info@clariopro.co.uk

Service area

Technology executive search in Manchester

The Clario team runs executive search in Manchester and the wider North West, recruiting senior AI and technology leaders as part of our UK-wide work. Many experienced technology leaders have built their careers in the region and want to stay, and we search that market for you.

Manchester city centre skyline, with glass towers above red-brick streets

The Manchester market

Employers in the city include software firms that grew up here, digital businesses around MediaCity that now need an experienced technology leader, and financial and professional services firms whose systems have become a concern for the board. The roles we recruit are the same senior roles as elsewhere: CTO and VP Engineering, CIO, Chief Data Officer and Head of Data, and Chief AI Officer and Head of AI. They usually pay £100,000 or more.

Matching salary and scope to the role

Strong leaders in Manchester are often happy where they are. A brief that combines a London-sized remit, a Manchester base and a salary that suits neither will mostly attract people between jobs, and miss the ones doing well in their current roles. If we think the brief needs adjusting, we will say so.

Some candidates will relocate from the South for the right role, and many will not. If the leader needs to be on site on particular days, start with people who already live within reach, and name those days in the brief.

The Manchester technology market

Manchester's senior technology market is smaller than London's and more concentrated. MediaCityUK and the city centre, including Spinningfields, hold broadcasters, digital businesses and professional firms that now need a technology leader rather than a larger delivery team. Many candidates live in the North West and have already decided not to move south.

That is an advantage if the brief is honest about location. It is a problem if the role is a London job with occasional visits described as a Manchester position. We will say which of those the brief is, before the search starts.

Senior roles we recruit in Manchester

The roles are the same senior seats as the rest of our UK work:

A Manchester scale-up often needs a Head of AI before it needs a Chief AI Officer. The reporting line decides which search we run.

Pay in Manchester

Hays and Robert Half do not publish a Manchester-only row in the sources we cite. The nearest published regional figures are the Midlands CTO row on the CTO salary page and the Midlands Chief Data Officer and Head of Data row on the Chief Data Officer salary page. London rows on those pages show the comparison a candidate may make.

We do not turn the Midlands number into a Manchester number. If you want the salary judged against London, against the Midlands, or against a national average, say so in the brief. A London-sized remit with a lower salary, justified only by the city, will narrow the field.

Hybrid and office expectations

North West candidates will travel, and they will also ask how often they must be in a named office. A five-day requirement that is not in the first brief is a common reason a strong person drops out. Hybrid that means "London three days and Manchester when it suits" should be written that way, not described as a Manchester role.

How a Manchester search works

We follow the same steps as in all our searches: agree the brief with the hiring manager, approach people directly, present a short list with our view of each candidate, and support you through the offer. We keep the search confidential, which matters most when you are replacing someone who is still in post.

We meet clients at their offices or by video call.

Questions we are often asked

Do you have a Manchester office?

No. We work with Manchester companies as part of our UK-wide practice, and meet at your premises or by video call.

Can you find a CTO who does not want to move to London?

Yes. Many senior technology leaders in the North West have already turned down moves south, and they will consider a Manchester or North West role with real scope. They are less interested in a London role with occasional visits presented as a regional position.

Is the salary lower because the role is in Manchester?

Not as a rule. A senior role should be paid as one. Problems arise when a London package is attached to a team based in Manchester, or when location is used to justify a low salary for a role with executive responsibilities. We discuss salary when we agree the brief.

Which senior technology roles do you recruit in Manchester?

CTO and VP Engineering, CIO, Chief Data Officer and Head of Data, Chief AI Officer and Head of AI. We agree the title against the reporting line before anyone is approached.

Is there a published Manchester salary table?

The sources we use do not print a separate Manchester row. The nearest published regional check is the Midlands CTO and Chief Data Officer rows. London rows show what some candidates will compare you with. Each figure names its source and date.