Tired of a Slow Hiring Process? We’ll Connect You with London’s Top Manufacturing & Engineering Talent, Faster.
Rhys Williams
Founder of Sigma Recruitment & Expert Engineering Recruiter.
With 20 years of experience recruiting engineering professionals for the manufacturing sector in the UK, Rhys has an unrivalled network and a deep understanding of how to succesfully fill engineering vacancies for the manufacturing sector.
Fill Critical Engineering Roles Quickly
Stop wasting time on irrelevant CVs and missed opportunities. Book a free 20-minute Recruitment Strategy Call with Rhys today. You will benefit from:
- A talent market map for your specific engineering role in London.
- Clarity on the salary ranges and benefits needed to attract top-tier candidates.
- An action plan to fill your vacancy faster.
No cost. No commitment. Just 20 minutes of advice that will save you hours of frustration.
Proven results, top-rated service
Case Studies: Our Proven Success in High-Stakes Engineering Recruitment for Manufacturing
We provide effective technical staffing solutions for London’s manufacturers and across the UK. Explore our case studies below to see how we solve complex recruitment challenges.
Case Study: Sourcing a Niche Electronics Design Engineer
The Challenge: A global high-tech manufacturing client needed to hire a specialist Electronics Design Engineer in a highly competitive local market. The talent pool was extremely limited, and they were competing against companies offering higher salaries and better benefits.
Our Solution: We conducted a deep vacancy analysis with the HR and line manager to define essential criteria. A detailed market map and sourcing plan were created to identify and engage passive candidates across multiple platforms, including a targeted PPC campaign to a custom audience with an interest in electronics.
The Result: We successfully presented three highly-skilled, fully-vetted candidates. The client proceeded with two to the final stage and hired an exceptional engineer who has since completed over two years of successful service. This demonstrated our ability to deliver in even the most challenging talent markets.
Case Study: High-Volume Maintenance Team Expansion
The Challenge: A global chemical company was undertaking a major site expansion and needed to hire 15+ maintenance staff with varied skillsets (mechanical, electrical, automation). The roles had complex shift patterns and a salary structure that made them difficult to fill in a candidate-driven market.
Our Solution: We worked as a strategic partner, creating SEO-optimised adverts for each skillset and launching a high-volume sourcing plan. We managed the entire process, from thoroughly screening candidates on the complex package to briefing them for the client’s extensive 4-hour interview process, booking 14 interviews in a single week.
The Result: During the project, Sigma successfully placed 15 maintenance staff. Our rigorous pre-screening and management of the complex onboarding process ensured a high conversion rate from interview to hire, enabling the client to meet their critical expansion deadlines.
Why the Best London Engineering Recruitment Agencies are Partners, Not Suppliers
The difference between a transactional recruiter and a true recruitment partner can have a significant impact on your hiring success, company culture, and long-term growth. Here’s how they compare.
| Aspect | The Transactional Agency | ✅ The Recruitment Partner (Sigma) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Goal | Fill the role as quickly as possible to earn a fee. | Find the right long-term candidate who aligns with your technical needs and company culture. |
| Process | Forwards a high volume of unvetted or poorly-vetted CVs from a single source. | Consults on the role, conducts in-depth screening interviews, and only presents a qualified shortlist. |
| Communication | Infrequent or purely reactive updates. You often have to chase them for information. | Proactive communication, providing market insights, feedback, and regular progress reports. |
| Market Knowledge | Generalist understanding of many industries. | Deep, specialist knowledge of the engineering and manufacturing sectors. |
| Outcome | A placement that may or may not last. The relationship ends when the invoice is paid. | A valuable new team member. The relationship continues to ensure a smooth onboarding and future success. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What engineering recruitment services do you provide in London?
What manufacturing industry sectors do you recruit for?
What engineering jobs do you recruit for in London?
What are the challenges of recruiting engineers in London?
Why should we work with Sigma Recruitment for London engineering recruitment?
What do engineering recruitment agencies in London charge?
What’s different about Sigma?
What are the best engineering recruitment agencies in London?
Sigma Recruitment stands out as one of the best for its 20+ years of specialist experience in manufacturing and engineering. We offer deep talent pools, a consultative partnership approach, and free market mapping to connect you with vetted London engineers quickly.
What types of engineering jobs are in high demand in London in 2025?
Demand is high for roles in automation, AI, and sustainable manufacturing, like process engineers and automation specialists. Sigma recruits for these in sectors like aerospace and pharmaceuticals, helping London firms fill vacancies amid a 20% talent shortage.
How to Successfully Recruit Engineers in London
A Step-by-Step Guide for Hiring Managers
-
Align Stakeholders with a Kick-Off Meeting
Form an internal consensus. Ensure all key decision-makers agree on the salary range, benefits, responsibilities, and essential requirements before starting the search. -
Create a Comprehensive Job Information Pack
Compile a detailed pack including a job description, person specification, salary details, and an onboarding plan. This equips candidates with all the information they need. -
Write a Candidate-Centric Advert
Post an advert, not just a job description. Focus on what’s in it for the candidate. Highlight the benefits and opportunities to attract the best applicants. Keep the list of essential criteria concise. -
Act with Speed and Precision
The London engineering market is fast-paced. Move candidates through your interview process swiftly but without rushing to lose top talent to competitors. -
Partner with Specialist Engineering Recruiters
Engaging an engineering recruitment agency in London like Sigma gives you immediate access to deep talent pools and market intelligence, saving you significant time and resources.
About Engineering & Manufacturing in London
London’s dynamic economy supports salaries that are significantly above the UK average. While the city is known for finance, its industrial and engineering sectors are thriving, particularly in the outer regions. East London is a hub for engineering, while the M4 corridor to the west hosts a major cluster of aerospace, transport, and pharmaceutical giants like BAE Systems, GSK, and Johnson & Johnson. As a global economic centre, Greater London is also the headquarters for world-leading companies such as BP, Shell, and National Grid, making it a prime location for sourcing elite engineering talent.
About Sigma: Your Expert Engineering Headhunters in London
Since our founding in 2005, Sigma Recruitment has established an enviable reputation as a leading independent manufacturing and engineering recruitment specialist in London and the UK. We have successfully placed candidates in a diverse range of companies, from Fortune 500 corporations to innovative high-tech start-ups.
About The Author: Rhys Williams
This guide was written by Rhys Williams, the founder and Managing Director of Sigma Recruitment. With over 20 years of dedicated experience in engineering and manufacturing recruitment, Rhys established Sigma in 2005 to provide a specialist, high-quality service. His hands-on approach and deep industry knowledge have helped countless businesses build their high-performing technical teams. Connect with Rhys on LinkedIn.
Ready To Hire Top Engineering Talent in London?
Let us help you find the right people to drive your business forward. Contact us today to start the conversation.
- Call Rhys Williams: 02920 100 790
- Email: rhys@sigmarecruitment.co.uk
- Submit Your Vacancy Online
- Book a No-Obligation Call
Disclaimer: Nothing on this website is meant to imply that Sigma Recruitment Ltd has a physical recruitment agency office in London; we do have access to a wide range of engineering & manufacturing talent in London and are comfortable working with London manufacturing and engineering companies hiring for engineering jobs in London. Where we refer to Sigma Recruitment Agency and London or similar, we are confirming our capacity to find engineering candidates in London. Where we mention a company, it is for information purposes only and does not mean that we are working with, affiliated with or in any way connected to said company.
Featured Engineering Candidates in London
- A recent 1st class chemical engineering graduate.
- Developed a strong understanding of process safety and optimisation, and quality control from their degree.
- Proficient with programming languages like MATLAB/Simulink, C++ and Python.
- Studied a range of modules including technology selection, process economics, process simulation and heat integration.
- Worked on numerous projects both as an individual and group. Comfortable taking the lead, delegating tasks and monitoring progress.
- From a project exercise, they gained exposure to P&ID, compliance – ISO 45001, 9001 and 14001 and HAZID/HAZOP studies.
- Available for an immediate start.
- An experienced multi skilled engineer that’s qualified up to HND level in instrumentation engineering.
- Has experience of maintaining, calibrating and installing a wide range of instrumentation including temperature, flow, level and pressure.
- Able to fault find and program Siemens S7 and Allen Bradley PLC systems and is well versed with SCADA.
- Due to recently being made redundant they are available immediately.
- Ideally looking for a 4 on 4 off shift pattern.
- A recent MEng graduate who achieved 1st class honours.
- Has a keen interest in going into either a design or project focused graduate role.
- Used CREO and AutoCAD for design work and also gained exposure to MATLAB and Ansys during project work.
- Completed modules on energy systems, engineering mathematics and numerical analysis, design and quality.
- Gained experience of individual and group project work. Final year project involved designing components for an aerospace company, this included a handle, seat lever and gearbox housing unit.
- Bilingual, fluent in English and German.
- Available for an immediate start.
- Holds a full UK driving licence.
- A mechanical engineering student that will be graduating with a 1st class honours.
- Has used SolidWorks, CREO and SketchUp CAD software.
- Covered a range of modules including: Integrated Design Project, failure of materials, thermodynamic cycles, applied fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, designing for sustainable manufacture, data science, control system analysis and applied solid mechanics.
- Gained a good amount of project experience during university, designing an undertray using SolidWorks for a formula student car and optmised the properties of a carbon component through FEA simulations conducted using Abaqus CAE software.
- Available for an immediate start.
- Degree-qualified mechanical design engineer with circa 6 years of experience.
- Has a wealth of experience taking ideas from concept through to manufacturing. Well versed in validating designs using FEA, DFMEA and user testing.
- Has worked with a range of different materials including plastics, aluminium, steel and titanium and has good knowledge of injection moulding, forging, extrusion and machining.
- Highly skilled using SolidWorks.
- Has experience of leading project teams and having direct responsibility for junior staff within the design team.
- A mechanical engineering graduate that achieved a 2:1 in their studies.
- Has been able to gain a good amount of experience through an industrial year and a post graduate position.
- Used SolidWorks throughout education and work since, also has knowledge of CATIA V5.
- Has experience of designing industrial valves and has worked with a wide range of materials including stainless steel, nickel, inconel, duplex and different grades of plastic.
- Comfortable working with the shop floor to discuss drawings and complete analysis on any issues.
- Has recently returned from travelling and is available for an immediate start.
- A degree qualified manufacturing professional with circa 15 years of industrial experience, working in leadership roles for the last 10 years.
- Has worked across a mix of heavy industry and FMCG.
- Comfortable leading teams of different sizes, typically having 3-8 direct reports and up to 80 indirect. Has completed a chartered management institute level 4 qualification.
- Well versed in lean and continuous improvement principles and has completed a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt.
- Open to going into different roles including production manager, site manager, manufacturing manager or maintenance manager.
- Degree qualified mechanical design engineer with circa 3 years of industrial experience.
- Proficient in SolidWorks and AutoCAD.
- Has experience leading design projects from concept to manufacturing working in highly regulated environments.
- Covered a broad range of materials including various types of plastic like acrylic and polycarbonate and metals like stainless steel, sheet metal and iron.
- Has gained a good amount of project exposure, leading new projects to the value of £300,000, comfortable managing design stages and troubleshooting when any issues arise with manufacturing.
- Open to going into a design role or a project engineer.
- Recently completed an MEng in chemical engineering achieving a 2:1.
- Gained a year of industrial experience working for a valve manufacturing company, developing skills in technical sales, quality and project work.
- Covered modules on: reactor design, process design and simulations, biochemical engineering, safety and loss prevention, separation processes and process equipment selection and control.
- Has used design software like ASPEN Hysys and AutoCAD and is proficient in the use of Microsoft Office to collate and analyse data.
- Holds a full UK driving licence.
- A recent mechanical engineering graduate who achieved a 2:1.
- Completed a range of modules including: product design, renewable technologies, engineering systems, engineering design, thermofluids and mechanics of materials.
- Developed CAD skills and is proficient with both 2D and 3D, has used SolidWorks and AutoCAD.
- Completed a final year project analysing the performance of a hydrogen fuelled marine engine.
- Has a keen interest in design, robotics and sustainable technology.
- Worked in hospitality throughout their studies, gaining leadership skills and confidence cin ommunicating with customers.
- Available for an immediate start.
- Master’s qualified engineering professional with circa 6 years of industry experience
- Holds an MSc in Advanced Engineering Design (Merit) and a BSc in Product Design (First Class)
- Has worked mainly in Food and FMCG sectors mainly focusing on the design of electro-mechanical and automated equipment
- Experienced SolidWorks user for 3D CAD purposes and also comfortable with FEA, BOM’s and updating PDM systems
- Has been developing software development skills in own time (LabView and Python) and would be keen to find a role focused on automated equipment design and development which could utilise both mechanical and software skills.
- Degree-qualified design professional with circa 1 year of experience
- Holds a BSc in Creative Product Design (1st Class)
- Has worked predominantly with metals (cast, machined, sheet, etc.) from a design perspective.
- Very proficient in SolidWorks holding a range of certifications for the product.
- Experience has been mainly in FMCG environments with a lot of experience designing products for consumer marketplaces
- Additionally comfortable using Adobe products such as Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign and has experience of working with external collaborators to grow brands and identities.
- Recently graduated with a 2:1 in their bachelors in electrical and electronic engineering.
- Gained programming experience using C++.
- During their studies they’ve gained hands-on experience in a maintenance-focused role, repairing household items like home control systems, sockets, lighting and other fixtures.
- Completed modules on embedded systems, electronic principles, circuit signals and systems, analogue electronics and renewable energy engineering.
- Available for an immediate start.
- Open to relocation for the right role.
- Master’s qualified engineer with 6 months of industry experience in food manufacturing
- Holds an MEng in Chemical Engineering
- Also PRINCE2 qualified to Practitioner level
- Current role focuses on identifying areas for improvement across the manufacturing plant and leading cross-functional teams to deliver the improvements
- Achievements to date have included reducing the changeover time for one line from 14 minutes to 8 minutes and introducing a new system to reduce waste levels by circa 20%
- Skilled in data analytics (Tableau, PowerApps), methodologies (Agile, PRINCE2), project management tools (Jira, MS Project), design and simulation tools (AutoCAD, COMSOL, etc.), programming languages (MATLAB, Python) and is proficient in all Microsoft Office applications
- Keen to find a role which would allow him to utilise a mix of their project management and engineering skills
- Achieved a 1st class honours in their bachelor in electronic engineering then went on to complete a masters in advanced electronic & electrical engineering.
- Circa 3 years of post-graduate experience split across test, repair and design work.
- Has mainly used C++ for programming.
- Gained design and project experience working on IoT devices and HV testing equipment.
- Developed skills in fault finding to component level and development of testing procedures.
- Adept at analysing the market and researching new technologies for the business.
- Proficient in using Altium for design work and has covered multi-layer PCB designs.
- Available for an immediate start.
- A recent graduate who achieved a 2:1 in their MEng in aerospace engineering.
- Completed modules on aerospace vehicle simulation, computational modelling, aerospace structures, aeromechanics and advanced CAD.
- Was able to gain project experience during their studies, taking a lead on the design side of the project.
- Proficient with SolidWorks and has used ANSYS.
- Used Excel heavily during their degree for data analysis, trackers and Gantt charts.
- Available for an immediate start
- Graduated with a 1st class MEng in aerospace engineering.
- Has gained two years of post-graduate experience working as a project engineer.
- Familiar with software with CATIA and SolidCAM.
- Track record for delivering projects on time to budget, typical project values can range from £200,000 – £600,000.
- Comfortable managing multidisciplined teams, taking control of work planning, performance, safety and budgets.
- Highly data-driven has used tools like DMAIC and FMEA to optimise production.
Partner with Sigma Recruitment in London
Talk to our director and learn how we can help you hire the right people
Book A CallThe Sigma approach takes you from a vacant position to a happy hire
Our ApproachSigma recruits in the following towns around London
- City of London
- Essex
- Harking and Dagenham
- Harrrow
- Westminster
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Islington
- Croyden
- Kent
- Lambeth
- Hackney
- Greenwich
- Paddington
- Hounslow
- UK
The Sigma Recruitment Agency
Locations we recruit in
Contact (via email or phone)
- info@sigmarecruitment.co.uk
- 02920 450 100
- We have a talent pool within 30 miles of
London, United Kingdom
W2 1HB
