Engineering recruitment
Engineers whose qualifications we check, not just claim.
We supply qualified engineers to industrial, infrastructure, manufacturing and construction projects across Ireland and the UK. Degrees are verified with the awarding institution and software ability is tested, never taken off a CV.
- Degrees verified with the awarding institution, and accreditation checked
- CAD and design software tested, not accepted as a bullet point
- Chartered status confirmed with the institution where it is claimed
- The permit, the visa and the 28-day advertising test handled
Fabrication shop, overhead crane
Who we work for
Employers we work with
Established operators across Ireland and the UK. Transport, automotive, construction, engineering and food service.
What we place
Roles we fill in Engineering
If what you need is not on the list, ask anyway. We turn down briefs we cannot fill, so a no from us costs you a phone call and nothing else.
- Mechanical Engineers
- Electrical Engineers
- Civil Engineers
- Structural Engineers
- Process Engineers
- Design Engineers
- Project Engineers
- Commissioning Engineers
- Maintenance Engineers
- Quality Engineers
- Automation and Controls Engineers
- Site Engineers
- Setting Out Engineers
- AutoCAD Technicians
- Building Services Engineers
- Reliability Engineers
Trade testing
Where we test engineering candidates
These are our workshops, not stock photographs. Every candidate is trade tested on the tools before you see a CV, and before anybody gets on a plane.
Placed, not promised
Roles we have filled for employers like you
Named clients and the roles that actually started. Ask us for a reference and we will put you in touch.
How we fill it
Three routes, and we will tell you which one you need
We look at your local market before we look anywhere else. Overseas deployment is slower and more involved, so we only recommend it when local genuinely cannot deliver.
Ireland and the UK
- About two weeks from brief to a start date
- Candidates pre-screened and compliance handled before you interview
- No retainer and no monthly fee
- Thirty day replacement guarantee
International deployment
- Sourced from the Philippines, South Africa, the UAE, Bangladesh, Colombia, India and Nepal
- Permit, visa and Certificate of Sponsorship work handled end to end
- Labour Market Needs Test managed for you
- Flights, accommodation and welfare checks after arrival included
Remote support roles
- Live in one to four weeks, because there is no permit in the way
- Five stage vetting including a proper English assessment
- Employed directly by your company
- Typically 50 to 70% below the cost of a local hire
The work behind the shortlist
What we check before you see a CV
A shortlist is only worth anything if somebody did this first.
Qualifications
- Degree verified directly with the awarding institution
- Accreditation of the programme checked, not assumed from the title
- Chartered or professional status confirmed with the institution where claimed
- Postgraduate and specialist certifications checked the same way
Technical ability
- CAD and modelling tested on a set task, AutoCAD, Revit, SolidWorks, Inventor or EPLAN
- Discipline-specific interview run by somebody who understands the discipline
- Commissioning and site experience probed for what they personally did, not what the team did
- Standards and codes experience checked against the ones you work to
Communication
- English assessed properly, because an engineer who cannot be understood on site is a risk
- Interview with you before any offer, in person or by video
- Reporting and documentation ability looked at, since much of the role is written
- References from named projects with named contacts
Recruitment trips
Come and test them yourself
Every month we are in Manila, Johannesburg and Dubai with clients, running in-person trade tests and volume interviews. Based on everything we have seen, it is the most effective way to hire.
- Meet more candidates in a day than you would in a month of video calls
- Get a better read on somebody by watching them work, not just hearing them talk
- Trade test in person, on the tools, to your own standard
- We handle all the logistics. You turn up, we do the rest
Standards and codes travel less well than degrees
An engineer trained to a different code set is not a weaker engineer, but they will need a short run-in on Eurocodes, on Irish and UK regulatory practice and on the way things get documented here.
We flag which candidates need that and how long it realistically takes, and we present nobody as a straight swap for a local hire.
Lead times
How long it takes, honestly
Government processing times move, and anybody quoting you a single confident number is guessing. Which route applies to your role, and the current wait, we confirm in writing before you commit.
Local hire, Ireland or UK
About 2 weeks
Brief to start date. Candidates pre-screened and compliance handled before you interview.
Ireland, employment permit
Department clock
Our preparation takes days. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment publishes its own processing times and they move with demand; we tell you the current one in writing before you commit.
UK, Skilled Worker
UKVI clock
You assign the Certificate of Sponsorship; UK Visas and Immigration publishes decision times. We tell you the current one in writing before you commit.
Remote support role
1 to 4 weeks
Where the job can be done remotely, there is no permit and no queue.
Official processing times: enterprise.gov.ie for Irish employment permits and GOV.UK for the Skilled Worker visa.
Cost and cover
What it costs, and what happens if it goes wrong
Government fees are passed through at cost and the placement fee is staged across the process, none of it up front.
Replacement guarantee on a local hire
Replacement guarantee where the trade test was remote
Replacement guarantee where the trade test was in person
Retainer, startup or candidate fees, at any point
Sama Talent & Offshore Services Limited, 136 Capel Street, Dublin D01 T2C9. Licensed employment agency EA 5649, Workplace Relations Commission of Ireland. CRO 810220. Local first. Internationally ready when local cannot deliver.
Straight answers
Questions employers ask
Will an overseas degree be recognised here?
We verify the degree with the awarding institution and check the programme accreditation, and we tell you what we find. Whether a given qualification satisfies a particular role, a client requirement or a permit route depends on the specifics, so we put it in writing for your vacancy and leave the generalities out.
Do you test software ability?
Yes, on a set task in your package. A CV line saying Revit proves nothing about Revit.
Can you place engineers for remote or hybrid work?
Yes, for design and drafting work in particular. That runs through our remote route, which is faster because there is no permit involved, typically one to four weeks.
Which permit route applies to an engineering role?
It depends on the role, the salary and the current lists, which change. We confirm the route in writing for your specific vacancy before you commit.
How long does an engineering hire take?
Vetted shortlists in days on local candidates and about two weeks to a start. Overseas deployment runs to the published permit ranges.
Tell us the role and the start date. We do the rest.
No retainer, no startup fee, and nothing is ever charged to the candidate. Call us on +353 1 903 8249, Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm.
Looking for work in Engineering?
You will never pay us. Not once, not for anything.
Not to apply, not to be placed, not for your visa, your documents or your training. Employers pay us. Your wage is yours in full.
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