Search Partners
Leadership Recruitment, Industry Recruitment & Executive Search in Australia
Simplify your search
With a head office in Melbourne and clients across every state, we provide structured recruitment solutions tailored to critical industries, helping businesses secure skilled professionals through transparent, outcome-focused processes.
100% Australian Service
4 Major Industry Verticals
80+ Role Types Covered
We align with our clients’ talent acquisition strategies and specialise in building the right teams to foster growth, development, and achieve business goals. Your success is our success!
With our bespoke search strategies, businesses can promote innovation, align their workforce to their goals and stay ahead of the competition. We’ll help you define and deliver your strategy.
INDUSTRY-ALIGNED TALENT
National Executive Search & Recruitment Experts in Operational Technology, Industrial Automation & Digital Transformation
Search Partners is a Melbourne-based executive search and recruitment firm offering both permanent and contract services. Since 2010, we’ve supported clients across Australia—including Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Darwin, and Hobart—with process-driven hiring solutions for technically complex and time-critical projects.
We partner with owner/operators, system integrators, end users, and OEMs, delivering executive search, permanent recruitment, and contractor resourcing across infrastructure, energy, water, utilities, industrial manufacturing, mining, and critical automation environments.
With over 250 placements and decades of experience, we understand the challenges at the convergence of IT and OT. Our reputation is built on deep industry knowledge, proven workflows, and a robust candidate network that ensures we deliver where others fall short. As industry specialists with over 20 years’ experience, we are one of the only search firms in Australia able to recruit talent ranging from six-figure entry-level professionals through to CEO and board appointments.
Founded in 2010, Search Partners is a national executive search and recruitment firm with deep expertise across executive leadership, operational management, and specialist technical roles. Our capability spans OT, industrial automation, and digital transformation — including SCADA, PLC/DCS, OT cybersecurity, and control systems — as well as senior appointments across mining, energy, utilities, infrastructure, and manufacturing.
For structured recruitment services tailored to your business needs, call us on (03) 7068 9457 today.
100% Australian Service
All hiring solutions are delivered nationally with local and remote workforce coverage.
4 Major Industry Verticals
Mining, energy, water, and manufacturing are our key areas of focus.
80+ Role Types Covered
Our recruitment services span high-demand, niche technical domains such as:
- Executive & Senior Leadership Appointments
- Mining Executive Search & General Manager Recruitment
- Mining Recruitment — Technical, Operational & Leadership
- Leadership Recruitment across Mining, Energy & Infrastructure
- Executive Recruitment for Critical Industry Sectors
- COO, CFO & C-Suite Recruitment
- C-Suite, Board & General Management Roles
- Operational & Functional Management Roles
- Electrical, Instrumentation & Control Systems Engineering
- OT Networks & Infrastructure
- OT Cyber Security
- Data Historians (e.g. OSIsoft PI)
- Real-Time & SCADA Data Systems
- PLC / SCADA / DCS Development, Commissioning & Support
- Automation Project & Program Management
- OT Leadership
What We Do
Our Recruitment Services
Recruitment
We offer structured recruitment services for critical roles in operational technology and industry. Every placement is aligned to compliance, technical skill sets, and long-term business strategy.
Contracting
Our
contracting solutions provide qualified professionals for fixed-term or project roles. Candidates may be hired directly to work for your business, or employed by us and subcontracted to deliver services on your behalf — ensuring scalable, compliant, and continuous workforce support.
Executive Search
Executive search focuses on senior appointments. Engagement fees are paid upfront. We run a structured process, submit documentation, and provide a final report of findings and recommendations.
What We Do
Roles We Recruit
Executive Leadership
We place C-suite, board, and senior executive appointments across mining, energy, infrastructure, and industrial sectors. Our retained search process identifies leaders with the strategic capability and domain expertise to drive business performance at the highest level.
Operational Leadership
From site managers and operations directors to engineering heads, we recruit the operational and functional leaders who translate strategy into safe, efficient, and productive outcomes across mining, resources, utilities, and critical infrastructure.
What We Do
Industries We Serve
Mining & Resources
From site-based technical specialists to executive and operational leaders, we recruit across the full mining and resources sector. Our placements span open cut and underground operations, processing facilities, and corporate functions across Australia's major mining regions.
Energy
The energy sector's shift toward renewables and distributed generation demands both technical depth and strategic leadership. We place engineers, project managers, and senior leaders across power generation, battery storage, renewables, and energy transition roles.
Utilities
Reliable infrastructure depends on skilled people at every level of the organisation. We recruit technical specialists and operational leaders for water, wastewater, gas, and electricity utilities — from control systems engineers through to general managers and executives.
Infrastructure
Major infrastructure projects require professionals who can deliver in complex, high-compliance environments. Our team sources project directors, engineers, and operational leaders for transport, communications, and critical national infrastructure across Australia.
Manufacturing
Modern manufacturing environments demand automation expertise alongside strong operational leadership. We place control systems specialists, process engineers, and senior managers across food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, industrial, and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Critical Industries
Some environments demand an exceptionally high standard of hiring — where the wrong appointment carries real operational or safety risk. We support data centres, defence-adjacent facilities, and other critical environments with recruitment solutions built around compliance, security clearance, and specialist capability.
Contact Us Today
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WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS
Recruitment, Contracting & Executive Search Services
We deliver specialised executive search, recruitment, and workforce contracting tailored to the Operational Technology (OT) and Industrial Automation sectors. OT refers to the hardware and software that monitor and control physical assets such as industrial computers, circuit breakers, plant machinery, and cybersecurity systems. It underpins the safe and efficient operation of critical infrastructure and industrial environments.
Today, OT and IT are increasingly connected, creating new risks and
demanding a specialist skillset to manage both domains together. We help clients secure professionals who understand this convergence — from executives and senior leaders through to engineers, control systems specialists, and OT cybersecurity experts — ensuring operations remain secure, compliant, and future-ready.
We recruit for critical technical roles across OT cybersecurity, engineering, SCADA/PLC/DCS systems, and real-time data infrastructure, supporting both permanent and contract placements. Our structured delivery model is built for regulated, high-compliance environments, ensuring each hire aligns with safety, security, and performance standards.
With national coverage and deep industry insight, we provide talent acquisition expertise designed for system integrators, operators, OEMs, and end users. Our services help businesses build resilient teams that can adapt to technological change and lead digital transformation across Australia.
Appointing Leaders
Senior & Executive Appointments
Search Partners recruits leadership and executive talent across Australia's most demanding industries. From C-suite appointments to senior operational and functional leadership roles, we identify and place the individuals who shape strategy, lead teams, and deliver results at the highest level.
Roles we regularly place include:
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- Chief Operating Officer (COO)
- Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
- General Manager & Operations Director
- Head of Engineering
- Head of OT / Automation
- Head of Cyber Security
- Program Director & Project Director
- Site Manager & Regional Operations Manager
- Board & Advisory Appointments
We place senior leaders across mining and resources, energy and renewables, water and utilities, industrial manufacturing, infrastructure and critical environments, and oil and gas.
Our retained executive search model is research-led and outcome-focused, delivering a qualified shortlist typically within 4–6 weeks — backed by market mapping, structured assessment, and a detailed findings report.
