Executive Search / Technology
Placing a Director of IT for a Major UK Infrastructure Contractor
At a glance
Role: Director of IT (executive-level, reporting into the Board)
Client: A leading UK civil engineering and construction contractor
Briefed: 18 June 2026
Targets agreed: 19 named individuals to approach
Start date: 27 July 2026, 39 days after the brief
Fees: Typically around £36,000 at a conventional agency for a placement like this; considerably less under our day rate model
The client and the challenge
Our client is a large UK contractor delivering infrastructure across several sectors. For years, technology had supported the business competently but had not been a driver of strategy. That was changing. The Board now saw technology as a source of competitive advantage, in how the business bids, delivers projects and serves customers.
The business needed a Director of IT to lead that shift. The remit covered a substantial IT function and budget, with major enterprise programmes underway and a growing list of on-site innovations moving from pilot to full rollout. The person appointed would also work closely with a senior digital leader focused on innovation in construction.
This was not a role to fill from a conventional job board. The profile described someone who is first a credible business executive and second a technology executive, with the gravitas to build relationships at Board level and the experience to deliver complex transformation. Industry experience in construction was explicitly not essential. Leading a technology function through growth and change was.
The brief
We were briefed on 18 June 2026, working from a detailed role profile that set out the strategic, operational and behavioural requirements. Because the profile put leadership credibility and transformation experience ahead of sector background, we could look well beyond the obvious competitors, including businesses with similar scale, complexity and culture.
Our approach
We took a research-led, direct approach:
Agreed a target list. Together with the client, we settled on 19 individuals to approach. Agreeing the list at the outset meant the client knew exactly who we were speaking to and why.
Approached directly and discreetly. Senior technology leaders are rarely looking at job boards. Each conversation started with the opportunity and the business case for the role, not a job advert.
Assessed against the real brief. We weighed candidates on executive presence, delivery record, commercial acumen and ability to influence a Board, as well as technical credentials.
The outcome
The successful candidate started on 27 July 2026, just 39 days after we received the brief.
The commercial difference
Recruitment fees at director level are typically calculated as a percentage of salary. At a typical agency, the fee on this placement would have been around £36,000. We work on a day rate model, so the client paid for the work involved in the search rather than a percentage of the successful candidate's salary. The saving to the client was thousands of pounds, with no compromise on the depth of the search or the seniority of the candidates approached.
Why it worked
A clear, honest brief. The role profile explained where the business was, where it wanted to go and what success looked like.
A defined target list. Agreeing 19 names upfront kept the search focused and fast.
A broader view of experience. Looking at leadership and transformation track record, rather than sector background alone, widened the pool.
A pricing model that matches the work. Paying for the effort involved, not the size of the salary, meant the client got a senior search at a fairer cost.
Looking to fill a senior technology or leadership role?
If you are hiring at director level and want a focused, research-led search with transparent pricing, get in touch with the team at Talent Acumen.