OUR SECTORS

Deep sector expertise.
No generalists.

Finding niche technical and commercial talent in complex industrial sectors takes more than a job board. We know your market because we work in it every day.
why witan search?

Three Sectors. One Specialist Partner.

Our consultants have direct experience within the industries they recruit for. That means faster shortlists, stronger candidate fit, and a clearer understanding of the hiring challenges specific to your sector.

 

Extensive Industry Knowledge

Our consultants recruit exclusively within chemicals, manufacturing, and personal care. We understand the technical roles, the regulatory landscape, and the commercial pressures within each sector,  so conversations with candidates and clients are grounded in genuine industry knowledge, not generic recruitment language.

 

Tailored to Your Brief

Whether you need a single critical hire or are building a specialist team, our approach is shaped by your timelines, culture, and technical requirements. We don’t push profiles — we match people.

 

Access to Passive Talent

A significant proportion of the professionals we place are not actively job-seeking when we approach them. Our network, built over years of focused sector recruitment, gives clients access to talent that simply isn’t visible on job boards or LinkedIn searches.

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HOW CAN WE HELP?

Areas of Expertise

SECTORS

Chemicals

Witan Search has built its reputation in the specialty chemicals sector. We recruit for roles across the entire chemicals value chain — from R&D and process engineering to technical sales, regulatory affairs, and supply chain management. Our consultants understand the difference between a formulation chemist and a applications specialist, and they know which passive candidates are worth approaching before a job is posted.

 

Common hiring challenges:
Shortage of niche technical specialists, increasing regulatory complexity, fierce competition for experienced commercial talent with both technical and sales skills, and the difficulty of finding candidates comfortable working across European markets.

 

Explore the full sector hub

Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants & Elastomers Recruiting technical, commercial, and application development professionals across coatings, adhesives, inks, and construction product manufacturers.


Providing support within the rubber and plastics industry around the world. Working with companies within elastomers, natural and synthetic rubber, chemical additives and fillers such as silica, carbon black and pigments.

We support the industry finest within high quality specialty chemicals for the Lubricants & Metal Working Fluids.  Whether as raw materials or specialist blends, our experience within a unique range of niche base oils and specialty additives.

Our teams support advanced  pharmaceutical companies and fine chemical producers.   

We support pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and electronics producers with technical and scientific hiring, from synthesis chemists to process development leads.Toggle Content

SECTORS

Manufacturing

Manufacturing recruitment covers industrial production, engineering, automation, systems integration, metalworking and operational leadership. Demand is driven by automation investment, productivity pressures and ongoing skills shortages.

 

Common hiring challenges:

Finding engineers with both hands-on technical ability and leadership potential, recruiting across multiple European sites, adapting to automation-driven role evolution, and competing for talent in tight local labour markets.

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Hiring for production, engineering, and operations roles in traditional and specialist industrial machinery businesses.

We excel in recruiting top talent for the metalworking and fabrication sectors. Our deep industry knowledge allows us to connect skilled professionals with leading companies in areas such as structural and sheet metal production, welding, machining, and assembly.

We specialise in recruiting top talent for the chemical manufacturing industry. Our expertise spans various segments, including specialty chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and industrial chemicals. We understand the unique challenges and requirements of these sectors, ensuring we connect skilled professionals with leading companies to drive innovation and efficiency.

Our expertise covers various segments, including food processing, beverage production, quality assurance, and research and development. Trust Witan Search to find the right talent for roles in product development, production management, supply chain optimisation, and more, helping your organisation thrive in the competitive food and beverage market.

Our expertise spans industrial automation, robotics engineering and control systems within manufacturing and operational environments. Placing engineers, integration specialists, and technical leads in businesses building or deploying automated and robotic manufacturing systems. process improvements.

SECTORS

Personal Care

Personal care recruitment supports organisations across cosmetics, skincare, haircare, hygiene and fragrance. Hiring in this sector requires balancing scientific expertise, regulatory compliance and commercial innovation.

 

Common hiring challenges:
Rapid product cycles, evolving regulations, and high demand for experienced formulation talent.

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Beauty care recruitment is our niche: we place top beauty-care professionals with the industry’s leading brands.

We match elite perfumers, evaluators, and scent scientists with the world’s leading fragrance houses.

We specialise in recruiting top talent for the cosmetics and make-up industry. Our expertise spans every segment of the sector—including colour cosmetics, skincare, product formulation, packaging design, and regulatory affairs. We understand the fast-moving trends, stringent compliance standards, and consumer expectations that define cosmetics, ensuring we connect visionary chemists, creative developers, and brand strategists with leading beauty houses to accelerate innovation and market growth.

We recruit top oral-care talent. From toothpaste and mouthwash to whitening, interdental devices, smart brushes and dental materials, we understand the strict safety rules and fast innovation driving the sector. We connect formulation chemists, clinical researchers, regulatory experts and brand strategists with leading companies to advance oral health and growth. 

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Why They’d Work With Us Again

"We have used Witan Search for our key overseas placement. We have found them to be professional, provide quality candidates, and demonstrate good follow-through during the process. Most importantly, they quickly filled our positions that ranged from Head of Sales in Europe to sales representatives in UAE. We continue to use them because they deliver. I would recommend them to other companies that have needs in Europe."
Head of SalesAutomotive Lubricants

Sector Recruitment FAQs

Witan Search specialises in three industrial sectors: chemicals (including specialty chemicals, CASE, lubricants, and advanced materials), manufacturing (including industrial, automation, food and beverage, and precision engineering), and personal care (including beauty, skincare, haircare, and cosmetics). We recruit across the full value chain within each sector, from entry-level technical roles to executive leadership.

Yes. We recruit across technical, operational and commercial functions, including R&D and formulation, manufacturing and operations, quality and regulatory, and technical sales and leadership roles.

 

Our primary markets are the UK and EMEA. We regularly support recruitment projects across Germany, the Benelux region, France, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and North America. We work with multilingual candidates and provide relocation support for cross-border hires.

 

A: Contingency recruitment involves us proactively searching our network and advertising to fill roles on a no-placement-no-fee basis. Headhunting is a targeted, direct approach to specific passive candidates identified through market mapping. Executive search is a retained, confidential process used for senior and leadership appointments where discretion, thoroughness, and cultural fit are paramount. We offer all three, and the right approach depends on the seniority and sensitivity of the role.

 

Yes. We support confidential search processes where discretion is essential, including senior technical, commercial and operational leadership roles.

Start with the relevant sector hub, where you’ll find typical job roles, skills and hiring challenges. You can then contact Witan Search to discuss a targeted recruitment or headhunting approach.

A: For most roles, we present an initial shortlist within seven to fourteen days. For senior executive search assignments, timelines are typically three to six weeks depending on the level of seniority, geography, and market conditions. We provide a project timeline at the start of every assignment.

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Find out how we can help your business​

Sector expertise that scales Our sector structure allows us to build long-term candidate networks, track evolving skills demand and deliver informed recruitment strategies across adjacent industries. This approach ensures our clients benefit from market insight, not just CV sourcing.

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