offer,
one
consultant
runs
the
search,
the
shortlist
and
the
interviews.
You
pay
when
your
hire
starts,
not
before.
Full-time hires from graduate to head of department, with a shortlist in five working days and a fee that is only due once your hire starts
Contractors and interim leads in days, not weeks, with compliance, timesheets and payroll handled by our contracts team
Retained search for director and C-level roles, run discreetly by a partner who has placed in your sector before
Four sector desks
Technology
Software, data, infrastructure and product roles, from first engineer to CTO. Run by consultants who have only ever recruited in tech.
Finance & accounting
Part-qualified to finance director, in practice and in industry. We know which firms train well and who is coming to the end of a contract.
Engineering & manufacturing
Design, quality, maintenance and operations roles across plants and sites. Shift patterns and site visits included in the brief.
Sales & marketing
Account managers, growth leads and marketing heads for B2B and consumer brands, with the numbers behind every CV we send.
Filled in three weeks.
“We had been trying to hire a head of finance for five months. Northstar sent three people in the first week and we hired the second one. She started nineteen days after the brief.”
Hannah Cole
Managing Director, Fenwick Estates
They read the brief properly.
“Every CV Northstar sent us matched what we had asked for, which sounds basic but nobody else managed it. Two contract engineers in ten days, and both were extended.”
Daniel Okafor
Engineering Manager, Corwell Group
Straight with me from day one.
“As a candidate I got a call before every interview and a call after. When one role was not right, they told me, and found me a better one a month later.”
Priya Raman
Data Engineer, placed 2026
Why
employers
choose
Northstar
One consultant, start to finish
The person who takes your brief runs the search, the interviews and the offer. No hand-offs, no resourcing team you have never met.
Pay on start, not on send
No fee until your hire’s first day, and a twelve-week replacement guarantee on every permanent placement.
A shortlist in five working days
Three to five interviewed candidates within a week of the brief, or a straight explanation of why the market is thin.
Honest about the market
If the salary is below the going rate, we say so before we search, with the last twelve months of offers to back it up.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers for employers and candidates.
What does it cost to hire through Northstar?
Permanent placements are a percentage of first-year salary, agreed in writing before we search and due only when your hire starts. Contract roles are a daily margin on the rate. There is no retainer unless you ask for an executive search.
How long does a search take?
Most roles see a shortlist within five working days and an accepted offer inside four weeks. Senior and niche roles take longer, and we will say so at the brief rather than three weeks in.
Which sectors do you cover?
Four desks: technology, finance and accounting, engineering and manufacturing, and sales and marketing. Each desk is run by a consultant who has only ever recruited in that sector.
I am a candidate. Does it cost me anything?
No. Candidates never pay. Send us your CV or apply to a live role and a consultant from the right desk will call you within two working days.
