VHR
VHR is a London-headquartered, privately held international technical recruitment firm placing contract, permanent, and executive engineering professionals across aerospace, aviation, automotive, marine, defence, energy, and infrastructure sectors from 13 offices spanning 59 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What VHR does
VHR (legal name: Virtual Human Resources) is a privately held international technical recruitment company headquartered in London, UK, founded in 2003 by technical engineers and experienced recruiters. The company places contract, permanent, and executive technical professionals across seven industry verticals: Aerospace & Aviation, F1 & Automotive, Marine, Engineering & Manufacturing, Civils & Infrastructure, Defence & Security, and Energy & Renewables. VHR operates from 13 wholly-owned offices across the UK, continental Europe, MENA, and North America, executing placements across 59 countries with multilingual teams speaking 22+ languages. The company is led by CEO Danny Brooks MBE and COO Paul Robinson and has placed more than 18,000 candidates cumulatively.
VHR's core technology is human expertise rather than proprietary software: industry-specialist recruiters—many of them former practitioners such as British Airways engineers and former F1 engineers—deliver a consultative, partner-led sales model targeting enterprise clients via direct field sales, dedicated account managers, and onsite coordinators. Beyond placement, VHR runs complementary product lines: VHR Aircraft Technical Services provides fixed-price aviation MRO, modification, and manufacturing project delivery; VHR Workforce Solutions offers Recruitment Process Outsourcing and managed service programmes; VHR Executive Search handles senior leadership mandates across 57 countries; VHR North America operates FAA-compliant recruitment from Greensboro and Vancouver; Online Aviation Training delivers EASA Part 147-compliant courses via the LearnUpon LMS; and IR35 Services provides UK tax-compliance advisory. Revenue streams span transaction fees on placements, managed-services contracts, fixed-price professional services fees, and subscription-based training.
VHR monetises via transaction fees for contract and permanent placements, multi-year RPO/managed service contracts, fixed-price aviation project work, and subscription online training. Pricing is quote-based; published job postings show contract hourly rates from €55-70/hr for B1 engineers and permanent salary bands around £45-70k. The company targets multinational enterprise clients in safety-critical and high-skill sectors—including global airlines, MROs, OEMs, F1 teams, defence organisations, automotive manufacturers, and marine builders—delivering long-tenure relationships (some exceeding 12 years) and large-scale workforce deployments. VHR's growth model has been self-funded with no external equity raised; the company has accumulated 50+ industry awards including the Queen's Award for Enterprise (2018) and King's Award for Enterprise (2025), co-founded the Fair Labour Alliance, and maintains compliance infrastructure (UAE visa sponsorship, in-country payroll, and labour-law compliance) across 50+ jurisdictions.
VHR firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VHR
- Legal name
- Virtual Human Resources
- Website
- https://v-hr.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- VHR is a London-headquartered, privately held international technical recruitment firm placing contract, permanent, and executive engineering professionals across aerospace, aviation, automotive, marine, defence, energy, and infrastructure sectors from 13 offices spanning 59 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where VHR is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices13 records
Markets served
VHR business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Recruitment Placement Fees: VHR earns fees from placing contractors and permanent staff for clients. Services include contract recruitment, permanent recruitment, and executive search. The company places technical professionals including licensed aircraft engineers, mechanics, CNC machinists, composite technicians, and other specialized engineering roles.
- Managed Services / RPO: VHR Workforce Solutions provides Recruitment Process Outsourcing and Managed Services Programmes where VHR becomes an integral part of client's HR function. Includes onsite representation, strategic market planning, compliance management, technology integration, and talent pool management.
- Aircraft Technical Services: VHR ATS provides aviation-focused project management and consultancy for aircraft modifications, maintenance, repairs, and manufacturing. Delivered as fixed-price projects with defined scope and timelines.
- Visa and Payroll Solutions: VHR provides visa processing, payroll management, and HR solutions across multiple countries, managing the complex logistics of global hiring including unlimited residence visa sponsorship in the UAE.
- Online Aviation Training: VHR provides certified online aviation training courses (Airside Safety, EWIS, Fuel Tank Safety, Human Factors) through a partnership with an EASA Part 147 Training Partner, using LearnUpon LMS platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Contract Positions - Hourly rates vary by role and location |
| Subscription | Annual | Permanent Positions - Salary ranges published |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Multi-year contract | Fixed-Price Aviation Projects |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Managed Services / RPO - Custom pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
VHR product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VHR is an international technical recruitment company that sources, recruits, and onboards high-quality contract and permanent technical workers for the Aerospace & Aviation, F1 & Automotive, Marine, Engineering & Manufacturing, Civils & Infrastructure, Defence & Security, and Energy & Renewables industries across 59 countries. The company operates through specialist divisions including VHR Aircraft Technical Services (aviation project delivery), VHR Executive Search (senior appointments), VHR Workforce Solutions (RPO and managed services), and VHR North America, supplemented by online EASA Part 147 aviation training and IR35 compliance advisory services.
Product overview
VHR is a multi-award-winning international technical recruitment company offering a comprehensive suite of services across seven industry verticals: Aerospace & Aviation, F1 & Automotive, Marine, Engineering & Manufacturing, Civils & Infrastructure, Defence & Security, and Energy & Renewables. The core offering is recruitment services (contract, permanent, and executive search) supplemented by specialized divisions: VHR Aircraft Technical Services provides fixed-price MRO and aircraft modification solutions; VHR North America focuses on the American market; VHR Executive Search handles senior leadership hires; Online Aviation Training delivers EASA-compliant e-learning; VHR Workforce Solutions offers managed recruitment process outsourcing; and IR35 Services provides UK tax compliance advisory. The company operates across 59 countries with 13 global offices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- VHR Core Recruitment Services International technical recruitment providing contract and permanent workers to the Aerospace & Aviation, F1 & Automotive, Marine, Engineering & Manufacturing, Civils & Infrastructure, Defence & Security, and Energy & Renewables industries across 59 countries. Includes sourcing, payrolling, visa processing, and logistics support for enterprise clients.
- VHR Aircraft Technical Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Since 2006, VHR has provided one global airline with over 1,300 personnel
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use VHR
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
VHR technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
VHR partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators15 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
VHR competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aeropeople: Aeropeople is a UK-based specialist aviation recruitment firm focused on placing licensed engineers, mechanics, and MRO personnel — directly comparable to VHR's core Aerospace & Aviation vertical and ATS division.
- Morson Group: Morson is a UK-headquartered technical recruitment and workforce solutions provider with strong aerospace, rail, and engineering verticals — directly comparable to VHR's engineering and aerospace staffing offerings.
- Matchtech: Matchtech is a UK engineering and technical recruitment specialist with deep aerospace, defence, and marine verticals — closely aligned with VHR's multi-vertical technical recruitment model.
- TRS Staffing Solutions: TRS is a global technical staffing firm serving aerospace, defence, and energy sectors — directly comparable to VHR's international technical recruitment across similar verticals and geographies.
- Carbon60: Carbon60 is a UK technical recruitment firm specialising in engineering, energy, and aerospace — comparable to VHR's Engineering & Manufacturing and Energy & Renewables divisions.
- Gattaca: Gattaca is a UK-listed specialist STEM recruitment firm with strong engineering and technology verticals — comparable to VHR's technical contract and permanent placement model across multiple industries.
Broad incumbents
- SThree: SThree is a global STEM-focused recruitment group with deeper pockets and broader geographic reach — operating in adjacent technical/STEM verticals but at significantly larger scale than VHR.
- Hays: Hays is a global recruitment giant with established technical and engineering divisions across multiple geographies — a broader incumbent overlapping with VHR's technical staffing across some verticals.
- Impellam Group: Impellam is a UK-listed staffing group with technical, aerospace, and engineering brands (including Matchtech) — a broader incumbent overlapping with VHR's UK technical recruitment market.
- Reed Global: Reed is a large UK-based generalist recruitment firm with engineering and technical divisions — a broader incumbent with overlapping technical recruitment offerings but much wider scope than VHR.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
VHR social profiles
Digital presenceVHR financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VHR leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
VHR subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
VHR funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VHR 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 VHR
What does VHR do?
VHR is an international technical recruitment company that sources, recruits, and onboards high-quality contract and permanent technical workers for the Aerospace & Aviation, F1 & Automotive, Marine, Engineering & Manufacturing, Civils & Infrastructure, Defence & Security, and Energy & Renewables industries across 59 countries. The company operates through specialist divisions including VHR Aircraft Technical Services (aviation project delivery), VHR Executive Search (senior appointments), VHR Workforce Solutions (RPO and managed services), and VHR North America, supplemented by online EASA Part 147 aviation training and IR35 compliance advisory services.
Is VHR a public or private company?
VHR is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was VHR founded?
VHR was founded in 2003. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is VHR based?
VHR is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does VHR make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Recruitment Placement Fees are the primary driver. The others are managed Services / RPO, aircraft Technical Services, visa and Payroll Solutions and online Aviation Training.
Who are VHR's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aeropeople, Morson Group, Matchtech, TRS Staffing Solutions, Carbon60 and Gattaca. Broad incumbents are SThree, Hays, Impellam Group and Reed Global.
Does VHR have an API?
No public API is recorded for VHR.