About me

Jamie Sears - Independent Recruitment Specialist & CV Writer

With over 25 years of experience, I specialise in recruitment and CV writing, primarily within the Fintech and Financial Services sectors.

My extensive background in UK Fintech, Wealth/Asset Management, and Transfer Agency sectors equips me with the expertise and in-depth knowledge necessary to support hiring initiatives in business change & transformation, IT, and Sales & Marketing roles.

Whether you're looking to enhance your recruitment strategy, refine your CV, or plan your next career move, I am here to help. 

Let's connect to discuss how I can assist you.

Jamie Sears
Email: jamie@jandjsearch.com

Testimonials

 It is without hesitation that I recommend Jamie if you are looking for the best Financial Services/Consultancy recruiter as he is both attentive, professional, has extensive market expertise. He took the time to understand my requirements and consistently kept me updated throughout the process. I would highly recommend Jamie as an accomplished recruiting professional to anyone in need of a career change or simply looking to recruit the best talent for their firm. 

Tarina Kapour
Manager - Tax Technology at PwC UK

 Jamie has a wealth of experience in the TA market and is well connected. This has proved valuable in helping fulfill operational resourcing challenges. Jamie is a good person to work with and I have known him a number of years. 

Adrian Tovey
Global Director of Program Management at Linedata

 If you have any recruitment needs, particularly within the financial sector Change / IT roles, then I can highly recommend Jamie. Having worked with him at his previous company recruiting many roles during my time at Cofunds, now that he has branched out and set up on his own I would definitely advocate reaching out to him - Jamie always takes the time to fully understand not just the technical/skill set aspects of the role but also the culture and team fit. Candidates he put through to me for consideration were real potentials and always worth interviewing. A pleasure to work with. 

Leila Wade
Head of Business Management at Seven Investment Management LLP

 Jamie is an astute consultant with a wealth of experience and contacts that provides an outstanding and personal service to both companies and candidates during the recruitment process. I would have no hesitation in recommending Jamie. 

David McGuinness
Product Director at Calastone

 If you are looking for someone to help re-write both your CV and your LinkedIn profile, Jamie is your man! I contacted Jamie and after chatting with him a couple of times he provided guidance and a draft CV which was a lot more focused on the pieces that matter resulting in a lot more punchier document. I would highly recommend Jamie. 

William Woodward
WJW Consultancy

 I have worked with Jamie for nearly 2 years and have always found him to be of high integrity with a deep knowledge of the market place. His continuous communication throughout the recruitment process and his handling of timelines have been invaluable. He always takes time to understand the full needs of the projects and my expectations and has delivered always. Jamie is without doubt one of the most people orientated recruiters I have dealt with. I have no hesitation in recommending Jamie. 

Saba Shafqat
People & Culture Business Partner at GBST

Clients

Contingency Search

Helping clients to find the right subject matter expert on a "no placement, no fee" basis

Retained Search

Engaging on specific bespoke recruitment campaigns where separate fees will be charged at agreed stages across the full recruitment life-cycle of the campaign

Executive Search

Utilising my extensive senior management and 'C' Suite network to provide clients with their strategic senior hire needs

Candidates

Market Advice

If you have been in the same role/company for some time or just out of touch with the current UK employment market, I can provide insight and advice on the constantly evolving UK employment market

CV Writing & LinkedIn Profile Review

If you are looking to update or rewrite your CV from scratch then I can provide a fully bespoke service covering design, layout and content. Following a career in recruitment over 25 years, working with HR Business Partners, Hiring Managers and Talent Acquisition Specialists and having reviewed thousands of CVs myself, I have the deep understanding to help you make your CV stand out Alongside CV writing and editing, I can also assist with editing your LinkedIn Profile About section too

Career Advice

Whether you are starting out on your career journey, mid way through and find yourself at a crossroads or on the final home stretch to retirement, with my dedicated recruitment experience, I can provide advice, guidance and pointers on your next move

CV rewrite options

CV Rewrite + LinkedIn Profile Update (£395 inc VAT)

*In-depth call with me to discuss your CV, skills and career achievements to date *Full review and rewritten CV *LinkedIn About section rewrite in line with your requirements

CV Rewrite + Tailored Cover Letter + LinkedIn Profile Update (£495 inc VAT)

*In-depth call with me to discuss your CV, skills and career achievements to date *Full review and rewritten CV *Cover letter tailored to a specific role *LinkedIn About section rewrite in line with your requirements

CV Rewrite + 2 Tailored Cover Letters for specific roles + LinkedIn Profile Update (£595 inc VAT)

*In-depth call with me to discuss your CV, skills and career achievements to date *Full review and rewritten CV *2 cover letters tailored to specific roles *LinkedIn About section rewrite in line with your requirements

Current Vacancies

QA Engineer

London, UK - JJ1192
Position: QA Engineer – FinTechSalary: £50,000 to £55,000Location: City, London (Hybrid/Flexible Working)


Are you passionate about ensuring the quality and reliability of software products? Do you thrive in an agile environment where collaboration and innovation are key? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you!Role Overview: As a QA Engineer, you'll play a pivotal role in contributing to test automation solutions on agile projects. You'll work closely with a Senior QA Engineer to design and maintain test automation frameworks, integrating them seamlessly into build and deployment pipelines using GitHub Actions. Your automated tests will be built on .Net Core using C# with a Behaviour Driven Development (BDD) approach, supplemented by exploratory testing as needed.
Requirements:

Knowledge of the European Mutual Funds Market or Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) market preferred.

Experience in object-oriented programming with C# or Java.Proficiency in writing code for .Net-based test automation solutions, preferably using BDD tools like Specflow and Gherkin.Experience automating testing for REST API and/or UI-based applications.Familiarity with GitHub Actions workflow for deploy/test in CI pipeline.Experience with Selenoid for parallel UI testing is a plus.Familiarity with AKS (Azure Kubernetes Service) infrastructure is advantageous.

Strong SQL relational database query skills.Experience in non-functional testing, especially using Neoload tool, is a plus.Experience in testing financial systems using XML, JSON, FIX, SFTP, or Swift messaging is advantageous.Good understanding of QA automation methodologies, tools, and agile processes.Proficient in Microsoft products, Visual Studio, Azure, Word, Excel, and Windows PC environment.Excellent communication skills at both business and technical levels.ISTQB Software Testing certifications are a plus.
Key Responsibilities:
Contribute to building and maintaining automation test frameworks using .Net Core and C# BDD.Create automated test solutions for functional and regression testing of a suite of software products.Collaborate with cross-functional agile teams to deliver high-quality applications.Document QA processes and practices while contributing to a knowledge database.Integrate automated test solutions into an engineering build pipeline (Continuous Integration) via GitHub Actions.Conduct exploratory testing to support an agile approach and adhere to QA industry best practices.Collaborate with DevOps, Engineering, Operations, and Client Delivery teams to understand technical changes and testing requirements.Share knowledge and support test automation across the QA Team.Gain a deep understanding of products and associated functionality.Assist the Senior QA Engineer in adhering to industry standards and best practices.
Apply Now

Business Development Representative

London, UK - JJ1193
Business Development Representative - £60K starting salary, plus annual bonus, plus commission

We are seeking a Business Development Representative (BDR) who is bilingual in either French or German, alongside English, to join our client's dynamic team. 

As a BDR, you will initiate, qualify, and develop new business leads for the Account Executive sales team. 

You will collaborate with Account Executives to target and prioritise markets, position a strong value proposition, and generate interest in SaaS products and services. 

Your primary responsibility will be generating qualified leads and passing them to the Account Executives to close.


Must-Have Experience:

Strong customer focus
Accountability and drive for results
Sense of urgency and business acumen
Intellectual curiosity and growth orientation
"Hunter" mentality with strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills
1-2 years of relevant work experience
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Strong desire to be in professional sales
50% bonus of base salary.
Key Responsibilities:

Quota Attainment: Embrace a "hunter" mentality to meet/exceed monthly/quarterly sales lead objectives.

Territory Planning: Develop and document strategies to build a pipeline of leads within defined target prospects.

Demand Generation: Create demand for our clients services within a defined territory.

Lead Progression: Drive the communication/contact process through to completion.

Reporting and Management: Complete all weekly pipeline and activity reporting in accordance with the forecasting cadence.
Apply Now

Senior Software Engineer

London, UK - JJ1195
Senior Software Engineer - £75,000 to £95,000 + 25% Annual Bonus

Are you ready to make a significant impact in the world of financial technology? 

Do you thrive on innovation and pushing the boundaries of software engineering? 

If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you to join a dynamic Software Engineering group.

Role Overview: 

As a Senior Software Engineer, you'll play a crucial role in enhancing and supporting a suite of products. You'll have the opportunity to contribute to defining the technology and process strategy, occasionally leading innovative projects or spearheading software design initiatives.

If you're passionate about leveraging technology to drive innovation and are seeking a challenging yet rewarding opportunity, we want to hear from you!

Apply now to take the next step in your career journey.
Required Knowledge & Experience:Essential:

Deep expertise in C# at a mature commercial level.
Proficiency in .NET Core and related open-source technologies.Strong understanding of Object Orientation, SOA, and related design patterns.Familiarity with modern software development practices such as agile methodologies, version control, code reviews, and continuous integration.
Knowledge of concurrency, asynchrony, and parallelism concepts.
Experience with Test-Driven Development (TDD), including unit testing frameworks, mocking frameworks, and patterns for testability.Solid grasp of relational database concepts, particularly Microsoft SQL Server and SQL.
Competence in front-end technologies including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Experience in designing and implementing Web APIs.
Understanding of the mutual funds industry or related financial experience.
Key Responsibilities:

Develop new features with a focus on delivering high-quality solutions.Conduct peer reviews to ensure code quality and adherence to best practices.
Participate actively in daily Stand-Ups, change analysis sessions, and technical presentations.
Provide valuable input for tool and environment adoption guidance.
Continuously expand your business domain knowledge and understanding of operations.
Collaborate closely with tech leads, engineers, testers, and other team members.
Take ownership of specific initiatives related to innovation or technical debt reduction.
Design, document, and communicate system solutions, balancing time, quality, cost, and performance considerations.
Engage with colleagues across the organization to seek advice and gain buy-in for proposals and designs.
Apply Now

Relationship Manager - Investment Platform

London, UK - JJ1246
Position: Relationship Manager - WealthTech Location: City/London (Hybrid/Flexible Working) Salary: £50,000 to £65,000 per annum + Benefits

Are you a seasoned professional with a background in financial consultancy or WealthTech/Fintech industries? 

An esteemed Investment Platform firm is expanding its team and seeking Relationship Managers to join their ranks. 

As a Relationship Manager, you will be the face of the company, fostering strategic partnerships with wealth clients across the UK Wealth Management Industry. 

This role offers an exciting opportunity to be part of a rapidly growing company, where you can make a significant impact and contribute to its future direction and success.
Your responsibilities will include:

Taking ownership of client relationships, demonstrating high levels of autonomy and responsibility
Cultivating strategic alliances with clients to optimize their workflows and utilization of proprietary software solutions
Engaging in a blend of short-term and long-term projects, both independently and collaboratively with team members
Collaborating closely with internal teams to advocate for client needs and contribute to the continuous improvement of software offerings
Apply Now

Propositions Manager

London, UK - JJ1395
Propositions Manager - Wealth Manager - City, London with hybrid working conditions - £90K to £110K + annual bonus and benefits package

We have partnered with a leading Wealth Manager with offices in the heart of the City, London, who are looking to hire a Proposition Manager for a brand new stand alone role reporting into the COO for Investment Management. 

The ideal candidate would be someone who has a strong background within Wealth/Investment/Asset Management, 
previous experience within product/proposition management, who in this role will maintain responsibility and oversight of all products and services, ensuring they are compliant with current regulation whilst meeting the firm's business strategic objectives, specifically revolving around consumer duty. 




Likely to have at least five to ten years’ experience in project management, preferably with considerable experience delivering into Investment/Asset/Wealth Management businesses.
Experienced at creating a light touch, pragmatic project office. 
Good written and verbal communications skills
Excellent stakeholder management skills 
Computer literate, with excellent MS Excel and PowerPoint skills
Demonstrable analytical skills and ability to suggest changes/ solutions and voice opinions
Thorough understanding of strategy
Ability to work under pressure and prioritise appropriately
Professional manner and able to work with staff at all levels and all business areas


Client Service

Responsible for the oversight and ongoing management of Client Onboarding and Client Reporting, implementing and revising processes and procedures to optimise the efficiency and effectiveness of both teams.

Product Governance

Consider proposal for new services and change requests to existing services.
Responsible for all product governance, ensuring they meet regulatory, legal and compliance requirements.
Carrying out Product reviews in line with Consumer Duty Principles.
Conducting and overseeing the annual OCF review.
Maintaining ownership of the client lifecycle for all propositions and making enhancements to ensure that it is optimal for all clients.
Manage all requests to change, remove or introduce a new product or service. Reviewing all requests to ensure that they meet the business’s strategic objectives, are in the best interest of clients and delivers good outcomes for clients. 
Consumer Duty MI
Define the MI requirements that would enable the business to better evidence how we are delivering good outcomes for clients.
Conduct gap analysis between existing MI suite and the desired MI to establish an action plan for how we will deliver this.
Work with data teams (e.g. Core Technology, Operations, Investment Management, File Review) to determine whether any changes are required to the current information received.


Apply Now

Technology Solutions Architect

London, UK - JJ1364
Technology Solutions Architect - Asset Management - City, London based with hybrid working - £85,000 to £100,000 pa - 12 months FTC

We have partnered with a leading UK Asset Manager who are looking to hire a Solution Architect who will be responsible for defining and delivery roadmaps, defining application and integration strategies to support my client's transformational journcey, decision making fo application architecture for cloud integration services. 

This is an initial 12 months Fixed Term Contract with possible scope to extend for a further 12 months.  Annual salary will be between £95K and £105K per annum, plus annual bonus and full benefits package. 

They have offices in the City, London near to Liverpool Street and work to a hybrid office environment, typically 2 to 3 days in office, 2 to 3 days from home. 

They are particularly interested in indiviudals with a deep knowledge of Cloud based data platforms, experience with Azure Databricks architecture, familiar with DevOps services and CI/CD pipeline. 
Demonstrated exposure to multiple, diverse technical configurations, technologies and processing
Proven experience in technology architecture and design with a deep knowledge of Cloud based Data Platforms,
High level industry awareness to support market and technical evaluation of emerging technologies
Experience of prototyping / proof of concept exercises to validate and evaluate the benefits of a technology against a business need
Experience of other Cloud Service Providers (Azure, Google Cloud)
Experience of Azure Databricks architecture.
Experience of snowflake architecture and/or implementation
Familiarity in Infrastructure as Code and CI/CD Pipeline
Familiarity with Dev Ops Services
Experience of translating business requirements into technical high-level designs, and the ability to produce detailed technical specifications and documentation.
Effective, concise communicator, comfortable presenting at Technical Design Authorities level
Motivated and driven by achieving long-term business outcomes
Ability to translate complex architectural issues and details and communicate effectively with IT and non-IT staff at all levels
Facilitation and collaboration skills, comfortable leading design workshops through to actionable results
Analytical and creative thinker, and experienced problem solver
Organisationally savvy, with understanding of the political climate of the enterprise and how to navigate obstacles and politics
Ability to balance the long-term “big picture” with short-term requirements.


Apply Now

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