Services

Hiring models for AI teams that need signal, not CV volume.

Whether you need a senior contractor next week, a permanent ML engineer, or a retained search for a critical AI leadership hire — the model changes, the standard does not. Every search starts with role clarity, market mapping and a shortlist built around actual production experience.

Brief us on a role Talk through a hard-to-fill role
Our Services

Flexible Hiring Models for AI Teams

Whether you need one contractor tomorrow or a full team over the quarter, we have a model that fits.

Contract Day-rate engagement

AI Contractor Search

For urgent delivery gaps, project-based capability or specialist AI work where permanent headcount is too slow.

  • Fast access to pre-qualified contractors
  • Clear day-rate and margin structure
  • Payroll, onboarding and contractor care support
  • Practical advice on rate, availability and close risk
Brief us on a contract role
Most Popular
Permanent Success-fee model

Permanent AI & Data Hiring

For companies building long-term AI, ML and data capability — core engineering hires, platform roles and senior individual contributors.

  • Role calibration before search
  • Targeted market mapping
  • Shortlist notes with technical fit, motivation and compensation context
  • Offer management and post-placement check-ins
Brief us on a permanent role
Retained Engaged for confidential and high-impact hires

Critical & Senior Search

For senior, confidential or high-impact hires — Head of AI/ML, Principal/Staff AI Engineer, Enterprise AI Architect, Founding AI Engineer.

  • Dedicated search plan
  • Agreed target market
  • Weekly progress visibility
  • Deeper candidate engagement
  • Structured shortlist and close support
Brief us on a senior search
Compare side-by-side

Which model fits your hire?

Same standard. Different commercial structure. Use this to triangulate which one matches your situation.

AI Contractor Search
Urgent delivery gaps
Contract
Day-rate engagement
  • Initial shortlist (aligned candidates in-market) — 24-48h
  • Day-rate contractor model
  • Permanent placement
  • Replacement guarantee
  • Role calibration before search
  • Targeted market mapping
  • Dedicated search plan
  • Weekly progress visibility
  • Fully managed payroll
  • Exclusivity required
Brief us on a contract role
Permanent AI & Data Hiring
Long-term capability
Permanent
Success-fee model
  • Initial shortlist (aligned candidates in-market) — 24-48h
  • Day-rate contractor model
  • Permanent placement
  • Replacement guarantee — 6 months
  • Role calibration before search
  • Targeted market mapping
  • Dedicated search plan
  • Weekly progress visibility — On request
  • Fully managed payroll
  • Exclusivity required
Brief us on a permanent role
Critical & Senior Search
High-impact hires
Retained
For confidential / senior
  • Initial shortlist (aligned candidates in-market) — Custom search plan
  • Day-rate contractor model
  • Permanent placement
  • Replacement guarantee — 12 months
  • Role calibration before search
  • Targeted market mapping
  • Dedicated search plan
  • Weekly progress visibility
  • Fully managed payroll
  • Exclusivity required
Brief us on a senior search
Which Model?

When to Engage Each Service

Not sure which model fits? Here's a quick guide.

Contract Hiring

You need talent fast

  • Backfilling a role while hiring permanently
  • Scaling up for a specific project or sprint
  • Testing a new function before committing to headcount
  • Need someone in-seat within days, not weeks

Permanent Placement

You're building for the long term

  • Growing your core AI/ML team
  • Hiring for a role that needs deep domain knowledge
  • Cultural and technical fit are equally important
  • You want a 6-month placement guarantee

Retained Search

The hire is critical

  • Hiring a Head of AI, VP Engineering, or CTO
  • The role requires a rare combination of skills
  • You want an exclusive, dedicated headhunt
  • Confidential search for sensitive positions
How a search actually runs

From brief to placement, step by step

Six steps. Same rhythm whether contract, permanent or critical search — pace adjusts to your urgency.

  1. Day 0

    Clarify

    We sit with the hiring manager and pressure-test the role. If the role is mis-scoped, we say so before sourcing starts.

  2. Day 1-3

    Map

    We build a working view of the engineers in Australia who could do the job, not just the ones who would apply.

  3. Week 1-2

    Headhunt

    Direct, named and contextual outreach. Engineers see our outreach as a specific role conversation, not a templated blast.

  4. Week 1-2

    Screen

    We screen for the engineering reality of the role — shipped systems, production responsibility, architectural decisions, stakeholder context and motivation.

  5. Week 2-3

    Shortlist

    Typically five or fewer. Every candidate is briefed, vetted and willing to engage. Notes on fit, gaps and close risk included.

  6. Week 3-4

    Offer and close

    We manage competing processes, counter-offers, start dates and candidate momentum. We do not disappear after the offer is signed.

Our Process

From Brief to Placement in 5 Steps

A proven process refined over hundreds of AI placements.

1

Clarify

Pressure-test the role, title, budget, seniority and must-have experience. If the brief is mis-scoped, we say so before sourcing starts.

2

Map

Identify where the relevant AI, ML and data talent actually sits in the Australian market — not just who is applying through job ads.

3

Headhunt

Engage hard-to-reach candidates with a role that makes sense for their background. Long-term relationships matter here.

4

Screen

Assess for production ownership, technical context, motivation, salary or rate fit and close risk. We look for shipped systems, not keyword matches.

5

Shortlist

Send fewer, stronger candidates with clear notes on why they are relevant, where the strengths are and any gaps to be aware of.

6

Close

Manage interview momentum, feedback, offer, counter-offers, notice periods and onboarding risk.

Average time-to-fill: 2–4 weeks for permanent roles
Common questions

What clients ask before signing

Pricing, guarantees, terms. Ask anything else via the contact form.

How is your fee structured?
Permanent: success fee on first-year base, billed once on candidate start date. Contract: day rate on candidate plus a transparent margin. Critical & Senior Search: retained engagement with a small exclusivity retainer paid upfront, deducted from final fee. We do not add hidden costs.
What is the difference between Permanent and Critical & Senior Search?
Permanent is non-exclusive — you can run other searches alongside us. Critical & Senior Search is exclusive and used for senior, confidential or high-impact hires where the cost of getting it wrong is too high. For most mid-senior hires, Permanent is the right fit.
Do you offer any guarantee if a hire does not work out?
Yes. Permanent placements come with a 6-month replacement guarantee — if the candidate leaves or is let go within that window, we replace at no additional fee. Critical & Senior Search has a 12-month guarantee. Contract is governed by the SOW.
How quickly can you actually deliver a shortlist?
Where we already have aligned candidates in-market for the specialisation, 24-48 hours is realistic. For genuinely unusual roles, we will be honest in the brief about whether that timeline holds and what the search plan needs to look like.
Can you defer payment for early-stage startups?
Yes — for permanent hires we can defer payment up to 90 days post-start for early-stage clients. We will need a brief financial conversation upfront, but we have structured this before.
Do you place internationally or only Australia?
Australia-wide for most roles, with a Melbourne and Sydney bias. We do place internationally for AU-headquartered companies hiring offshore, but our network is strongest locally. We will be honest if a brief is not in our wheelhouse.

Ready to start hiring ?

Tell us the role, the team, the stack and the business problem behind the hire. We will come back with a practical view of the market and how we would approach the search.

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