Permanent placement for engineers, architects and technology leaders
Direct-hire recruiting for engineers, architects and technology leaders who will stay.
Overview
Your permanent hires define your engineering culture for years. We run every direct-hire search as a consultative project: understanding the team, the manager, the growth path and the compensation reality before we approach a single candidate.
Beyond active job seekers, we reach passive professionals who are performing well where they are, often the strongest candidates, and give them an honest, compelling picture of your opportunity.
How it usually goes
A VP of engineering calls to say the principal architect is leaving and they would like the replacement found quietly. We ask about the team, the manager, the pay range, and why someone good would take the job. We don't post it. We phone people we know and people we have never met who do that work somewhere else, and we describe the role honestly, including the unglamorous parts. You meet a few people, not a dozen. When an offer goes out, we stay on the phone through the awkward bits: counteroffers, notice periods, start dates. The fee is due only if someone accepts.
What you get
- Targeted search
- Market mapping and direct outreach to passive candidates.
- Structured screening
- Competency-based interviews and technical validation.
- Pay on hire
- A single placement fee, only when your candidate accepts.
- Replacement guarantee
- A replacement period if a hire doesn't work out early on.
How a search runs
Discover
We learn the role, the team, the technology and what success looks like in the first 90 days.
Source
Recruiters who work in that skill area search our network and the wider market, including passive candidates.
Screen
Technical assessment, structured interview, references and right-to-work checks.
Present
A short list of qualified, interested candidates with clear, honest write-ups.
Onboard & support
Paperwork, compliance and first-day logistics handled, with regular check-ins after the start.
Frequently asked questions
How do permanent placement fees work?
Permanent placement is typically billed as a one-time fee based on the hire's first-year base salary, payable only when a candidate accepts your offer. We confirm the fee and guarantee terms in writing before the search begins.
Do you recruit for non-technical roles?
Our focus is technology and the roles around it: project and program management, business analysis, product, IT operations and technology leadership. We also fill selected professional roles for existing clients.
Can you run confidential searches?
We can, and we do. Searches for replacement or new leadership roles can run without naming the client until the candidate is qualified and interested.
Do you offer recruitment process outsourcing (RPO)?
That is RPO, and we do it. ZenX runs all or part of your hiring function, from sourcing and screening to scheduling and offer support, for a set volume of roles. It suits sustained hiring. Contact us to scope one.
What permanent roles pay
Pay climbs fast with seniority. The median advertised salary moves from $87,500 for entry-level roles to $195,000 for leads.
We share the range we see with both sides before the first interview, so nobody is surprised at offer stage.
See also: Contract-to-Hire · Staff Augmentation · MSP / VMS Staffing
Related reading: Closing the IT skills gap without over-hiring · Contract to permanent, done properly
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Have a role to fill?
Call and a recruiter picks up, or send the role and we will call you.
Or call +1 (773) 541-4424, Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central