Talented Hires

At Talented Hires, we partner with tech founders to help them build the world-class teams they need to achieve breakout growth, secure funding, and deliver on the promise of artificial intelligence.

Beyond recruiting, we provide strategic guidance to help you:

◦ Define your ideal tech stack and organizational structure
◦ Implement best practices for onboarding, training, and career development
◦ Foster a mission-driven culture that aligns with your values
◦ Position your startup's technical vision to attract investors and top talent

Having scaled talent solutions for Fortune 500 companies and hired over 2,000 engineers, I bring a wealth of insights and best practices to help you navigate the unique challenges of scaling a startup with AI. 

If you're looking for a strategic partner to help you build an elite team, secure funding, and achieve your world-changing vision, let's connect. 

I'm always happy to share insights, make warm intros to VCs and experts in my network, or brainstorm how we can leverage AI to create a better future.

Founder and CEO

Project People

Global technology search & placement 
Specialised focus on AI & DevOps
Over 2,000 successful appointments from CTO to Senior Software Engineers
Retained Search projects for critical niche hires
Impactful Diversity and Equality initiatives
Deep customer relationships built on partnership, trust, and continuous innovative delivery

Senior Search Director, AI & DevOps

Rethink

Search Director

Experis

Search Consultant

Tech Founder | AI Enthusiast | DevOps Expert

Fellow founder and CTO,

I understand the challenges of building an elite team to bring a vision to life and navigate the complex funding landscape. 

My journey began at age 8 when my father brought home a computer, sparking a lifelong passion for technology. 

This led me to study Computer Science in 1999, where I discovered the potential of AI.

Frustrated by recruiters' lack of technical understanding, I realized my CS degree could be a powerful asset in building world-class tech teams. 

Over the past 20 years, I've partnered with founders to:

✓ Clarify Talent Needs: Develop winning hiring strategies
✓ Foster Innovation: Create a culture that retains top talent
✓ Attract A-Players: Identify & recruit elite engineers
✓ Achieve Growth Milestones: Build the right team to secure funding and scale
✓ Navigate Fundraising: Provide warm introductions to VCs and domain experts

After scaling Fujitsu's talent solution to £500M annually, I founded Talented Hires to help startups achieve their world-changing visions. 

Here are some of our success stories:

Pienso

— Hired 2 dream engineers (DevOps & FS)
— Secured Series A funding
— Launched 2 new products and signed $XXM in customers

Mersive Technologies

— Hired 8 dream engineers (DevOps, FS, FE, BE)
— Established a new engineering division
— Signed a $XXM contract with WeWork

Spacelift

— Hired a critical DevOps Engineer after 3 interviews in 14 days
— Engineer promoted to Chief Product Officer
— Increased customer base by 400%

GSR & Lake Parime

— Made 4 business-critical hires for each company (DevOps, SRE, Go, CTO)


✅ VC APPROVED

— Approved by Insight Partners due to positive customer feedback
— One of 11 IT globally recognized recruiters


As a strategic partner, I share battle-tested insights on scaling teams, nurturing culture, and navigating the evolving AI landscape. 

Whether you're hiring your first critical engineer in 14 days or scaling your team to 50+, I'm here to support you.

Let's chat about your startup journey, swap founder stories, or brainstorm how AI can positively impact society.

Join over 1,000 tech leaders who receive my newsletter, 'Hiring Tips from 2K+ Recruits': 

Subscribe here: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7184211996072951812

Rich Roberts

Vertical Aerospace

The future has landed. 

Stuck in endless traffic in Sau Paulo in 2016, our founder Stephen Fitzpatrick, pondered how to develop a quicker and more sustainable way to move.

Fast forward to today, our mission at Vertical Aerospace is to revolutionise travel by pioneering electric aviation. We’re creating the UK’s first fully electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the VX4.

Four passengers. One pilot. Cruising speeds of up to 150 mph in astonishingly near silence. The zero-emission VX4 combines the exacting safety standards of commercial airliners with the affordability of an everyday train journey.

Our goal is to recruit pioneers.
 
We’re building upon our ecosystem of world-class team of engineering ingenuity, doers, idealists and pragmatists pioneering electric aviation. We will enable you to unleash your technological brilliance, deep expertise and extraordinary creativity, all whilst living and breathing our Vertical values:

Courage – we make brave choices
Ingenuity – we challenge convention
Safety – we build success through safety
Openness – we win together 

Revolutionising travel for the world is a mammoth task, but if our mission, values, and the idea of being a history-maker awakens your inner-pioneer, please reach out for a confidential discussion on how Vertical Aerospace can take you there.

Talent Acquisition Partner

Northrop Grumman

Our Values support our ability to deliver on our shared purpose; they reflect who we are and how we treat others; they define who we are as a people and a culture, and how we act and operate.

Northrop Grumman in the UK is the UK-based arm of Northrop Grumman Corporation. We are a diverse group of innovators and pioneers, defining what’s possible in security and defence technology. We are programmers, engineers, data scientists, manufacturers, project managers and more -working together across 10 specialist sites to develop and deploy pioneering, next-generation technologies. Together, we are helping to transform the defence and national security capabilities for the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force and the British Army and wider UK Government. 

The work we do here is critical to the future safety and prosperity of the UK and its allies. That’s why we’re investing in research and development, sovereign and exportable IP, and home-grown talent to create high-quality jobs that give pioneers the opportunity to put their STEM skills to work for the UK. When you come to Northrop Grumman we give you the opportunity, teams and tools needed to solve uniquely challenging problems. 

Discover what’s possible at: https://www.northropgrumman.com/uk
If you want to become part of a business that makes a difference and believes and develops its people then please reach out to discuss. 

I am part of the dedicated UK Talent Hub, designed to ensure your application to Northrop Grumman is handled in the best way. 

If you want to know more about us or possible opportunities then take a look at our careers page: https://www.northropgrumman.com/careers/job-search-united-kingdom/

Talent Acquisition Partner (SC Cleared)

Oracle

EMEA Talent Acquisition Specialist. Supporting and leading recruitment across UK, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Israel, South Africa, Dubai, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands, Sweden, France, Germany.

Leading recruitment drives in various new regions across EMEA sourcing top Talent for Oracle. Working with multiple lines of business.

High volume recruitment of varied and complex vacancies across the EMEA region (Software Developers, SysAd, SRE's, Product Managers, Sales Ops Analysts, Pre Sales Solution Architects, Translation Analyst/Language Engineering, Business Developers, Data Centre Technicians, Data Centre Managers/Regional Managers)
Recruiting technical positions in particular, I am required to be a technical specialist in sourcing, recruiting, and identifying qualified applicants for highly specialized positions. 
Partnering with Stakeholders to understand requirements and asess candidates against role specifications and briefs. Expediting recruitment and staffing needs via internal and external resources to ensure open positions were filled with high calibre talent. Sourcing avenues include: Social Networks (Including LinkedIn, GitHub, Stack Overflow), Mapping and Headhunting, AI, and Internal ATS.

Senior Talent Advisor

Hitachi Rail

Supporting Recruitment activities for UK recruitment for Hitachi Rail. High volume and fast paced environment. Leading interviews, and guiding process working to company policy.

This was a 6 month contract role with offer to go perm.

As an Oracle recruiter I am required to expedite recruitment and staffing needs via internal and external resources to ensure open positions are filled with high caliber talent to meet current and future needs. Managing the full recruiting life cycle within assigned Oracle divisions. 
High volume recruitment of varied and complex vacancies across the EMEA region (Software Developers, SysAd, SRE's, Product Managers, Sales Ops Analysts, Pre Sales Solution Architects, Translation Analyst/Language Engineering, Business Developers, Data Centre Technicians, Data Centre Managers/Regional Managers)
Recruiting technical positions in particular, I am required to be a technical specialist in sourcing, recruiting, and identifying qualified applicants for highly specialized positions. 
Partnering with Stakeholders to understand requirements and access candidates against role specifications and briefs. Sourcing candidates through various channels including social networks, networking events, mapping and approach headhunting. I have successfully recruited completely new teams implemented in Saudi, Wales, UAE starting from scratch working with HR, legal, global mobility teams to ensure local employment laws are followed. I have also recruited in Hungary, Sweden, France, Spain, Germany and UK.
As a global company I work across time zones and coordinate with west coast USA to Middle East, this in itself requires good attention to detail, organisation and coordination. 
Interviewing candidates (technical and behavioural) for selection into recruitment process. 
Hiring methods to satisfy diversity and inclusion.

Senior Talent Advisor/ Technical Recruitment Business Partner 

Over the 10 years at Project People I applied myself to all areas of the recruitment process within my roles and was a respected member of staff, trusted with the delivery of high profile recruitment to major clients. I have developed a strong network of candidates and clients resulting in continuous business for Project People.
I have sourced and successfully recruited all levels of contract and permanent staff across clients in mainly but not limited to Telecoms and IT industries; Programme Management, Project Management, Architects, Developers, Engineers, Admin/ Project Coordinators, Finance, Legal etc.
Systems used on a daily basis: Itris, SAP Fieldglass, Coupa, Taleo.
MS Office, Outlook
Regularly hitting and exceeding my targets.

December 2016- to April 2019. Nokia Account Manager (Europe and UK) 
October 2015- February 2016.  Resourcing Business Partner. Secondment.  London and Maidenhead
July 2012- April 2019 Nokia Account Manager. Bristol 
Sept 2009- July 2012 Ericsson Delivery Lead/ Account Manager (RPO) Reading 
Dec 2008- Sept 2009 Delivery Recruitment Consultant. Bristol

Senior Account Manager/ Delivery Lead /Resourcing Business Partner

Hays

Specialising in recruitment for Retail Head Offices in the Midlands for buying, merchandising, design and technical vacancies. 
Supplied into major UK retailers including Next, JJB, adams, Coulthards

Recruitment Consultant- Retail Head Office

Vertical is a British aerospace tech company that's pioneering electric aviation through designing and building the UK's first all-electric, vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL). A quieter, faster, more sustainable way to travel between urban destinations. The way forward, is up.

Would love to connect with professionals from #BatteryDesign, #Powertrain, #EnergyStorage, #FlightControls, #Avionics, #FlightControlSystems, #AircraftCertification #Actuation #Rotors #SystemEngineering

https://vertical-aerospace.com/careers/

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Rich Roberts

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