Deerfoot is a specialist IT recruitment agency, placing permanent and contract technology staff with employers since 1997. We recruit across Nottingham, Derby and the East Midlands, from NG2 and the Nottingham Science Park to Pride Park, Infinity Park and the rest of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
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 Nottingham technology market
Nottingham is a finance and data city as much as an engineering one. Finance leads its technology job market, cited in 10.3% of Nottingham's permanent technology vacancies in the six months to September 2026, according to IT Jobs Watch. Experian and Capital One UK are both headquartered here, HMRC's Unity Square regional centre houses around 4,000 staff, and Boots runs its support office on its Beeston site. Games Workshop and the BioCity incubator add a creative and life sciences edge.
Twenty minutes away, Derby brings engineering at scale: Rolls-Royce's civil aerospace headquarters, Alstom's Litchurch Lane train factory and Toyota's Burnaston plant, which is why automotive features in 6.6% of Nottingham's tech vacancies too.
The practical consequence for employers: a Nottingham software engineer's median is £55,000 against £100,000 in London, but demand for security skills has jumped. Cyber security is now the ninth most-requested skill in Nottingham tech vacancies, up 45 places on a year earlier, and good security people are rarely out of work for long.
8.3%
of Nottingham permanent tech vacancies asked for cyber security skills in the six months to September 2026, making it the ninth most-requested skill, up 45 places
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 Nottingham
Our Nottingham work centres on the skills the city's employers hire for most:
Software engineering
Developers and software engineers for financial services, retail, gaming and engineering businesses across Nottingham and Derby.
Cyber security
Security analysts and engineers, the fastest-rising skill in Nottingham tech hiring, including roles that need security clearance.
Data engineering
Data engineers and analysts for the credit, banking and retail businesses that make Nottingham a data-heavy market.
Banking and financial services
Technology people for lenders, credit and payments businesses, the sector that leads Nottingham's tech job market.
Cloud and DevOps
Cloud, DevOps and platform engineers for digital teams modernising the systems behind large customer operations.
IT support and infrastructure
IT analysts, infrastructure and support engineers who keep Nottingham and Derby businesses running.
We also recruit across business analysis, project management and IT architecture.
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.
Nottingham hires on value, not volume.
Salaries are lower than the big cities, so the role itself has to win the candidate. We have been recruiting technology people since 1997.
What Nottingham employers are paying
Pay is where Nottingham hiring most often stalls, especially in security. These medians come from advertised vacancies across the city rather than our own placements, so they show what you are competing with.
Nottingham IT salaries - six months to September 2026
- Developer - £60,000 median, up 9.1% (98 salaries, 117 vacancies)
- Software Engineer - £55,000 median (84 salaries, 101 vacancies)
- Software Developer - £65,000 median (49 salaries, 52 vacancies)
- IT Analyst - £35,000 median (35 salaries, 48 vacancies)
- Security Analyst - £55,000 median (20 salaries, 47 vacancies)
- Senior Software Engineer - £60,000 median (33 salaries, 44 vacancies)
The six most-advertised technology job titles in Nottingham over the period, in order of demand. Year-on-year changes are shown only where there were enough vacancies a year earlier to compare. Source: IT Jobs Watch, Nottingham medians from advertised vacancies. Updated quarterly.
Who you will be dealing with
Nick Gordon · Founder · LinkedIn
Nick founded Deerfoot in 1997 and has been immersed in the recruitment industry for more than 25 years. He grew up in Nottingham, so he knows the city and its employers well, and he remains hands-on, particularly with organisations that have complex hiring needs. Running an ethical recruitment service matters a great deal to him, and it shapes how Deerfoot works with clients and candidates alike.
Away from work you will usually find him heading out into the forest with his dog, playing tennis, doing yoga, or cooking something plant-based.
Our consultants average 19 years of experience each. That is the actual reason clients say we are not a typical agency: nobody here is working from a script, because nobody here is new.
To talk to Nick, call us on 0161 511 8511 and ask for him, or email hello@deerfoot.co.uk and it will reach him.
Common questions about hiring in Nottingham
Do you have an office in Nottingham?
No. Deerfoot has been remote-first for years, so there is no Nottingham branch to visit. Most clients ask for a video call or Teams meeting, but we are happy to come to you, whether you are in the city centre, at NG2 or out in Derby.
How much does it cost to use a Nottingham 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 Nottingham?
Most mid-level Nottingham roles reach a shortlist within seven to ten days and an offer within four to six weeks. Security roles need the quickest process, because demand has risen faster than the supply of experienced people.
Do you recruit in Derby as well as Nottingham?
Yes. The two cities are under 20 minutes apart by train and share much of the same talent pool, so we recruit across both, including engineering and manufacturing employers in and around Derby.
Can you find graduates and early-career technologists?
Yes. The University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University each have around 35,000 students, and the University of Derby adds more, so the region produces a steady flow of early-career talent for employers willing to train.
Can you provide contractors in Nottingham?
Yes. As an FCSA Recruiter Partner we engage contractors compliantly, with the IR35 position settled before they start.
Which areas around Nottingham do you cover?
Nottingham and the rest of Nottinghamshire, plus Derby, Derbyshire and the wider East Midlands. In practice we recruit UK-wide, including IT recruitment in Leeds, Manchester and London.
What salary should I offer in Nottingham?
The medians on this page are a starting point, but security and senior engineering pay has moved quickly. Ask us for a free benchmark and we will compare advertised and placed salaries for your exact role.
Why should a Nottingham 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 Nottingham and you will get an honest answer on whether we can help.
0161 511 8511 · hello@deerfoot.co.uk
