The role has been open for months
Your internal team or a generalist agency has produced volume but not fit. The role (an ML platform lead, a Snowflake or Databricks architect, a Head of Cloud) requires someone who can evaluate depth, not keywords.
01Executive Search & Technology Talent
Technology recruitment for the roles on which your strategy depends
When a data platform stalls for want of a lead engineer, or a cloud program waits half a year for its architect, the true cost is rarely the salary. It is the delay. We recruit senior specialists and technology leaders for roles where the technical depth of a candidate has to be assessed, not just their keywords. A named partner leads each search, from the first briefing to the appointment.
Services · Tech Recruitment
When companies come to us
A new capability has to be built from scratch
A first data science team, an AI center of excellence, a platform engineering function. The first three hires define everything that follows; we help you get them right in the right order.
Confidential replacement or succession
A senior technology leader is leaving or must be replaced. The search has to run quietly, quickly and with full discretion towards the market and the incumbent.
Scaling in a competitive talent market
You are hiring several engineers or architects across Switzerland, Germany, Austria or beyond and need a repeatable, quality-controlled process instead of ad-hoc sourcing.
How we work
Our view: a senior technology hire is a diligence exercise, not a sourcing exercise. Anyone can find a hundred profiles that mention Databricks. The work is in the two hours spent understanding what the person built, why the architecture looked the way it did, and how they behaved when the migration went wrong. That is the work a search partner does for each candidate on your shortlist, drawing in a technology partner or a named specialist where the role calls for it.
Briefing at partner level
A structured conversation about the mandate, the team, the technical stack and what success looks like after twelve months, not just a job description.
Market map and targeted search
We map the relevant talent pools in the Microsoft, AWS, Google Cloud, Salesforce, Snowflake, Databricks and adjacent ecosystems, then approach candidates directly.
Technical and cultural assessment
Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by the search partner. Where a role needs a deeper technical assessment, the proposal names who carries it out, for example our technology partner or an agreed external specialist. We check experience, references and motivation before you invest your time. Platform certifications are recorded as the candidate states them and verified where the role requires it.
Shortlist, offer and onboarding
A concise shortlist with our written assessment of each person, support through offer negotiation and a structured check-in during the first months. Any replacement provision, and the conditions under which it applies, is written into the mandate agreement.
What you receive
A search produces a defined set of outputs, agreed in the proposal, rather than a stream of résumés.
Role & success profile
A one-page definition of the mandate: outcomes expected after twelve months, technical depth required, decision rights and team context, agreed before we approach anyone.
Market map
Where the relevant talent sits (companies, ecosystems, regions) with a realistic view of availability and motivation. Where compensation ranges are shown, their source is named.
Assessed shortlist
An agreed shortlist, each candidate with a written assessment covering relevant experience, leadership evidence, references and motivation. The proposal names who assesses technical depth.
Offer & onboarding support
Guidance through negotiation and notice period, a structured check-in plan for the first 90 days, and any replacement provision exactly as written into the mandate agreement.
How we assess technology talent
Generalist recruiters match keywords. We evaluate whether a candidate can do the work, and whether they will thrive in your organization.
Technical depth
A structured conversation about real systems the candidate has built, scaled or rescued: architecture choices, trade-offs, failures and what they would do differently.
Leadership evidence
For lead and executive roles: how they have built teams, managed vendors and boards, and delivered under budget and regulatory pressure.
Motivation & fit
Why this move, why now, and what would make them stay. We surface the counter-offer risk before you invest in interviews.
References & verification
Confidential references from former managers and peers, credential checks and, where relevant, permit and availability confirmation.
Inclusive shortlists
We search deliberately beyond the obvious networks and present shortlists that widen your choice rather than narrow it.
Direct feedback
You hear what we think, including when the market will not deliver the profile at the compensation envisaged, and what to change.
Where we focus
In scope
- AI / ML engineering and data science
- Cloud and platform architecture (Azure, AWS, GCP)
- Data platforms: Snowflake, Databricks, modern data stack
- SaaS and enterprise platforms: Salesforce, ServiceNow, SAP-adjacent roles
- Technology leadership: CTO, CIO, Head of Data, Head of Engineering
- Cybersecurity and platform engineering leadership
Not our focus
- High-volume junior or offshore hiring
- Non-technology commercial roles
- Unsolicited CV forwarding
Regions
Headquartered in Baar (Zug), we recruit across Switzerland (Zurich, Zug, Basel, Geneva) and throughout Germany and Austria. For international mandates we search across Europe, the UK, North America and the Middle East, in English and German.
Frequently asked questions
How is a specialist tech recruiter different from a generalist agency?
A specialist search starts from the work the role has to do: the platform, the team and the decisions the person will own. Candidates are assessed against that profile rather than matched on keywords, which aims to bring fewer, better-matched profiles to your interviewers.
Do you work on a retained or contingent basis?
Senior and hard-to-fill roles are best served by a retained, partner-led search. Other commercial models can be discussed for specialist roles. The model and terms are agreed individually after a scoping call and set out in the proposal. We do not publish rate cards because every assignment differs in seniority, market and urgency.
How long does a senior technology search take?
It depends on the role, the market and how quickly interviews can be scheduled. We give you a realistic estimate for your specific role at the briefing and agree the timeline in the proposal.
Which locations do you cover?
Switzerland (Zurich, Zug, Basel, Geneva, Bern), Germany, Austria and international mandates across Europe, the UK, North America and the Middle East. Remote and hybrid roles are covered as a matter of course.
Is there a guarantee on placements?
Any replacement provision depends on the type of search and is written into the mandate agreement, together with the conditions under which it applies. We do not offer a general guarantee across all searches. The exact terms are set out before you sign.
Tell us about the role that matters most.
Share a short brief. We will come back with our view of the market and how we would approach the search.
The short route: describe your need in a few sentences via the contact form. The detailed form is optional and can be added later.Candidates: please apply separately via the candidate section of the detailed form or by email to info@ctowertech.com.