IT recruitment agency in Bristol for data, AI and cyber
Specialist hiring for Bristol and the South West since 1999.
Xist4 is a specialist IT recruitment agency in Bristol, recruiting for employers across Bristol, the South West and the UK. We work with a handful of clients at a time, by choice. When you brief us on a Bristol role, it gets our full attention from the first conversation until your new hire is settled.
Hiring for a data, AI, cyber or tech leadership role in Bristol? Tell us what the role needs, and we'll shape the way we find the right person around it.
IT and tech recruitment across our specialisms
For cyber security recruitment, we recruit security-cleared roles at all levels (BPSS, SC, DV and eDV) and run retained or exclusive searches for CISO-level roles. We recruit mainly for permanent roles, with some contract work.
How we work
1Briefing
A real conversation about what the role must achieve, what success looks like at twelve months, and what would put the right people off.
2Honest market view
Salary benchmarking and frank feedback on the brief before anything goes to market.
3Reaching the whole market
The strong people who are looking, and the many more who aren't but would move for the right role.
4Direct outreach
Individual approaches that start with why your role is worth a move.
5A considered shortlist
Context behind each name. The first shortlist typically arrives in one to six weeks, depending on how scarce the skills are.
6Offer and beyond
We manage both sides of the offer and counteroffer risk, then check in at Day 1, Week 1 and at one, three, six and twelve months.
Full detail: our recruitment process.
Case study: Technology Scale-Up (Bristol)
Senior Platform Engineer
A fast-growing Bristol SaaS scale-up needed a senior platform engineer with Kubernetes, Terraform, AWS and CI/CD experience. We ran a retained search, mapped platform engineering talent across the South West and remote UK, and delivered a focused shortlist within six and a half weeks.
The result: the client reports system uptime improved by more than 20 per cent in the first quarter.
What Bristol and regional clients say
“Launching our Bristol office from the US, we needed fast, safe hires; Xist4 delivered pre-interviewed, screened CVs within 24 hours and kept the quality high throughout. Within two weeks we were spoilt for choice and confidently made our selections, and we highly recommend them for complex remote hiring.”
Senior Director, Globanet (acquired by Veritas)
“Xist4 were a refreshing change, with Gozie taking the time to understand our business and a niche Computational Scientist brief, then delivering an excellent on-profile shortlist. Exceptional service throughout; we will use them again and highly recommend.”
Finance Director, Rockfield Software
“For over five years, Xist4’s local knowledge and IT pedigree have helped us fill specialist roles in remote locations with thoroughly qualified, on-brief candidates. Gozie is friendly, approachable and prioritises our vacancies, and we are pleased to recommend Xist4 for IT hiring.”
IS Manager, Numatic International
Hiring in Bristol? Brief us on your role.
Tell us what you need and we will come back to you to arrange a proper briefing conversation. Upload a job description with the form below, or email business@xist4.com.
Looking for a job instead? Visit our candidates page.
Recruiting it yourself?
Our Hiring Campaign Diagnostic is a two-day review of your brief, salary, advert and process before you go to market. £1,500 fixed, with a written readout you can act on.
About the Hiring Campaign Diagnostic
Frequently asked questions
Is Xist4 an IT recruitment agency in Bristol?
Yes. Xist4 is a specialist IT and tech recruitment agency in Bristol, with an office in London. We recruit data, AI, cyber security, cloud and technology leadership roles for employers in Bristol, the South West and across the UK.
What other areas do you recruit for?
Alongside Bristol, we recruit for employers across the South West, including Bath, Swindon, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Exeter, Plymouth and Taunton. We also cover South Wales, with roles in Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. Our London office on Regent Street supports employers in the capital. We recruit for employers elsewhere in the UK too, recently filling an Applied AI Engineer role in Cambridge.
What IT and tech roles does Xist4 recruit in Bristol?
We recruit data scientists, AI and machine learning specialists, data engineers and architects, BI and insights professionals, cyber security specialists, cloud and infrastructure engineers, and senior technology leaders.
Does Xist4 recruit security-cleared roles?
Yes. We recruit security-cleared roles at all levels, including BPSS, SC, DV and eDV.
Does Xist4 handle CISO and senior security searches?
Yes. We offer retained or exclusive search for CISO-level roles.
Does Xist4 recruit permanent or contract roles?
Mainly permanent roles, with some contract recruitment.
How quickly will I see a shortlist?
Our first shortlist typically arrives within one to six weeks, depending on how scarce the skills are.
Can Xist4 help with hybrid and remote roles?
Yes. We map the whole market for each role, so we can search beyond Bristol when a role is hybrid or remote.
How do I register a vacancy with Xist4?
Use the Register your vacancy form on this page, where you can upload a job description, or email business@xist4.com.
Who we work with in Bristol and the South West
Bristol has one of the strongest tech scenes outside London, and its employers compete hard for the same data, cloud and security talent. These are the organisations we know best.
Greentech
We work with selected greentech firms electrifying transport, energy and the built environment. That includes public EV charging networks, smart charging and energy flexibility, battery technology and analytics, fleet electrification software, smart buildings and commercial IoT. These organisations sit where software, data, infrastructure, hardware and operations meet. They need people who can build systems, improve platforms, make sense of complex data and lead teams through growth and change. That is where we help.
Learn more
Mission-Led, Cultural & Heritage Recruitment
Museums, galleries, archives, charities and heritage organisations are modernising, often with small teams and limited resources. They need data, technology and leadership people who can improve digital access, modernise systems, protect critical information and help the organisation evolve without losing sight of what it exists to do. That is who we help them find.
Learn more
Startups & Scale-ups
For many startups and scale-ups, hiring is the biggest brake on growth. You need engineers, data specialists, cyber professionals and leaders who can build from scratch, move quickly and make good decisions under pressure, while competing against larger organisations with stronger brands and deeper pockets. Get the recruitment partner right and you secure the people who move the business forward. Get it wrong and you lose them to someone who did. We treat startups and scale-ups as a type of organisation rather than a sector: ambitious businesses that cannot afford a key hire going wrong.
Learn moreThe roles we place in Bristol
Data and AI
Cyber security
Cloud, platform and engineering
Technology leadership
Recently filled roles
Applied AI Engineer
Cambridge
£85-110,000
Systems & Data Manager
Bristol
£50-55,000
iOS Software Engineer
London
£75-95,000
Member of Technical Staff
London
£100-150,000
Lead Engineer - Machine Learning
London
£110-140,000
Android Software Engineer
London
£70-90,000
Head of Data
London
£100 – £115,000
Digital Programme Manager
London
£60 – £75,000
Enquire
Register your vacancy
Let’s start building your winning team – contact us now to begin.
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