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Recruitment built around surface engineering.

The UK specialist recruitment partner for anodisers, electroplaters, powder coaters, heat treaters, thermal spray businesses and advanced coating operations. We recruit the people who build, run, improve and grow them.

Sister business to
EMC Surface Technologies
Recruitment built for the trade.
Why Surface Talent

The sector is underserved by generalist recruitment.

The problem

Surface engineering is a technical trade. Generalist recruiters don't speak it. Shortlists arrive that look right on paper and fail on the shop floor. Hires walk. Roles stay open. Lines suffer.

Our answer

A recruitment partner with genuine command of the processes, standards and commercial realities of the sector. We're a sister business to EMC Surface Technologies, a UK operating group that owns and runs surface finishing plants, which means we recruit with an operator's instinct, not a generalist's checklist.

What we recruit

The full spine of a surface engineering business.

Functional recruitment specialism across the operational and commercial disciplines that build, run, improve and grow the business.

Process and production engineering

Engineers who own the line: cycle times, bath control, fixturing, yield, throughput.

Quality and technical assurance

NADCAP, AS9100, ISO 9001. Technical quality leads, auditors, inspection managers.

EHS and compliance

Environmental, health, safety and regulatory leads. COSHH, IPPC, ISO 14001, ISO 45001.

Continuous improvement and OpEx

LEAN practitioners, Six Sigma, OEE-driven plant uplift and transformation specialists.

Maintenance, reliability and controls

Mechanical, electrical, PLC, SCADA and automation engineers who keep plant running.

Technical sales and business development

Commercial hires who can read a drawing, hold a technical conversation and close the order.

Where we specialise

Six process lanes. Known individually, not generically.

Each has its own chemistry, kit, standards and talent pool. We know them because we operate in them.

01

Electroplating and aqueous electrolytic processes

Zinc, nickel, chrome, copper, silver, gold and alloy plating.

02

Anodising and chemical conversion

Sulphuric, chromic, hard and architectural anodising. Chromating, phosphating, passivation.

03

Powder coating, wet paint and industrial coatings

Architectural, industrial, contract and high-performance coating systems.

04

Heat treatment and thermochemical diffusion

Case hardening, carburising, nitriding, vacuum and atmosphere processes.

05

Thermal spray and hardfacing

HVOF, plasma, arc and flame spray. Wear, corrosion and dimensional restoration.

06

PVD, CVD and advanced surface technologies

Thin-film deposition, DLC, tool coatings and next-generation surface engineering.

How we work

Sharper briefs. Tighter shortlists. Hires that stay.

01 · Brief

Technical brief

Half a day on-site where it helps. We see the line, meet the team, understand the real role.

02 · Search

Targeted search

We map the market and approach the shortlist directly. Discreet. Retained where appropriate.

03 · Shortlist

Three to five

Candidates we'd stand behind. Not twenty half-fits.

04 · After

Post-placement

We stay close through offer, onboarding and first 90 days.

Clients

Brief us on a role.

Retained or contingent. Permanent, contract or interim. Technical and senior.

Start a search
Candidates

Tell us what you want next.

Confidential conversations with people who know the sector.

Register your CV