We find the people who keep your lines running.
Permanent search and interim cover for the people who run UK manufacturing and engineering.
Operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, finance and HR, backed by more than 20 years of recruiting in the sector.
Email hello@uptimetalent.co.uk
Why the name
Uptime is how long a line runs without stopping. An empty seat is downtime. We work hard to avoid it.
We identify, headhunt and recruit specialists who will stay, and every permanent hire carries a guarantee we will stand by.
Permanent search
High-calibre hires for the roles that matter most to your site, from plant and operations leaders to specialist engineers and commercial heads.
We take a detailed brief, map the market, headhunt people who are not looking and shortlist two or three fully briefed candidates. We then manage the offer and the notice period through to day one.
Every permanent hire is backed by a hiring guarantee, so you are protected if it does not work out.
Interim cover
Experienced people on an hourly or daily rate for absence cover, vacancy backfill, project work and peaks in demand, so output does not suffer while you recruit permanently.
We can turn short-term, immediate interim requirements around in just a few days, with fully referenced interim specialist candidates.
Cover for as long or as short a period as the vacancy needs.
How we can help
Whether you need one hire for a key role or cover to keep a site running, we work in the way that suits the vacancy.
Permanent search
For the roles that shape how your site performs. We brief, map the market, headhunt and shortlist, then manage the offer and the notice period. Every placement is backed by a hiring guarantee.
Leadership search
For managing directors, general managers and plant directors. A confidential, research-led approach that includes market mapping, direct approach and, where it helps, a calibration meeting so every stakeholder agrees the brief before anyone is approached.
Interim cover
Experienced people on an hourly or daily rate for absence cover, vacancy backfill, project work and peaks in demand, so output does not suffer while you recruit permanently.
Market insight
Salary benchmarking, talent availability reports and company and talent mapping for employers planning a hire, an expansion or a restructure.
The roles that keep a site running
From the plant manager’s office to the boardroom, we recruit across industrial, manufacturing and engineering businesses. These are the roles we recruit most, and the results each one is accountable for.
Leadership
P&L ownership, site strategy, transformation and turnaround.
Managing Director
General Manager
Plant Director
Operations Director
Technical Director
Engineering Director
Manufacturing Director
Commercial Director
Business Unit Director
Operations
OEE, lean manufacturing, shift performance, safety and on-time delivery.
Head of Operations
Operations Manager
Plant Manager
Site Manager
Production Manager
Shift Manager
Production Supervisor
Production Planner
Engineering and maintenance
Maintenance and reliability, process improvement, plant uptime and engineering change.
Engineering Manager
Maintenance Manager
Maintenance Engineer
Reliability Engineer
Production Engineer
Process Engineer
CI Engineer
Project Engineer
Quality, HSE and projects
ISO 9001 quality systems, supplier quality, HSE compliance and capital projects.
Quality Manager
Quality Engineer
Supplier Quality Engineer
Quality Technician and Inspector
HSE Manager
Health and Safety Advisor
Project Manager
Programme Manager
Supply chain and procurement
MRP and ERP planning, S&OP, inventory control, sourcing, warehousing and supplier management.
Supply Chain Director
Supply Chain Manager
Materials Controller
Demand Planner
Logistics Manager
Warehouse Manager
Purchasing Manager
Senior Buyer and Buyer
Import/Export Coordinator
Sales and commercial
OEM and key account growth, tender and contract negotiation, and new business development.
Sales Director
Sales Manager
Key Account Manager
Technical Sales Engineer
Business Development Manager
Business Manager
Territory Manager
Sales Executive
Commercial Manager
Estimator
Service and Warranty Manager
Finance
Cost accounting, financial control, budgeting, forecasting and commercial support to site leadership.
Finance Director
Head of Finance
Financial Controller
Finance Manager
Commercial Finance Manager
Cost Accountant
Management Accountant
HR
Employee relations, workforce planning, engagement, retention and skills development.
HR Director
Head of HR
HR Manager
HR Business Partner
Learning and Development Manager
HR Advisor
HR Officer
Not on the list?
If you have a hard-to-fill niche or specialist requirement, tell us about it.
Talk to us about your roleSectors we work in
We recruit for businesses right across UK manufacturing and engineering. The skills in the roles we fill, from lean operations and quality systems to maintenance and supply chain, carry across sectors, and these are the main ones we cover.
Automotive and EV
Operations, quality, engineering and supply chain roles, from tier-one suppliers to specialist component makers, including electric vehicle supply chains.
Fabrication and metalwork
Sales, operations and technical roles for fabrication businesses, from the shop floor to the business development desk.
Aerospace and defence
Quality, engineering and operations roles where standards, traceability and compliance matter.
Packaging and converting
Production, planning, supply chain and commercial roles for high-volume, high-service operations.
Food and FMCG manufacturing
Operations, maintenance, quality and HR leaders for sites that run around the clock.
Industrial services
Business development and account management for maintenance, service and industrial supply businesses.
Advanced manufacturing
Operations, engineering and quality leaders for precision and high-specification production.
Machinery and automation
Engineering, service and commercial roles for machine builders, robotics and automation businesses.
Plastics, rubber and composites
Production, process, quality and technical roles for moulding, extrusion and composites manufacturers.
Metals, castings and forgings
Operations, maintenance and HSE roles for foundries, forges and metal processors.
Chemicals and process industries
Process, quality, HSE and supply chain roles in regulated, continuous-process environments.
Pharmaceuticals and medical devices
Quality, validation and operations roles where regulation and traceability are critical.
Electronics and electrical
Engineering, quality and supply chain roles for electronics and electrical equipment manufacturers.
Energy and power equipment
Engineering, project and commercial roles for power generation, renewables and energy equipment makers.
Rail and transport equipment
Engineering, quality and project roles for rolling stock, components and transport systems.
Building products and materials
Operations, sales and technical roles for manufacturers of construction products and materials.
Tooling and subcontract engineering
Operations, quality and sales roles for toolmakers, machine shops and subcontract engineering businesses.
Consumer and durable goods
Operations, planning and commercial roles for makers of furniture, textiles and everyday products.
Waste and recycling
Operations, engineering, plant and commercial roles for recycling, resource recovery and waste processing businesses, where throughput and uptime decide the margin.
Textiles and fibres
Operations, quality, technical and commercial roles for businesses that process, recover and convert fibres, fabrics and materials.
Not listed?
If you make or engineer something and do not see your sector here, get in touch.
We don’t send CVs and hope
Every search follows the same four steps, so you always know where it stands.
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01
Brief
We take the brief and agree what a good hire looks like: the role profile, the measures of success, the team they join and the salary the market will bear.
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02
Map the market
Company mapping and talent mapping. We chart your competitors, where the right people sit today, and which industries hold people with transferable skills.
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03
Headhunt
Direct approach to passive candidates: the people who are not looking, in post and performing, whom other agencies don’t know exist.
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04
Shortlist and offer
You meet two or three fully briefed candidates and choose. We manage the offer and notice period, and back the hire with a guarantee.
For the harder searches, more insight
When a role is scarce or senior, the research phase goes further. We can bring the evidence to a calibration meeting so every stakeholder is aligned on the direction of the search before candidates are approached.
Salary benchmarking
What comparable roles pay, so your offer holds up when it is made.
Employer reputation
How your company is seen in the market by the people you want to hire.
Talent availability
How many suitable people exist, where they are and how likely they are to move.
Talent forecasting
Where the supply of the skills you need is heading, so you can plan ahead.
Why manufacturers choose Uptime Talent
We know your world
We understand the technical content of the roles, the shift patterns and the pressures of running a plant, so we judge candidates on what matters to your site.
We take on fewer searches
We deliberately limit the number of roles we support at one time, so each one gets our full attention until it is filled.
Research before outreach
Company mapping and talent mapping show who the right people are, and where, before a single call is made.
A short, strong shortlist
Two or three fully briefed candidates who meet the brief, so your time goes on choosing rather than sifting.
Plain, honest advice
If a brief is unrealistic for the market, we say so early and suggest what would work. No false promises and no going quiet.
A guarantee on every permanent hire
We stand behind every permanent placement with a hiring guarantee, to take the risk out of a new hire.
Recruitment is part of running the plant
A vacancy on a shift pattern, in the quality lab or in the planning office shows up in output, delivery and morale. We treat every search as an operational problem, not an administrative one.
Questions we are asked
What do you recruit?
Permanent and interim roles across operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, sales, finance, HR and leadership, for industrial, manufacturing and engineering businesses.
How does a search start?
With a conversation about the role, the site and the team. We agree what a good hire looks like, then map the market before anyone is approached.
How many candidates will I see?
Usually two or three, each fully briefed and checked against your brief, so you choose rather than sift.
Do you recruit senior roles?
Yes, from supervisors and planners through to managing directors and plant directors.
Do you supply interim staff?
Yes. We supply experienced people on an hourly or daily rate for cover, projects and peaks in demand.
What if a hire does not work out?
Every permanent assignment carries a hiring guarantee, to give you peace of mind.
Can a search be confidential?
Yes. Sensitive searches, such as replacing someone who is still in post, are handled in confidence.
Where do you work?
Across the UK, with a close knowledge of the manufacturing and engineering market.
Looking for your next role?
We recruit at every level in manufacturing and engineering, from supervisors and planners to directors. You get an honest view of the market, a clear picture of the role, the site and the team, and feedback at every stage.
We only put you forward with your agreement, and your details stay confidential.
People recruit from people
Uptime Talent is a specialist recruiter for UK manufacturing, engineering and industrial businesses. We were set up around one idea: a recruiter who understands the work, the site and the people can find hires that stay.
Behind that is more than 20 years of hands-on experience across manufacturing, advanced engineering and industrial sectors, supporting some of the region’s most active employers. It gives us a detailed technical understanding of the roles we recruit for and the pressures plant and operations leaders work under, from delivery and cost to safety and retention, plus a network of candidates built one conversation at a time.
We deliberately take on a limited number of searches at a time, so every client and every candidate gets proper attention. Clients tell us it helps us find people other agencies did not know were there.
What clients say
Having taken our brief, my experience has been that [he] shortlists two to three candidates who have the skills, qualifications and experience to fill the role, and we simply have to decide on the person we prefer.
My first call to make when I needed strong calibre staff quickly. I always admired his honesty and ability to understand our needs with little guidance.
Appreciate you not giving up or going quiet (to work on lower maintenance clients!) in the face of my demanding candidate requirements, and I’m really happy with the hire you got us.
[He] is more than a recruitment partner; he goes beyond to build networks based on mutual respect and truly works hard to attract candidates who will be right for an organisation.
Tell us about the role. We’ll give you an honest view of the market.
Looking for a role
Send your CV and a line on what you want next. Every CV is read by a person.
Find us
Uptime Talent
7 Victoria Road
Tamworth
Staffordshire
B79 7HS
Working with employers and candidates across the UK.