Contract Recruiter - Creative in Manchester

At Craft, we’re growing our US-focused business and hiring an experienced recruiter who wants to build lasting success in a dynamic, rewarding market. We’re coming off our most successful year to date, with real momentum in the US market. We’ve been embedded in the New York creative industry for nearly four years - building relationships, showing up consistently, and earning trust.

The role involves working across the fast-moving US design market - owning delivery, growing your talent pool and building your own client relationships. You’ll work closely with an Associate Director and Lead Recruiters, contributing to client development and helping manage briefs from first call to placement. You’ll be responsible for sourcing, qualifying, and placing top talent - keeping momentum high and standards even higher.

This is a high-energy role. Things move quickly, and success requires action. We’re looking for someone who thrives on doing - who responds fast, thinks clearly, and wants to make an impact. Experience recruiting in contract markets is a plus, but not essential. More important is your appetite to learn, take ownership, and grow.

We work in a market where reputation matters. Relationships last. So when we talk about high performance, we mean:

• Consistent results, delivered with care and judgement
• Quality decision‑making under pressure
• Commercial impact that strengthens relationships

This role could be right for you if you:

• Have 2–4 years’ experience in 360 recruitment and are ready to take on more ownership
• Enjoy working at pace and keeping multiple processes moving at once
• Want to deepen your market expertise and build long‑term relationships
• Take pride in delivering well - with energy, accuracy, and care
• Are hungry to learn and develop fast

At this level, success is measured by the consistency of your delivery, the energy you bring, and the way you contribute to the wider team. Financial success is a result of high standards - not a substitute for them.

You’ll be part of a highly experienced team, with an average of 10.5 years in recruitment. We invest heavily in enablement, systems and support functions - so you can focus on delivering great work and developing your craft. Progression here is clear, transparent, and built around impact. From Recruiter, you can move into Senior roles, and eventually towards market specialism or leadership - depending on where your strengths take you.

Practicalities include being based in our Manchester HQ (with at least two days a week in the office), working primarily across the New York / US market, and occasional travel to the US.

We believe people do their best work when they’re supported properly - in how they work, how they grow, and how they’re rewarded. Our offerings include:

• Competitive base salary + uncapped, transparent commission
• 4.5‑day working week. Friday afternoons off, all year round
• 25 days annual leave
• Work from anywhere - up to two weeks per year
• Clear progression - defined expectations and structured routes forward
• Enhanced parental leave

Our benefits package is designed for high‑achieving, balanced and fulfilled lives. If you want your next chapter to combine all three, we should talk.

A more diverse team is a more creative team. It’s our job to build teams of people, and we’re proud to bring together a global network of diverse talent. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, nationality, religious persuasion, sexual orientation, sex, marital or parental status, physical ability, gender, or age.