Associate Consultant in London

Permanent Associate Consultant

At VWA – Boutique Recruitment Consultancy

£35k depending on experience

January 2026 start

5-VWAPA/NCWSD

VWA is hiring! We are looking for an ambitious and curious Permanent Associate to join our team. As part of the Permanent team supporting the Consultants across Temporary, Contract and Permanent searches, this is a role with multiple possible areas of progression and is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to develop their skills in a commercial and people-focused environment.

About Us:

VWA is a boutique recruitment consultancy and has been established for over 35 years – there is a true family feel in our culture and approach. We partner with a number of London and internationally based firms to support with a range of hiring needs, including business support and administrative roles, Private PAs, Operations, Marketing, HR, Finance, Investments and Accountancy. VWA clients range from private equity firms, hedge funds, venture capital firms, management consultants, executive search to public relations, renewable energy, digital advertising, brand management, new media and property.

About the Associate Role:

As a 360 Consultant, you will be responsible for the full recruitment lifecycle – from sourcing candidates and conducting search campaigns to liaising with clients and filling permanent, contract and temp-to-perm roles. Critically, this role involves a strong BD and CRM focus, and the successful candidate is expected to understand their responsibility to seek and retain new business rather than inherit an existing client base. Duties include but are not limited to:

• Client & Candidate Management
• Taking briefings on permanent, fixed-term contract and temporary-to-permanent roles from clients.
• Filling roles in a timely manner.
• Resourcing, interviewing and vetting candidates to a high standard.
• Building long-term relationships with clients and candidates based on honesty, trust, respect and consistent engagement.
• Business Development
• Conducting sustained business development and client relationship management campaigns.
• Identifying and pitching for new business at target clients.
• Growing a new client base through proactive networking and relationship building.
• Operational & Administrative Support
• Uploading candidate information to client recruitment portals.
• Sending out and chasing registration forms, IT tests, and reference requests.
• Formatting candidate CVs and publishing them.
• Completing end-to-end right-to-work checks on all candidates.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues on shared roles.
• Other ad hoc administrative and project work as necessary.

About You:

• Minimum two years\’ experience in a recruitment, search or talent acquisition role, or a different role with similar account management and commercial content.
• BD and CRM experience would be of interest.
• Experience or familiarity with LinkedIn, Instagram, Reed, Microsoft Outlook and Access CRM desirable but optional.
• A natural networker and relationship builder with an approachable, confident yet friendly manner.
• Clear and professional communication skills with an ability to work to deadlines and spontaneously (temp assignments are unpredictable and must be filled quickly).
• Ability to assess candidates accurately and without bias.
• Willingness and confidence to perform disciplined and sustained BD and CRM work.
• Commercial mindset with flexibility, diplomacy, and self-starter qualities.

Additional Details:

• Core hours are 9am – 5.30pm with up to 1 hour for lunch. Please note, communication outside of core hours is expected.
• Optional 2 days per week working from home (Tuesdays and Thursdays not included and subject to a professional home office setup).
• 6 months probationary period.
• Competitive salary dependent on experience, with commission under the terms of the prevailing commission scheme.
• Access to additional financial rewards for successful candidate resourcing.
• Discretionary year-end bonus.
• Private Medical Healthcare after 6 months.
• Pension after 3 months with 5% company contribution.
• 25 days holiday, accruing 1 day per year for first 3 years of service.
• Annual performance review.
• Start date: January 2026.

If you are looking to build a successful career in recruitment and are ready to drive your own business development in a supportive, prestigious environment, we would love to hear from you