Theo James Recruitment

What Theo James Recruitment does

Theo James Recruitment Ltd is a UK private limited recruitment agency founded in 2015 and headquartered in Durham, with a secondary office in York. The firm operates as a specialist talent provider exclusively serving the Manufacturing and Engineering sectors, organized into vertical coverage across automotive, aerospace & defence, FMCG, heavy industry, food & drink manufacturing, electrical/electronics, chemicals/pharmaceutical, and subsea/renewables. Its client base is concentrated in North East England with national reach via its executive search offering. As of the most recent operational snapshot, the company operates with a team of approximately 15 staff and is privately held, with no external institutional capital disclosed under company number 09734810.

The business operates three core service lines: TJ Partnerships (dedicated account management for high-volume hiring clients, including bespoke landing pages and embedded recruitment technology); TJ Executive (retained executive search for senior leadership appointments); and TJ Contracting (IR35-compliant contract staffing for project-based and interim roles). Revenue is generated through percentage-of-salary permanent placement fees, retainer fees on partnership and executive engagements, and contractor margin. Underlying technology consists of an "advanced" recruitment software platform used internally for workflow management, candidate tracking, and job posting; no AI/ML, proprietary models, or external integrations are referenced in the source material.

Layered on top of the core recruitment offering is a content and community platform: the Manufacturing Leaders Podcast (ranked No. 1 Manufacturing Podcast, with 100+ episodes hosted by co-founder Mark Bracknall), the annual Talent Intelligence Report built from 100+ regional hiring campaigns, the Manufacturing Leaders Summit (inaugural event April 2026 hosted at New College Durham), the Manufacturers Ramble On mental health charity walk, and the Greenify carbon-offset initiative applied to each new hire. The firm holds Cyber Essentials certification and operates strategic partnerships with New College Durham (skills development) and MAKE UK Defence (defence sector recruitment and events).

Name

Theo James Recruitment

Legal name

Theo James Recruitment Ltd

Website

https://theojamesrecruitment.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Theo James Recruitment is a UK-based specialist recruitment agency founded in 2015, providing Manufacturing and Engineering talent acquisition through permanent placement, executive search, and IR35-compliant contract staffing, primarily serving enterprise manufacturing clients across North East England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialist Recruitment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Executive Search Services (561312)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare) (BPACAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB), Operations, Supply Chain & Logistics Direct Hire (BPACAFAE)

Keywords

• Manufacturing recruitment
• Engineering recruitment
• Executive search services
• Contract staffing solutions
• Talent acquisition

Headquarters

HQ city

Seaham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Permanent Placement Fees: Commission-based permanent placement recruitment services with fees typically charged as percentage of annual salary upon successful hire
2. TJ Partnership Retainer: Dedicated partnership model providing full account management, bespoke landing pages, and strategic recruitment marketing for retained clients
3. Executive Search Retainer: Retained executive search services for senior leadership appointments with consultation, targeted search, screening, and onboarding support
4. Contract Staffing: Pay-as-you-go contractor placement with pre-vetted, IR35-compliant contractors for project work, interim staffing, and sickness cover

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Theo James Recruitment is a specialist talent provider for Manufacturing and Engineering organisations, providing permanent placement, executive search, and contract staffing services through dedicated partnership models. Core offerings include TJ Partnerships (full account management with bespoke landing pages and specialist consultants), TJ Executive (retained search for senior leadership), and TJ Contracting (IR35-compliant contractor supply), primarily serving clients in North East England with national reach for executive mandates.

Product overview

Theo James Recruitment is a specialist talent provider in Manufacturing and Engineering offering a portfolio of recruitment services rather than a unified software platform. The core offerings include three distinct service lines: TJ Partnerships (for businesses needing multiple hires with dedicated account management), TJ Executive (for senior leadership and executive search), and TJ Contracting (for flexible contractor staffing with IR35 compliance). Supporting these are content and intelligence products including the Manufacturing Leaders Podcast (hosted by Managing Director Mark Bracknall), the annual 2026 Talent Intelligence Report (salary benchmarking from 100+ hiring campaigns), and the Greenify sustainability initiative (carbon offset for new hires). The company also organizes the Manufacturing Leaders Summit and Manufacturers Ramble On mental health charity events as thought leadership and community engagement initiatives. Candidate support services include free downloadable guides for interview preparation, CV writing, and IR35 navigation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TJ Partnerships: A dedicated account management recruitment solution providing bespoke landing pages, strategic marketing, and access to specialist consultants.
• TJ Executive
• TJ Contracting
• Manufacturing Leaders Podcast

Products and services

• TJ Partnerships A partnership recruitment model providing dedicated account management, a bespoke landing page on the TJR website, strategic marketing and social promotion, and access to a team of specialist consultants and recruitment technology suite for Manufacturing & Engineering businesses needing multiple hires.
• TJ Executive Executive search service covering consultation, targeted search via headhunting and referrals, rigorous candidate screening, selection insights, and offer & onboarding support for senior leadership (C-suite, Director, and Senior Management) appointments in manufacturing and engineering.
• TJ Contracting Contractor staffing solution providing pre-vetted, fully compliant contractors with IR35 compliance guidance, no upfront costs, and flexible support for project work, sickness cover, or interim staffing needs across FMCG, Defence, Automotive, and other Manufacturing & Engineering sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% retention rate across 40+ hires at Dyer Engineering
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New College DurhamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026Host venue for annual Manufacturing Leaders Summit. Collaboration on skills development and education partnerships to address manufacturing workforce challenges in North East region. Vice Principal Alison Maynard participates in panel discussions.
• MAKE UK DefencecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic partnership for defence sector recruitment and events. Make UK Defence logo displayed on Theo James website. UK Membership Director Kelly Maddison appears on Manufacturing Leaders Podcast.
• Red Sky FoundationminorOthersCharity beneficiary for Manufacturing Leaders Summit 2026. All proceeds go to Red Sky Foundation which provides cardiac care for babies, children and adults born with heart conditions. Selected by Director Mark Bracknall due to personal connection.
• Andy’s Man ClubminorOthersMen's suicide prevention charity offering free peer-to-peer support groups. One of four beneficiaries of Manufacturers Ramble On mental health charity walk.
• If U Care Share FoundationminorOthersSuicide prevention and support charity encouraging people to share their problems. One of four beneficiaries of Manufacturers Ramble On mental health charity walk.
• James' Place CharityminorOthersCharity helping men in suicidal crisis find hope through free, life saving therapy. One of four beneficiaries of Manufacturers Ramble On mental health charity walk.
• Red BalloonsminorOthersCharity helping members improve and manage mental health through physical activity and talking. One of four beneficiaries of Manufacturers Ramble On mental health charity walk.
• Durham University Business SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted Driving Process Innovation in Manufacturing Roundtable event at Durham University Business School, co-hosted with Dr. Stephanie Scott, Senior Lecturer.
• Cyber Essentials CertifiedminorOthersCyber Essentials security certification held and displayed on website, demonstrating commitment to cybersecurity best practices.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Matchtech: Glenigan-owned specialist engineering and technology recruitment brand serving aerospace, defence, automotive and manufacturing clients across the UK. Comparable engineering/Manufacturing vertical and contractor placement model, but operates at materially greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Morson Group: Large UK-headquartered technical and engineering recruitment and workforce solutions group with significant exposure to manufacturing, aerospace, defence and infrastructure. Comparable because it competes for the same engineering contractor and permanent hiring budgets as Theo James, but at much larger scale with national RPO/MSP capability.
• Orion Group: International engineering, technical and industrial recruitment group with strong UK presence in manufacturing, energy and subsea. Comparable because it directly competes for engineering contractor and permanent roles in the same North East manufacturing and subsea/Renewables verticals Theo James serves.

Direct peers

• Nicholas Associates Group: UK recruitment specialist focused on engineering, manufacturing and technical permanent placements across the Midlands and nationally. Closely comparable business model, vertical specialisation and target customer (UK SME-to-mid-market manufacturers) as Theo James Recruitment.
• ETA Recruitment: UK engineering and manufacturing recruitment agency placing permanent and contract technical staff across mechanical, electrical and production disciplines. Comparable target customer (UK manufacturers), revenue model (commission-based placements) and engineering vertical specialisation.
• Jonathan Lee Recruitment: Long-established UK recruitment consultancy recruiting engineers, manufacturing professionals and technical leaders across permanent, contract and executive mandates. Directly comparable vertical (engineering/manufacturing), service mix (perm + contract + executive) and mid-market enterprise client base.
• Macallam Resource Solutions: North East England-based recruitment agency specialising in manufacturing, engineering and technical placements. Direct local competitor with similar vertical focus, customer segments (North East SME/mid-market manufacturers) and service mix (permanent + contract).
• Holt Engineering: UK engineering and technical recruitment firm focused on manufacturing, aerospace and industrial clients with both permanent and contract offerings. Direct peer in vertical specialisation, service model and target enterprise manufacturing client profile.
• Solutions Recruitment: UK engineering, manufacturing and industrial recruitment agency supplying permanent, contract and temporary technical staff to UK manufacturers. Direct peer in vertical (engineering/manufacturing), customer base (UK SME manufacturers) and hybrid permanent/contract service model.

Regional players

• Wade Macdonald: UK finance, accounting and engineering recruitment consultancy with a manufacturing-and-engineering desk. Comparable executive and permanent placement model in manufacturing-adjacent functions, though primarily serves London/South East rather than the North East.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@theojamesmanufacturingleaders
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theo-james-recruitment
• Xx.com/TheoJamesRec
• Facebookfacebook.com/theojamesrecruitment

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Theo James Recruitment