Deerfoot is a specialist IT recruitment agency, placing permanent and contract technology staff with employers since 1997. We recruit across Cambridge and East Anglia, from the Science Park and the Biomedical Campus out to Peterborough, Norwich, Ipswich and the rest of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.
One consultant handles your role from start to finish, so the person who takes your brief is the person who speaks to every candidate.
The Cambridge technology market
Cambridge is a specialist market rather than a big one. Silicon Fen grew out of the university and the Cambridge Science Park, founded by Trinity College in 1970, and the city now hosts Arm's global headquarters and AstraZeneca's largest UK R&D centre on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Cambridge Ahead counts more than 4,000 knowledge-intensive companies and 100,000 employees within 20 miles of the city.
That mix shows up in what employers advertise. In the six months to September 2026, 13.4% of Cambridge's permanent technology vacancies mentioned AI and 10.4% asked for C++, according to IT Jobs Watch, and embedded and electronics engineers sit among the most-advertised job titles. Across East Anglia the picture widens: insurance and financial technology in Norwich, telecoms research at BT's Adastral Park near Ipswich, and engineering in Peterborough.
The practical consequence for employers: a Cambridge software engineer's median is £75,000 against £100,000 in London, but the pool of people with deep embedded, FPGA or machine learning experience is small, and most of them are already in work. Good candidates are more often found through a direct approach than an advert.
13.4%
of Cambridge permanent tech vacancies mentioned AI in the six months to September 2026, more than one in eight
94%
of our permanent placements still in post twelve months later, in our most recent audited period
19 years
average technology recruitment experience per consultant, so nobody here is working from a script
INDEPENDENTLY ACCREDITED SINCE 1997
The roles we fill in Cambridge
Our Cambridge work centres on the skills the city's employers hire for most:
Software and embedded engineering
Software, embedded and C++ engineers for semiconductor, device, scientific and trading businesses across Cambridge.
AI and machine learning
Machine learning engineers and applied AI specialists, the skills Cambridge employers now mention most often after core software.
Data engineering
Data engineers and analysts for life sciences, research and technology companies that generate more data than they can use.
Cyber security
Security engineers and analysts. Cyber security appeared in 9% of Cambridge permanent tech vacancies over the last six months, far more than a year earlier.
Cloud and DevOps
Cloud, DevOps and platform engineers for scale-ups and research organisations moving workloads and pipelines to the cloud.
IT architecture
Solutions and technical architects for growing businesses that have outgrown the systems they started with.
We also recruit across business analysis, project management and infrastructure and IT leadership.
How we work
Our process is documented, externally audited and the same every time. See how we recruit.
ISO 9001 certified, audited by BSI
Our candidate assessment method is inspected annually by the British Standards Institution. Every candidate we submit has been identity-checked and reference-verified before you see the CV.
A six-month, 100% refund guarantee
If a permanent hire does not work out within six months, you get the entire fee back. Not a credit note, not a free replacement search: the fee.
Certified B Corporation™
We are independently assessed by B Lab™ against verified standards for social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. In practice that shows up as a fee-free placement each month for a registered charity or non-profit, carbon offsetting through Ecologi, and a donation to the Born Free Foundation for every CV we send. See our B Corp profile.
REC corporate member and FCSA Recruiter Partner
Contractors are engaged compliantly, with the IR35 position established before anyone starts.
Cambridge hires for depth.
The specialists local employers want are few, and the best of them are rarely looking. We have been finding technology people since 1997.
What Cambridge employers are paying
Specialist pay is where Cambridge hiring most often stalls. These medians come from advertised vacancies across the city rather than our own placements, so they show what you are competing with.
Cambridge IT salaries - six months to September 2026
- Software Engineer - £75,000 median (249 salaries, 269 vacancies)
- Developer - £65,000 median (101 salaries, 111 vacancies)
- Senior Software Engineer - £75,000 median (80 salaries, 87 vacancies)
- Embedded Engineer - £75,000 median (73 salaries, 76 vacancies)
- Embedded Software Engineer - £75,000 median (64 salaries, 65 vacancies)
- Electronics Engineer - £80,000 median (54 salaries, 64 vacancies)
The six most-advertised technology job titles in Cambridge over the period, in order of demand. Year-on-year changes are left out because far fewer Cambridge vacancies were tracked a year earlier. Source: IT Jobs Watch, Cambridge medians from advertised vacancies. Updated quarterly.
Who you will be dealing with
Peter Hirst · Associate Director · LinkedIn
Peter has been with Deerfoot for more than 22 years and is one of our Associate Directors, working with employers across Cambridge and East Anglia.
At home, twin boys keep him very busy. When he gets the chance, you will find him on the golf course, watching football or out walking his two dogs.
Across the team, our consultants average 19 years in technology recruitment, which is why clients tell us we do not feel like a typical agency.
To talk to Peter, call us on 020 3701 5510 and ask for him, or email hello@deerfoot.co.uk and it will reach him.
Common questions about hiring in Cambridge
Do you have an office in Cambridge?
No. Deerfoot has been remote-first for years, so there is no Cambridge branch to visit. Most clients ask for a video call or Teams meeting, but we are happy to come to you, whether you are on the Science Park, the Biomedical Campus or elsewhere in East Anglia.
How much does it cost to use a Cambridge IT recruiter?
Fees are a percentage of first-year salary, depending on the difficulty of the role, and we confirm the number in writing before you commit. Our standard permanent terms include a six-month, 100% refund if the hire does not work out, and we make one fee-free placement each month for a registered charity or non-profit.
How long does it take to hire in Cambridge?
Most mid-level roles reach a shortlist within seven to ten days and an offer within four to six weeks. Niche embedded, FPGA and machine learning roles usually take longer, because the people who can do them are few and rarely on the market.
Can you find embedded and C++ engineers in Cambridge?
Yes. Embedded and electronics engineers are among the most-advertised job titles in Cambridge, and C++ appears in around one in ten permanent tech vacancies, so we approach people directly rather than waiting for applications.
Do Cambridge tech employers expect people in the office?
Often, at least part of the week, particularly where the work involves labs or hardware. About a third of live Cambridge IT listings on IT Jobs Watch are advertised as hybrid or remote. The fastest trains reach London King's Cross in under 50 minutes, which widens the pool for roles with some office time.
Can you provide contractors in Cambridge?
Yes. As an FCSA Recruiter Partner we engage contractors compliantly, with the IR35 position settled before they start.
Which areas around Cambridge do you cover?
Cambridge and the rest of Cambridgeshire, including Peterborough, plus Norwich, Norfolk, Ipswich and Suffolk. In practice we recruit UK-wide, including IT recruitment in London, Hertfordshire, the Thames Valley and Manchester.
What salary should I offer in Cambridge?
The medians on this page are a starting point, but specialist Cambridge roles can sit well above them. Ask us for a free benchmark and we will compare advertised and placed salaries for your exact role.
Why should a Cambridge employer care that we are a B Corp™?
Because it is independently checked rather than self-declared. B Lab verifies how we treat staff, candidates and the environment, and if you are a B Corp or working towards it, a certified supplier counts in your own assessment. In practice it shows up as a fee-free placement each month for registered charities, Living Wage Employer status and carbon offsetting on every placement.
Tell us what you are hiring for in Cambridge and you will get an honest answer on whether we can help.
020 3701 5510 · hello@deerfoot.co.uk
