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Industries
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Agency & Media
SALES & MARKETING RECRUITMENT
Agency & Media. Winning the client is half the job.
Fast briefs. Big ideas. Tight turnarounds. Plenty of opinions.
We find new-business, client-services and agency-marketing people who understand scope, margin and what the client is actually buying — not just how to pitch.
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Construction & Property
On time. To budget. Planned years ahead. From piling to fit-out and all in between.
Recruitment for commercial roles across construction, property development, building products, architecture, engineering consultancy, real estate and the wider built environment.
SALES & MARKETING RECRUITMENT IN
SALES & MARKETING RECRUITMENT
Construction & Property
On time. To budget. Planned years ahead. From piling to fit-out and all in between.
Recruitment for commercial roles across construction, property development, building products, architecture, engineering consultancy, real estate and the wider built environment.
1 - BIG PICTURE STORY:
The Construction & Property Economy
THE UK PICTURE:
In Great Britain, construction output grew by 1.8% across 2025, its fifth consecutive year of annual growth. The sector spans housing, commercial development, infrastructure and repair, all with very different buying cycles and commercial pressures. (Office for National Statistics)
THE IRISH PICTURE:
Ireland’s construction sector expanded by 7.2% in 2025, with construction GVA reaching approximately €15.7 billion. (Central Statistics Office)
Behind those numbers is a sector where developers, contractors, consultants and suppliers can all influence the same project, and the return from today’s activity may not appear for months or years.
£140.7bn
Construction new work in Great Britain, 2024
159.6k
Ireland construction employees, Jul 2026
+4.9%
Ireland construction employment growth, year-on-year Jul 2026
01 — THE SECTOR
Unique hiring considerations:
Construction & Property teaches people to look further ahead.
A project can still be taking shape, the specification may not be fixed and the tender may be months away, yet commercially important decisions are already being made.
With experience, people get better at reading those early signals.
A salesperson learns that the most useful conversation is not necessarily the one closest to an order. They start to recognise which projects are genuinely moving, who has influence at each stage, which relationships are worth staying close to and when something that looks exciting on paper is probably not going to turn into worthwhile business.
Marketing develops a similar instinct.
Reputation, technical credibility, previous delivery and consistent visibility can all start building confidence long before anyone raises an enquiry. Experienced marketers get a feel for what different audiences need to see and understand, and where the business needs to be credible rather than simply visible.
Two New Business Directors may both show major pitch wins and well-known clients. The same result can start at very different points in the buying journey.
The title tells us surprisingly little unless we know what the client was buying and how the agency made money from it.
CANDIDATE A
Strongest once the brief lands
• Builds strong credentials and pitch processes
• Coordinates senior agency involvement
• Converts briefs once the opportunity is defined
CANDIDATE B
Shapes the brief before it exists
• Builds senior relationships before formal briefs
• Creates preference while needs are still forming
• Qualifies carefully for fit, margin and win probability
02 — HOW WE ASSESS
Same CV. Different capability.
Two Business Development Managers may both list contractors, developers, consultants and significant project wins.
One may manage a mature territory and respond to visible near-term opportunities.
Another may create relationships in new markets, influence specifiers and decision makers years before procurement and stay involved as the project moves from design through tender and delivery.
Similar project values can hide very different origination and influence.
CANDIDATE B — SHAPES THE BRIEF BEFORE IT EXISTS
Opens new territories or market segments
Creates relationships where the company has little history
• Qualifies carefully for fit, margin and win probability
CANDIDATE A — STRONGEST ONCE THE BRIEF LANDS
Opens new territories or market segments
Converts identifiable near-term opportunities
Builds growth from an established market position
02 — HOW WE ASSESS
Same CV. Different capability.
02 — HOW WE ASSESS
Same CV. Different capability.
Two Business Development Managers may both list contractors, developers, consultants and significant project wins.
One may manage a mature territory and respond to visible near-term opportunities.
Another may create relationships in new markets, influence specifiers and decision makers years before procurement and stay involved as the project moves from design through tender and delivery.
Similar project values can hide very different origination and influence.
SAME JOB TITLE - CANDIDATE A
Maintains strong contractor and industry relationships
Converts identifiable near-term opportunities
Builds growth from an established market position
SAME JOB TITLE - CANDIDATE B
Opens new territories or market segments
Creates relationships where the company has little history
Develops new routes to market
SALES, NEW BUSINESS & CLIENT GROWTH
01
New Business Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Which pitches deserve the agency's time — not just winning them.
HOW IT VARIES
RFP-led in some agencies; relationship-led long before a brief in others.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"Tell us about a pitch you walked away from."
02
Client Services Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
The gap between what the client expects and what the fee covers.
HOW IT VARIES
Full P&L and renewal authority, or delivery lead with pricing held elsewhere.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"When did you last renegotiate scope mid-year?"
03
Account Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Growth that doesn't turn into unpaid over-servicing.
HOW IT VARIES
Performance agencies build media economics; creative agencies build judgement on ambiguous briefs.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"How did the account's margin move under you?"
MARKETING
04
Agency Marketing Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Attracting the kind of brief New Business actually wants.
HOW IT VARIES
Visibility and awards in some agencies; proposition and pipeline in others.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"Which piece of thinking brought a client in?"
05
Communications Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
The agency's reputation, and sometimes its clients' too.
HOW IT VARIES
Corporate narrative in-house, or crisis and media work on behalf of clients.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"What didn't you say, and why?"
06
Content Strategy Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Connecting audience insight to measurable commercial outcomes.
HOW IT VARIES
Client-facing strategy lead, or the agency's own thought-leadership engine.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"How did you prove it worked?"
We also recruit across media sales, partnerships, PR, performance and digital marketing, and sales & marketing leadership.
Discuss a role in this sector →
03 — ROLES
What the title doesn't tell you
We also recruit across media sales, partnerships, PR, performance and digital marketing, and sales & marketing leadership.
Discuss a role in this sector
→
MARKETING
04
Agency Marketing Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Attracting the kind of brief New Business actually wants.
HOW IT VARIES
Visibility and awards in some agencies; proposition and pipeline in others.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"Which piece of thinking brought a client in?"
05
Communications Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
The agency's reputation, and sometimes its clients' too.
HOW IT VARIES
Corporate narrative in-house, or crisis and media work on behalf of clients.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"What didn't you say, and why?"
06
Content Strategy Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Connecting audience insight to measurable commercial outcomes.
HOW IT VARIES
Client-facing strategy lead, or the agency's own thought-leadership engine.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"How did you prove it worked?"
SALES, NEW BUSINESS & CLIENT GROWTH
01
New Business Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Which pitches deserve the agency's time — not just winning them.
HOW IT VARIES
RFP-led in some agencies; relationship-led long before a brief in others.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"Tell us about a pitch you walked away from."
02
Client Services Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
The gap between what the client expects and what the fee covers.
HOW IT VARIES
Full P&L and renewal authority, or delivery lead with pricing held elsewhere.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"When did you last renegotiate scope mid-year?"
03
Account Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Growth that doesn't turn into unpaid over-servicing.
HOW IT VARIES
Performance agencies build media economics; creative agencies build judgement on ambiguous briefs.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"How did the account's margin move under you?"
03 — ROLES
What the title doesn't tell you
MARKETING
Makes the agency's thinking visible before a brief appears
Uses case studies to demonstrate decisions and outcomes
Builds reputation that helps the agency enter consideration early
Communicates a clear proposition rather than a capability list
Aligns agency marketing with the work New Business actually wants
SALES
Qualifies opportunities before consuming pitch resource
Understands what is really driving the client's decision
Sells the agency that will actually deliver the work
Understands how the pricing model affects account economics
Protects scope, margin and relationship quality as accounts grow
04 — WHAT EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR
Strength signals
SALES
01
Qualifies opportunities before consuming pitch resource
02
Understands what is really driving the client's decision
03
Sells the agency that will actually deliver the work
04
Understands how the pricing model affects account economics
05
Protects scope, margin and relationship quality as accounts grow
MARKETING
01
Makes the agency's thinking visible before a brief appears
02
Uses case studies to demonstrate decisions and outcomes
03
Builds reputation that helps the agency enter consideration early
04
Communicates a clear proposition rather than a capability list
05
Aligns agency marketing with the work New Business actually wants
04 — WHAT EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR
Strength signals we listen for
04 — WHAT EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR
Strength signals we listen for
SALES STRENGTH SIGNALS
Identifies where influence sits across the project lifecycle
Distinguishes a strong network from genuine market development
Qualifies opportunities before committing significant resource
Builds relationships while there is still time to shape the outcome
Understands how technical, project and commercial risk interact
MARKETING strength signals
Builds credibility before a formal opportunity exists
Uses technical content and case studies as commercial evidence
Adapts communication to different project stakeholders
Connects bids and campaigns with business-development priorities
Makes previous delivery useful to future commercial decisions
40-person Belfast brand agency needed a Commercial Director during a major repositioning.
Result: 3-person shortlist. Successful hire remains in post today.
The brief required an unusual combination of strategic leadership, people management and new business ability. We mapped the relevant market thoroughly and narrowed a broad potential field to three candidates capable of operating across all three areas.
05 — A RECENT SEARCH
In practice
05 — A RECENT SEARCH
In practice
UK and Ireland product distributor needed a Head of Marketing focused on lead generation.
We concentrated the search on marketers who could connect marketing activity directly to commercial pipeline and revenue. The successful candidate combined strategic marketing capability with particularly strong lead-generation experience across complex product and distribution environments.
Commercial impact was visible within the first 3 weeks.
FOR EMPLOYERS
Discuss a Sales or Marketing Hire
For employers, we look beyond the obvious CV match and spend time understanding what someone has actually done, the environment they have worked in and how relevant that experience is to the role.
We look beyond the agency name and title to the proposition, pricing model, account economics and real commercial ownership behind someone's experience.
DISCUSS A HIRE
FOR PROFESSIONALS
Considering your next move?
We help make sense of the experience you've built, what you're genuinely good at and where it might take you next.
REGISTER YOUR INTEREST
CALL TO ACTION
Hiring in Agency & Media?
A NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER
[Sarah to write — one sentence]
Sarah, Founder
About MRKTSEARCH →
A NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER
[Sarah to write — one sentence]
Sarah, Founder
About MRKTSEARCH →
A NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER
[Sarah to write — one sentence]
Sarah, Founder · About MRKTSEARCH →
£140.7bn
Construction new work in Great Britain, 2024
159.6k
Ireland construction employees, Jul 2026
+4.9%
Ireland construction employment growth, year-on-year Jul 2026
06 — THE NUMBERS
The Construction & Property Economy
FOR EMPLOYERS
Discuss a Sales or Marketing Hire
For employers, we look beyond the obvious CV match and spend time understanding what someone has actually done, the environment they have worked in and how relevant that experience is to the role.
SOURCES
Advertising Association; Creative Communications Ireland.
£35.2bn
UK creative & media agency GVA, 2024
£46.7bn
UK advertising investment, 2025
€1.7bn
Irish advertising market, 2025
06 — THE NUMBERS
The agency & media economy
Construction & Property teaches people to look further ahead.
A project can still be taking shape, the specification may not be fixed and the tender may be months away, yet commercially important decisions are already being made.
With experience, people get better at reading those early signals.
A salesperson learns that the most useful conversation is not necessarily the one closest to an order. They start to recognise which projects are genuinely moving, who has influence at each stage, which relationships are worth staying close to and when something that looks exciting on paper is probably not going to turn into worthwhile business.
Marketing develops a similar instinct.
Reputation, technical credibility, previous delivery and consistent visibility can all start building confidence long before anyone raises an enquiry. Experienced marketers get a feel for what different audiences need to see and understand, and where the business needs to be credible rather than simply visible.
01 — THE SECTOR
Unique Hiring Considerations
Construction & Property teaches people to look further ahead.
A project can still be taking shape, the specification may not be fixed and the tender may be months away, yet commercially important decisions are already being made.
With experience, people get better at reading those early signals.
A salesperson learns that the most useful conversation is not necessarily the one closest to an order. They start to recognise which projects are genuinely moving, who has influence at each stage, which relationships are worth staying close to and when something that looks exciting on paper is probably not going to turn into worthwhile business.
Marketing develops a similar instinct.
Reputation, technical credibility, previous delivery and consistent visibility can all start building confidence long before anyone raises an enquiry. Experienced marketers get a feel for what different audiences need to see and understand, and where the business needs to be credible rather than simply visible.
01 — THE SECTOR