Design & Build
Design & Build is an Australian specialist recruitment agency, founded in 2004 and part of the Search4 group, providing temporary, contract, and permanent staffing across construction, engineering, energy, property, rail, and resources disciplines, with offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersMelbourne, Australia
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Design & Build does
Design & Build is an Australian specialist recruitment agency focused on the Built Environment, serving clients across construction, engineering, architecture, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, property, rail, and resources disciplines. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Melbourne, the firm operates as part of the Search4 group (alongside Public Sector People and Tech & Data People) and maintains regional offices in Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth. The core service is end-to-end recruitment for temporary, contract, and permanent placements, delivered by specialist consultants who each cover a single discipline (the "one desk" model), supported by an in-house payroll service and a candidate-facing job portal.
The firm's technology stack centers on a recruitment management platform and CRM for candidate sourcing and placement management, supplemented by the Fasttrack360 portal for contractor timesheets and LinkedIn/Google social login for candidate registration. Distinctive assets include an annual, multi-sector Salary Guide program built on survey data from 1,600+ professionals across Civil, Commercial, Residential Construction and Engineering, plus a library of whitepapers covering market outlook, retention, diversity, and AI in construction. Internally, Design & Build has formalized a 13-week Associate Consultant training program and dedicated People & Culture and People Development functions to support scaling beyond 85 team members.
Design & Build earns revenue primarily through transaction fees on permanent placements and managed-service margins on temporary/contract staffing, with an additional professional-services revenue stream from payroll processing for placed contractors. The go-to-market combines enterprise account management via regional state managers, direct consultant engagement, and a self-service job portal plus referral incentives ($1,000 Westfield vouchers). The firm reports 15,000+ permanent placements and 7,500+ temporary placements since 2004, a current 500-strong weekly temporary workforce, 350+ active contractors, and a marquee recruitment partnership with the Webuild-led Parklife Metro Consortium for the Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport SSTOM package.
Design & Build firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Design & Build
- Legal name
- Search4
- Website
- https://designandbuild.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Design & Build is an Australian specialist recruitment agency, founded in 2004 and part of the Search4 group, providing temporary, contract, and permanent staffing across construction, engineering, energy, property, rail, and resources disciplines, with offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Design & Build is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Melbourne
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices4 records
Markets served
Design & Build business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Permanent Placement Services: Recruitment fees for placing candidates in permanent full-time positions across all sectors. Placed 15,000+ candidates permanently since 2004.
- Temporary/Contract Staffing: Ongoing staffing for temporary assignments and contract roles. Supports 500 temporary workers weekly with dedicated payroll service.
- Payroll Services: Refined and transparent payroll service for temporary workers including timesheet management through Fasttrack360 portal.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Agency recruitment fees - not publicly disclosed |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Design & Build product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Design & Build is a specialist Australian recruitment agency placing candidates in permanent, contract, and temporary roles across the built environment, covering construction, engineering, energy, property, architecture, manufacturing, rail, resources, and corporate services. Its core offering is end-to-end recruitment including brief intake, candidate sourcing and screening, interview coordination, offer management, and onboarding, supported by a transparent in-house payroll service for temporary workers and salary benchmarking research.
Product overview
Design & Build operates as a multi-discipline recruitment agency within the Search4 group, offering a unified recruitment platform with core staffing services and supplementary talent intelligence tools. The core offering is Recruitment Services covering nine disciplines (Architecture & Interiors, Business Support, Construction, Energy, Engineering, Manufacturing, Property, Rail, Resources) for temporary assignments, contract roles, and permanent placements. This core is supported by a Payroll Service for contractor management, Salary Guides providing market benchmarks, Whitepapers offering sector analysis, Job Alerts for candidate engagement, and an Associate Consultant Program for internal team development. The supplementary products function as value-add intelligence and engagement tools rather than standalone offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Recruitment Services Full-service recruitment agency providing permanent placements, temporary assignments, and contract roles across Architecture & Interiors, Corporate Services, Construction, Energy, Engineering, Manufacturing, Property, Rail, and Resources disciplines in the Australian built environment. Delivered through specialized single-desk consultants who manage the full recruitment cycle from brief to onboarding, with 15,000+ permanent placements and 7,500+ temporary placements since 2004.
- Payroll Service Refined and transparent in-house payroll service supporting temporary worker placements, with timesheet management via the Fasttrack360 portal. Currently supports 500 temporary workers weekly and underpins the temporary/contract staffing engagements.
Quantifiable outcome
- 15,000 permanent placements and 7,500 temporary placements since 2004
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Design & Build
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Design & Build technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
Design & Build partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- WebuildcoreDesign & Build is the official recruitment partner for the Parklife Metro Consortium (led by Webuild) delivering the Sydney Metro - Western Sydney Airport SSTOM package. D&B is responsible for recruiting and delivering highly qualified professionals for the Design & Construction element of Stations, Systems, Trains, Operations and Maintenance. This is Australia's largest rail infrastructure project and the first to commit to carbon-neutral construction and operation.
- Search4 GroupcoreDesign & Build is part of the Search4 group, which includes Public Sector People and Tech & Data People. Search4 employs over 100 people across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth. The group has operated within the Built Environment sector for over 20 years, with a combined placement history of 15,000 permanent and 7,500 temporary placements.
- Fasttrack360supportingFasttrack360 provides the timesheet management portal used by Design & Build for their temporary contractor workforce management. Candidates access the platform at https://designandbuild.fasttrack360.com.au/RecruitmentManager/CandidateLogin for timesheet submissions.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Design & Build competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CGC Recruitment: Australian specialist recruiter focused on construction, architecture, property, and engineering — directly comparable vertical specialization, similar multi-state footprint, and overlapping client base in the Australian built environment sector.
- Bluestone Recruitment: Australian specialist recruiter covering construction, property, engineering and architecture — directly comparable in vertical focus, multi-state presence, and placement of both white-collar professionals and trades.
- Construct Recruitment: Australia-based construction and property recruitment specialist covering commercial, residential and infrastructure projects. Directly comparable in vertical focus on built environment with a similar permanent + contract placement model.
Broad incumbents
- Robert Half Australia: Global specialist recruiter with Australian operations focused on professional, finance, technology and project/construction roles — comparable in serving white-collar construction and property clients, though narrower in trade and engineering verticals.
- Chandler Macleod: Established Australian recruitment and workforce solutions provider across multiple industries including construction, engineering and resources. Comparable in providing temp, contract and permanent staffing but at broader sector scope.
- Randstad Australia: Global staffing and recruitment firm with significant Australian operations across construction, engineering, property and infrastructure — comparable in serving the same verticals but at much larger scale and broader scope.
- Michael Page Australia: Global recruitment brand with a dedicated property, construction and engineering practice in Australia. Comparable in serving permanent and contract mid-to-senior roles, but operates across many additional industries.
- Hays Australia: Global recruitment firm with a substantial Australian construction, property and engineering practice. Larger and broader than D&B, but overlaps materially on the same target clients and disciplines.
- Adecco Australia: Global staffing leader with Australian operations covering industrial, construction and professional placements. Comparable in providing temporary and contract workforce solutions to built environment clients, though at much broader sector scope.
Regional players
- PERSOLKELLY Australia: APAC-focused recruitment and workforce solutions firm with strong Australian presence across construction, engineering and property. Comparable in serving built environment verticals with both permanent and contract models, with deeper APAC regional reach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Design & Build social profiles
Digital presenceDesign & Build financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Design & Build leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Design & Build funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Design & Build M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Design & Build
What does Design & Build do?
Design & Build is a specialist Australian recruitment agency placing candidates in permanent, contract, and temporary roles across the built environment, covering construction, engineering, energy, property, architecture, manufacturing, rail, resources, and corporate services. Its core offering is end-to-end recruitment including brief intake, candidate sourcing and screening, interview coordination, offer management, and onboarding, supported by a transparent in-house payroll service for temporary workers and salary benchmarking research.
Is Design & Build a public or private company?
Design & Build is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Design & Build founded?
Design & Build was founded in 2004. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Design & Build based?
Design & Build is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Design & Build make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Permanent Placement Services are the primary driver. The others are temporary/Contract Staffing and payroll Services.
Who are Design & Build's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CGC Recruitment, Bluestone Recruitment and Construct Recruitment. Broad incumbents are Robert Half Australia, Chandler Macleod, Randstad Australia, Michael Page Australia, Hays Australia and Adecco Australia. PERSOLKELLY Australia is listed as a regional player.
Does Design & Build have an API?
No public API is recorded for Design & Build.