Contract Recruiter

Craft; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Uncapped commission

Hybrid work

25 days annual leave

Work from anywhere (up to 2 weeks/yr)

Clear progression

Job summary

Craft in London is seeking an experienced freelance/contract recruiter to join our team across design, creative, brand, digital and marketing. You’ll take an established desk and own it end to end, delivering placements and growing your talent pool while cultivating client relationships.

This high-energy, hybrid role rewards fast action, clear thinking, and impact. Deep contract-market experience and the ability to run a desk will help you shape and grow your space at Craft.

Qualifications

• Experience sourcing, qualifying and placing top talent in design, creative, brand, digital and marketing.
• Must have deep experience in contract markets and desk economics.
• Based in London with ability to work hybrid from our London HQ.

Responsibilities

• Own an established desk end-to-end from delivery to client relationship.
• Source, qualify and place top talent rapidly while maintaining momentum.
• Build and grow client relationships for long-term partnerships.

Skills

Freelance recruiter experience

Contract market knowledge

Business development

Relationship management

Job description

We’re hiring an experienced freelance / contract / interim recruiter to join us in working with leading agencies and in-house teams across design, creative, brand, digital, and marketing. We’re looking for someone who knows this world, speaks the language, and wants to grow within it.

The role

You'll take an established desk and make it your own - owning it end to end, running delivery, growing your talent pool, and building the client relationships that carry it. You'll sit alongside a settled London team, but the desk is yours to shape: originating new business, or growing a brand or in-house account into a cornerstone relationship - ideally both.

You'll source, qualify, and place top talent while keeping momentum high and standards even higher.

This is a high-energy role. Things move quickly, and success requires action. We want someone who thrives on doing - who responds fast, thinks clearly, and makes an impact without waiting to be told.

Deep experience in contract markets is essential. You'll know how a contract desk really runs - the commercials, the operational rhythm of live placements, and the compliance that governs it all.

How we think about performance

We work in a market where reputation matters. Relationships last. So when we talk about high performance, we mean:

• Consistent results, delivered with care and judgement
• Quality decision-making under pressure
• Commercial impact that strengthens relationships

This role could be right for you if you…

• Have personally billed a freelance / contract desk, and know its mechanics inside out
• Bring a consistent, high-billing track record
• Can originate business and sign new clients, and/or grow accounts into pillar relationships with the account planning to back it up
• You’ve built desks before, not just inherited them
• Are commercial, sharp and self-directed, with a reliable, results-focused way of working.
• Want your next step up - with room to mentor or lead as the desk grows, or to simply become the best biller in your market

At this level, success is measured by the consistency of your delivery, the energy you bring, and the way you contribute to the wider team. Financial success is a result of high standards - not a substitute for them.

Life at Craft

You’ll be part of a highly experienced team, with an average of 10.5 years in recruitment. We invest heavily in enablement, systems and support functions - so you can focus on delivering great work and developing your craft.

Progression here is clear, transparent, and built around impact. At this level, that can mean growing into people leadership - or becoming the definitive biller in your space. Both are real routes here, and you won't be pushed down one.

Practicalities

• Based in our London HQ
• Hybrid working - with at least two days a week in the office

What we offer

We believe people do their best work when they’re supported properly - in how they work, how they grow, and how they’re rewarded.

• Competitive base salary + uncapped, transparent commission
• 4.5-day working week. Friday afternoons off, all year round
• 25 days annual leave
• Work from anywhere - up to two weeks per year
• Clear progression - defined expectations and structured routes forward
• Enhanced parental leave

Our benefits package is designed for high-achieving, balanced and fulfilled lives. If you want your next chapter to combine all three, we should talk.