Technology recruitment · London
Technology recruitment in London
In short: Hurren & Hope is a London-headquartered technology recruitment firm, set up here in 2013. We hire engineering, AI, data, product and go-to-market people for scaling technology companies in London, on permanent, contract and executive terms. Permanent fees are 20% of base salary, plus VAT, and you can pay monthly through Pay While They Stay.
You speak to Mark or Mike directly: 26 and 19+ years in recruitment
of permanent hires still in role at 12 months
average time to fill a permanent role
to a contract shortlist, with paperwork raised
What we hire forTechnology roles we fill in London
Venture-backed and scaling AI and SaaS businesses, typically under 200 employees, from seed-stage startups making their first key hires to established software companies building out teams. We also hire for the enterprise names that keep coming back to us.
Engineering and cloud
Software engineers, technical architects, DevOps, platform and infrastructure.
AI, ML and data
Machine learning engineers, data scientists and data engineers.
Product
Product managers and product leadership, including AI products.
Go-to-market
Founding account executives, sales leadership and RevOps, plus the operations hires that keep a scaling team running.
Ways to hireHow you can hire in London
Engineering, data, product and go-to-market
20% of base salary, plus VAT. Pay in one invoice, or monthly over 12 months through Pay While They Stay.
Permanent recruitmentContractors in days
A shortlist with paperwork raised within 3 days. Day rates, with our margin agreed up front as a fixed figure, shown separately on the contract.
Contract recruitmentCTO, VP and C-suite
25% of base salary only. One third at engagement and the balance on start, or monthly over 12 months. If your new leader leaves, the payments stop.
About executive searchNeed day rate guidance first? See the UK contractor day rate index, built from market data. We then work to your budget with options across a range.
Fees20% of base, paid while they stay
Our permanent fee is 20% of first-year base salary, plus VAT. Bonus, commission, car allowance, equity and benefits are never included. UK contingency agencies typically charge 15 to 25% of first-year salary, all on the start date, with a sliding rebate for 8 to 12 weeks.
Pay it as one invoice on the start date, with a refund for the months after you let us know if your hire leaves within 12 months, or monthly through Pay While They Stay, where the month you let us know your hire is leaving is your last payment. Give us three or more roles to fill and every hire is 18%.
How our fees compareLondon and the UK plus VAT
| Base salary | Monthly | Year total |
|---|---|---|
| £75,000 | £1,250 | £15,000 |
| £90,000 | £1,500 | £18,000 |
| £120,000 | £2,000 | £24,000 |
Pay While They Stay: 12 monthly instalments of 1.67% of base salary. The same total as a single invoice.
Local salary snapshotWhat technology roles pay in London
London pays lower headline base salaries than New York or San Francisco. Our salary guide notes that the UK’s EMI share option scheme can make equity highly tax-efficient on exit, which helps London offers compete.
AI and machine learning engineers earn a moderate premium over comparable engineers: Ravio puts it at 12% for individual contributors in Europe.
Full salary benchmarks for all three cities| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Total comp (Levels.fyi) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior software engineer | £74,000 to £112,000 | £85,000 | £100,000 to £182,000 |
| Senior platform / DevOps engineer | £78,000 to £102,000 | £83,000 | £93,000 to £151,000 |
| Senior AI / ML engineer | £85,000 to £92,000 | £89,000 | £90,000 to £170,000 |
| Senior product manager | £80,000 to £109,000 | £86,000 | £100,000 to £169,000 |
| Account executive | £75,000 to £87,000 | £76,000 | £81,000 to £168,000 |
| Chief technology officer (CTO) | £90,000 to £111,000 | £100,000 | Not enough data |
Base salary ranges run from the lowest to the highest figure across named sources, including Adzuna, IT Jobs Watch, Indeed, Dice, Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, Built In, PayScale and US Department of Labor H-1B filings, depending on the city. Total compensation adds bonus and yearly equity, is self-reported and leans towards large employers. Market ranges, not a Hurren & Hope rate card. Figures as of 28 September 2026; see every source and sample size.
Hiring in London this quarter?
A 20 minute call with Mark or Mike. You get the salary benchmark for your role and your monthly cost before you commit to anything.
Case studiesTeams we built, and what happened next
Founding team built. Company acquired by Cognizant.
Inawisdom, an AWS partner, built its founding technology team with us, from startup through to acquisition by Cognizant in 2020.
Read the case study40+ hires, an AI-first pivot and a new engineering hub.
Lavanda, a VC-backed Finch Capital proptech, pivoted to AI-first engineering, hiring some of its first harness engineers, and built a Philippines team alongside its UK team, with fees paid monthly through Pay While They Stay.
Read the case studyEight acquisitions, one technology team.
Penguin Random House used us as a preferred supplier while it brought the technology teams from eight acquisitions together.
Read the case studyIn their own words
“Hurren & Hope are a preferred supplier for Penguin Random House and gave excellent, personable service through a challenging, complex integration. The team goes the extra mile, with a high degree of integrity.”
Penguin Random House
“Simply put, Hurren & Hope are the benchmark of how recruiters should act.”
Chief People Officer, One Beyond
“Hurren & Hope bring an integrity and honesty to recruitment that’s so important when bringing talent into an organisation.”
Chief Information Officer, NHS Professionals
Hiring in London: questions
Is Hurren & Hope based in London?
Yes. We are headquartered in London, where we were set up in 2013, and our registered office is in Greenwich View Place, London E14. We also recruit into New York and San Francisco from here.
What does a technology recruitment agency in London charge?
UK contingency agencies typically charge 15 to 25% of first-year salary, paid on the start date, with a sliding rebate if the hire leaves in the first 8 to 12 weeks. We charge 20% of base salary, plus VAT, and you can pay it monthly over 12 months through Pay While They Stay.
Can you supply contractors in London?
Yes. Contract hiring is available in the UK. We aim to send a shortlist, with paperwork raised, within 3 days, on a day rate with our margin agreed up front as a fixed figure.
What technology roles do you recruit for in London?
Software engineering and cloud, AI and machine learning, data, product, go-to-market and operations, from individual contributors to CTO and other leadership roles.
How much does a senior software engineer earn in London?
Across the sources in our salary benchmarks, the median base salary is £85,000, with a range of £74,000 to £112,000 between sources. Levels.fyi puts total compensation for senior engineers at £100,000 to £182,000 (25th to 75th percentile). Figures as of 28 September 2026.
How quickly can you fill a role in London?
Our average time to fill a permanent role is 23 days. For contract roles we aim for a shortlist, with paperwork raised, within 3 days.
Do you work with startups in London?
Yes, from seed-stage startups making their first key hires to established software companies. If you are venture-backed and raising, Aligned on hurrenandhope.vc can defer up to 75% of the fee until your next round. If that round doesn't happen, the deferred part isn't owed.
Is VAT added to your fees?
Yes, for UK clients our fees are plus VAT.
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Why clients stay with us