Vertical Recruitment identify, source, and match talented professionals with industry-leading roles in Architectural disciplines across all specialisms within the built-environment sector.
For the best part of 20 years, we’ve supported some of the country’s most recognisable private practices, housing developers, commercial developers, design studio’s & consultancies alike, with cost-effective, strategic recruitment solutions of high-calibre Architectural professionals of all levels. We’ve also placed Architects into design consultancies specialising in Education, Healthcare, Local Government, Regeneration and Social Housing projects
The name Vertical Recruitment is synonymous with the highest quality recruitment solutions for the construction design sector. Known for our effectiveness, sector-expertise, tailored-solutions, honesty & integrity. Our consultants draw on the established profile of our brand, our time-served experience, and our established talent-pools of Architectural candidates, to provide you with the best technical skill set and personality fit to match the needs of your team and business.
Whether your role is for temp, contract, or permanent positions, and whether it demands the experience and technical qualities of a RIBA qualified Architect, CIAT Chartered Architectural Technicians, Architectural Technologist or BIM or REVIT specialists, you can always rely on Vertical Recruitment for your Architectural Recruitment needs in full confidence.
Vertical Recruitment are in the business of building relationships with our clients and with our candidate talent-pool. We apply a tailored approach to work closely with all parties to ensure we’re in position to match the best talent for each role, thus obtaining the maximum value for our clients with each placement we facilitate.
Operating nationally from our Manchester-based head office, our years of Architecture recruitment experience and unparalleled sector insight have earned us an enviable reputation amongst the architectural community. We are established as the favoured partner of choice amongst those recruiting in the north-west construction & built-environment industries, recently being voted the region’s ‘Best Construction Recruitment Company’ in ‘The Grafters Awards 2019’.
The disciplines we specialise in, but are not limited to, include:
Architecture and Recruitment Specialists
If you are looking to develop or expand your Architecture team at any level or experience, now or soon into the future, we would welcome the opportunity to talk you through how we can add value to your recruitment objectives and provide the effective solutions you need.
Each of our consultants has the experience to provide current market appraisals and pro-active assistance with your approach to recruiting Architecture professionals at the level you seek.
Vertical Recruitment is a trusted partner of Place North West and we collaborate each year to publish our eagerly anticipated annual ‘built-environment’ salary review. Every year, we engage with Architectural professionals for this study. This work provides us with the means to directly engage and really drill down into the goals, concerns and aspirations of professional architectural candidates, whether passive or active.
Our data analysis furnishes us with unique insights into the ‘sentiment’ pervading the Architectural careers landscape. Combined with our 20 years of experience in the construction design & built-environment sector – we have an unrivalled appreciation of what top architectural candidates are looking for and need from their next role. We use this knowledge on every role that we work on.
We empower our clients, by equipping them with a ‘deep appreciation’ of the Architecture recruitment marketplace, allowing them to tailor packages and unlock crucial stages of final negotiations so they can hire the absolute best talent from a pool of prospective candidates.
Our directors have more than 20 years’ experience in the UK Property, Design and Construction Engineering recruitment sector. We understand how crucial it is to appoint the right person into your business. We have developed bespoke techniques and operational models enabling us to source technically accomplished architecture candidates at the level needed, whether newly qualified architecture graduates to seasoned industry professionals, and all despite perceptions of a scarcity of high demand talent.
Our Lead Consultant
Brin Gleeson
Director
0161 669 4716
brin.gleeson@vertical-recruitment.co.uk
Brin is Vertical’s longest-serving team member and has enjoyed and a successful and rapid career progression. In 2021, Brin was appointed as a Director and is now responsible for our London office, from where he...
We provide expert recruitment services for Architecture roles for the following types of vacancies, from graduates to senior hires as well as many more roles, not shown in the list
If you are looking to develop or expand your Architecture team at any level or experience, now or soon into the future, we would welcome the opportunity to talk you through how we can add value to your recruitment objectives and provide the effective solutions you need.
Each of our consultants has the experience to provide current market appraisals and pro-active assistance with your approach to recruiting Architecture professionals at the level you seek.
Vertical Recruitment is a trusted partner of Place North West and we collaborate each year to publish our eagerly anticipated annual ‘built-environment’ salary review. Every year, we engage with Architectural professionals for this study. This work provides us with the means to directly engage and really drill down into the goals, concerns and aspirations of professional architectural candidates, whether passive or active.
Our objective is to deliver effective placements, whether short or long term, extracting the maximum return on investment for our clients derived from the services we provide. Matching the career and job flexibility aspirations of candidates with the technical skill-set criteria and cultural fit of our client companies.
The mutual benefits of this approach are compelling and rewarding, including, and not least, job satisfaction for the individual and a career path that allows for personal and professional development, while employers achieve the best value from their investment into human capital.
Our data analysis furnishes us with unique insights into the ‘sentiment’ pervading the Architectural careers landscape. Combined with our 20 years of experience in the construction design & built-environment sector – we have an unrivalled appreciation of what top architectural candidates are looking for and need from their next role. We use this knowledge on every role that we work on.
We empower our clients, by equipping them with a ‘deep appreciation’ of the Architecture recruitment marketplace, allowing them to tailor packages and unlock crucial stages of final negotiations so they can hire the absolute best talent from a pool of prospective candidates.
Our directors have more than 20 years’ experience in the UK Property, Design and Construction Engineering recruitment sector. We understand how crucial it is to appoint the right person into your business. We have developed bespoke techniques and operational models enabling us to source technically accomplished architecture candidates at the level needed, whether newly qualified architecture graduates to seasoned industry professionals, and all despite perceptions of a scarcity of high demand talent.
Graduate Architect
RIBA Qualified Architects
Project Architects
Senior Architects
CIAT Chartered Architectural Technicians
Architectural Technologists
BIM Technicians
BIM Managers
Who We Work With
Vertical Recruitment work with the full spectrum of businesses operating in the UK and global construction industry, helping independent architectural practices, global design consultancies and multi-disciplinary consultancies to source gifted individuals in architectural roles. We’ll work with you to enhance and develop your existing teams, introducing you to a pool of talented architects and designers of all levels.
We work with organisations looking to meet the demands of their business and projects for Architecture roles across public and private sectors.
We have direct experience in supporting clients with Architecture Recruitment needs for design projects such as:
Public Sector
- Education
- Healthcare
- Local Authorities
- Ministry of Defence
- Social Housing
Private Sector
- Commercial/Office
- Leisure
- Logistics/Warehousing
- Residential
- Retail
- Sports Stadiums
How We Can Help
Our every focus is directed into developing long-standing meaningful relationships with our clients. This has rewarded us with a great deal of repeat business, with clients trusting us with exclusive retained recruitment services for their future and ongoing needs.
Often these relationships are borne from an initial contingency recruitment service we have provided for an Architectural role. We offer clients exclusive benefits with our retained services packages.
By getting to know our clients in detail, understanding how they operate, the kinds of projects they bid for, and more importantly their culture, we evolve our service for clients and develop a tailored approach for each individual client we work with.
Our focus is not about meeting monthly sales targets, or sending over volumes of CV’s, it is about being dedicated in the provision of high-quality specialist recruitment services that source the best candidates. This is how we build relationships for the long-term.
The strength of our relationships with clients and candidates is integral to our ability to provide both parties with an excellent service. Because we take the time to really get to know the business of our clients, as well as taking steps to appreciate what makes the top architectural talent tick. We are proven, time and again in making the best matches between the needs of a client and their projects and the hopes and aspirations of the candidate.
We do not expect to secure retained services, we work hard and intelligently to earn this trust.
Our Exclusive Retained Recruitment Service
The unique retained recruitment services offered by Vertical Recruitment allows you to work exclusively with us to appoint candidates into present and future vacancies. We provide this service with transparent fixed fees, so if you decide to offer an improved remuneration package to your favoured candidate, there will be no additional fee to pay to us.
Like most retained recruitment services, we split our fee into three equal parts, payable at various stages of the recruitment process but unlike other retained recruitment services, we do not charge upfront fees.
You only pay once we have submitted your first shortlist of candidates. Although we are confident that initial shortlist of candidates will include the calibre of person you are looking for, if that proves not to be the case, we will utilise your feedback to refine our search even further and will submit a further shortlist at no additional cost and will repeat the process until the client is happy to carry forward with interviews. The second stage payment will be due on arrangement of first interviews, with the final payment not due until you appoint a candidate.
Our Approach To Architectural Recruitment
The level of insights we offer to clients far surpasses the information that can be gleaned from an applicant’s CV and cover letter. We go much further. We ensure you get to know the person behind the experience and qualifications at pre-interview stages; their career aspirations and what is motivating them to move on.
Our consultants always go the extra-mile to ensure they can elaborate technically on specific areas experience and proficiencies.
As with all our sector experts, our expert team of Architecture recruitment consultants are carefully selected for their considerable expertise in the vertical in which they work.
By assigning dedicated consultants to specific built-environment verticals, our teams become immersed in what’s going on in that particular sector, developing strong relationships with relevant employers and nurturing relationships with Architecture professional via community engagement and talent-pipelining. We can bring this knowledge and expertise to bear on behalf of clients in a variety of ways.
Architects and architectural roles require a combination of technical expertise, creativity as well as the ability to work closely with Principal designers, building service engineers, quantity surveyors as part of a team. We shortlist candidates who match all the varied criteria, including specialist skills, such as knowledge of industry software packages like REVIT, BIM, Sketchup and AutoCAD Architecture.
Our search and selection process is primarily driven by the specific criteria you provide. We then shortlist based on a prioritised sequencing of academic qualifications, career experience, technical proficiency and personal traits and qualities.
For employers, this ensures return on investment into human capital; and for the candidates we put forward, it provides confidence that their next role will meet their specific needs whether that be a contract position or a permanent placement that guarantees the job satisfaction and security they seek.
If you are seeking talented Architectural professionals, or you are an applicant with experience, qualifications, or a keen interest in the discipline, make sure you contact Vertical Recruitment today to start your search.
Architecture & Talent Retention
The UK Architecture sector is a worldwide success story, generating over £4bn for the UK economy every year and establishing itself as a global centre for architectural excellence and innovation.
The architecture industry has faced a string of setbacks—pandemic disruptions, global conflicts, economic recessions, and rising living costs. These challenges have strained stability, impacting project timelines and financial confidence.
The COVID-19 pandemic sent ripples through the UK architecture industry, causing disruptions and shifts in its landscape. In the initial stages, construction sites faced closures, leading to a significant slowdown in project timelines and delays in planning permissions.
According to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), nearly 76% of architectural practices reported a decrease in workload during the pandemic’s peak, with smaller firms particularly impacted due to financial constraints and uncertainty.
As the adaption of using remote work became the norm, firms increasingly embraced digital tools for design, virtual meetings, and project management. As the situation evolved, the industry witnessed a gradual recovery, but lingering uncertainties and supply chain disruptions continued to pose challenges, impacting the pace and cost of projects. The pandemic ultimately reshaped working practices, accelerating the industry’s adoption of digital technologies and flexible work arrangements.
Initially, many firms froze hiring or reduced their workforce due to economic uncertainty and project delays. However, as the industry gradually recovered, recruitment strategies evolved to adapt to the changing landscape.
These external factors have created a more challenging environment for those with architectural recruitment needs in the UK. It is more crucial than ever therefore for businesses to retain their top talent, and for those companies looking to recruit, that remuneration and benefits packages reflect what the talent-pool wants.
Vertical Recruitment’s appreciation of the needs and wants of Architects gained from our annual Architects salary review study shows that the average architecture graduate earned £25,000, rising to more than £30,000 for intermediate positions, £55,000 for Associates and £70,000 at director/partner level.
Architecture is a discipline where demand significantly outstrips supply. In 2023 alone, salaries increased by 5.66% and talented candidates sought benefits such as Bonus (58.93%), Car allowance (33.93%), Company Car (28.57%), Childcare (19.64%) and Cycle to Work (14.29%).
The biggest drivers motivating Architectural talent to seek new opportunities ranged from increased salaries (57.14%) and increased career progression (41.07%), Increased bonus (33.93%) and better benefits package (32.14%).
When asked what they perceived to be the biggest issues facing the industry, many said Skills shortage (21.42%), Economic Uncertainty (21.08%) and Low Fees (16.95%).
Architects adopt a great deal of responsibility, sometimes helping manage the successful delivery of multi-million, sometimes multi-billion, pound construction projects. These can be high-stakes and highly pressurised roles. At Vertical Recruitment we understand the what the best candidates are looking for, so we’re in the best position to help employers overcome the challenges they face with attracting and recruiting the right people.
Source: 2024Vertical Salary Review
Contact Vertical Recruitment Today
We recruit into Architectural roles throughout the UK, placing talented candidates into roles where they can excel and help drive the business forward. Our comprehensive knowledge of the architectural sector allied with our deep understanding of the experience, expertise and aspirations of our candidates ensures a high rate of success and delivers exceptional results for our clients. If you are an employer with a position to fill or are a gifted industry professional seeking your next architectural opportunity, Vertical Recruitment is the only call you need to make.
We’re here to help with our market-leading Architecture Recruitment services and we want to discuss your situation whether you’re a client with plans to develop your team, or whether you are working in architecture and looking for your next role.
Clients can contact us in confidence for a no-obligation discussion on what you need to make your recruitment drive a complete success. We’re happy to work on a contingency basis, or better still, let us work exclusively on building your team in the right way.
Vertical Recruitment are based in the north-west and from our office in Manchester, our skills, expertise, and success rates in finding the right candidates have made us the Architecture recruitment agency of choice for many organisations across Greater Manchester, Liverpool and Merseyside, Lancashire, and Cheshire. We work with domestic and global construction design brands throughout the UK, so call today to see how we can help.