Technology executive search in Birmingham

The Clario team runs executive search in Birmingham and across the Midlands, recruiting senior AI and technology leaders as part of our UK-wide work. We meet clients at their offices or by video call.

The Birmingham and Midlands market

Many companies in the region are established mid-market businesses, often in manufacturing or professional services, with a technology team supporting a long-standing operation. Typical roles include CTO or VP Engineering, CIO or Head of Data, and Head of AI once the data is in good enough shape to support one. In most cases the new leader takes over an existing team.

Many strong candidates in the Midlands have chosen not to commute to London. Be clear about how many days the person needs to be in Birmingham. A five-day office rule borrowed from a London policy will narrow the field considerably, so it is worth deciding this before the search starts.

The Birmingham technology market

Birmingham is a professional services and business centre for the Midlands, with a manufacturing base across the wider region. Senior technology hires here are often for firms that already have a technology team and now need a leader for it: a CTO, a chief data officer, or someone to own AI. Infrastructure projects, including HS2, sit in the background of some briefs. They are not a reason to invent a salary, and they do not change which role you need.

Many of the strongest candidates already live in the Midlands. A brief that assumes relocation from London, five days on site, and a London package will shrink that field. We will tell you which of those requirements is likely to cause the most difficulty.

Senior roles we recruit in Birmingham

The searches we run in Birmingham are for the same senior seats as the rest of the UK:

• CTO recruitment and VP Engineering.
• CIO executive search, Chief Data Officer recruitment and Head of Data.
• Chief AI Officer recruitment and Head of AI recruitment.

A Midlands manufacturer or a professional firm often needs a Head of AI who reports to the CTO, not a Chief AI Officer who sets strategy for the whole company. We settle that before the search starts.

Pay in Birmingham

Hays publishes Midlands figures in its 2026 technology leadership tables. The Midlands CTO row is on the CTO salary page. The Midlands Chief Data Officer and Head of Data row, which Hays publishes as one line, is on the Chief Data Officer salary page. London rows on the same pages are there because candidates compare them.

We do not publish a Birmingham-only number. If the source says Midlands, that is the label we keep. Use it as a check against the salary in the brief, and read whether the row is base pay or a typical package.

Hybrid and office expectations

Office patterns in Birmingham vary as much as they do in London. Some employers want the leader on site with a plant or a city-centre team most days. Others accept a hybrid pattern across the Midlands. Put the pattern in the first brief. A five-day rule introduced at offer stage is a common reason a senior hire falls through.

How a Birmingham search works

The steps are the same as in any of our searches: we agree the brief, approach people directly, present a short list with our view of each person, and support you through the offer. For Birmingham roles we focus on candidates who can be with the team regularly, which usually means they already live within reach. Few senior people relocate for a title alone.

Salary needs to be clear too. A London-level figure with no explanation can confuse candidates, and so can a low figure for a senior role justified only by location. We will tell you early if we think salary and location are likely to cause problems.

Replacing a senior technology leader also needs care, because news travels quickly in a regional market. We agree in advance who will know about the search.