How do you match candidates to the right opportunities?

Our priority is fit, not speed. We take time to understand your background, goals, and motivations, then provide clear insight into each opportunity so you're only considered for roles that truly align with your experience and ambitions.

What types of roles and industries do you specialise in?

We specialise in senior, specialist, and leadership appointments across the markets we serve. Our focus is on roles where experience, judgement, and cultural alignment are critical — typically mid- to senior-level management through to executive and board appointments.

How does working with Irving Knight benefit me?

You'll gain honest market insight, access to high-quality opportunities, and clear guidance throughout the process. Our aim is simple: to help you make the right move, at the right time, with confidence.

Do I need to pay for your services?

No. Our services are completely free for candidates. We are retained by our client partners to manage their hiring processes, meaning there is never a cost to you at any stage. Our role is to represent your interests professionally, provide guidance throughout the process, and help you assess opportunities objectively — without any financial obligation.

Will using your services put me at a disadvantage compared to direct applicants?

No — if anything, it gives you an advantage. We provide context, insight, and advocacy that ensure your experience and motivations are clearly understood from the outset. Our role is to strengthen your candidacy and guide you through a transparent, well-managed process.

What makes Irving Knight different from other recruitment firms?

We operate as a retained, partnership-led search firm rather than a transactional recruiter. That means fewer searches, deeper engagement, and a far higher level of commitment to outcomes. By combining sector specialism, market intelligence, and a disciplined search methodology, we deliver hires that are aligned not only to role requirements, but to culture, strategy, and long-term growth plans.

How do you find and assess candidates?

We don't rely on databases or job advertising alone. Our searches are driven by proactive market mapping, targeted outreach, and insight gained from long-standing sector networks. Candidates are assessed on capability, leadership style, cultural alignment, and long-term potential — not just CV fit — ensuring a robust and well-informed shortlist.

How do you approach confidential searches?

Confidentiality is fundamental to how we operate. Every search is handled with discretion, clear communication, and controlled market engagement. As your representative in the market, we protect your brand, manage messaging carefully, and ensure sensitive information is only shared when appropriate — safeguarding both your business and your candidates throughout the process.

What is your success rate in filling roles?

Our retained model is designed to deliver outcomes, not volume. Because we invest the time to fully understand the role, the business, and the wider context, we achieve a consistently high completion rate across our searches. More importantly, our focus is on long-term retention and impact, not short-term placement metrics.

What happens if a hire doesn't work out?

While our process is designed to minimise risk, we recognise that circumstances can change. In the rare event a placement doesn't succeed, we work closely with our client to address the situation and agree the most appropriate next steps. Our commitment is to the partnership and the outcome — not just the initial hire.

For more information on our HVAC services, get in touch with

Robert Hambidge

Director

Hundreds of 'Excellent' reviews

HVAC Executive Search

Helping HVAC companies unlock their next stage of growth

Specialisms We Cover

Air Conditioning Air Handling Units Chillers Climate Control Commercial Cooling Cooling Load Optimisation Data Center Cooling Data Center Cooling F-Gas Heat Pumps Heat Recovery Systems Heating IAQ Immersaion Cooling Industrial Liquid Cooling Mission Critical Cooling Net-Zero Process Cooling Refriderants Regulatory Compliance Smart HVAC Uptime Ventilation Waste Heat Reuse

The global HVAC market continues to grow steadily, driven by urbanisation, energy-efficiency regulation, and rising demand for advanced cooling — including refrigeration and data centre thermal management — across residential, commercial, and industrial environments.

HVAC, refrigeration, and data centre cooling systems are fundamental to modern building performance, operational resilience, and energy efficiency. Beyond occupant comfort, these technologies underpin critical infrastructure, including hyperscale and edge data centres. As regulations tighten and sustainability targets increase, manufacturers and service providers are under increasing pressure to deliver highly efficient, low-carbon cooling and refrigeration solutions. Innovation across HVAC, industrial cooling, thermal management, controls, and building management systems continues to transform the sector.

We work with HVAC organisations across manufacturing, distribution, installation, and service. Our expertise spans engineering, operations, project delivery, and commercial leadership, enabling us to support businesses operating in both new-build and retrofit markets. By securing specialist and leadership talent aligned to technical and regulatory requirements, we help our clients scale, innovate, and deliver high-performing HVAC solutions in a rapidly evolving market.

Comfort, efficiency, and compliance are engineered outcomes.

Organizations in this sector design, manufacture, and deliver systems that must operate reliably across long asset lifecycles. Projects are shaped by energy standards, installation complexity, and ongoing maintenance requirements, placing emphasis on technical coordination and practical delivery.

Successful hiring in HVAC comes from understanding how systems are specified, installed, and supported over time. Aligning businesses with professionals who have worked across design, manufacture, and site environments helps ensure long-term performance and operational continuity

Download our brochure

Learn more about our services, approach and the sectors we operate in.

Did you know?

Hiring the wrong candidate costs more than just time—it can waste salary, training resources, and opportunities. The Department of Labour estimates a bad hire can cost up to 30% of the role’s first-year earnings.

We hire right

Organisations are often reluctant to use external recruiters due the percieved cost. Think about it like this - what financial benefit could a top candidate bring to your business unit? You could make a 100x return on your investment.

97% Placement Rate 1
1.78:1 CVs Sent to Interviews 2
Avg. 32 Day Engagement to Placement 3

1. Based on all roles engaged on by a client on an exclusive basis from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

2. All CVs Sent from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

3. From Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

Stats

387 active opportunities

1,908 placements made across 25 sectors

262,736 companies in our CRM

"At Irving Knight, we don't just fill positions; we build lasting partnerships. Our commitment to understanding your unique needs ensures that we deliver leaders who drive success and embody your company's values. When it comes to identifying the high-performers of tomorrow, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Our bespoke approach ensures every search is personal, diverse, and tailored from the ground up — delivering an individual, unrivalled experience for both clients and candidates. "

- Joe Davey, Group CEO of Irving Knight Group

Brian Carpenter

VP Continous Improvement, US

Stewart was instrumental in helping me through this process and alleviating my concerns as I’ve been out of the workf...

Stewart Boyd

Construction Materials & Mining

Vincent Dehousse

Head of Sales & Marketing, Netherlands

Great experience working with Cian from Irving Knight—professional, responsive, and genuinely supportive. Highly reco...

Cian ODonnell

CDMO & CRO

Kerry Maye

Regional Sales Manager

Working with Joseph was a wonderfully positive experience from our first contact, through acceptance of my job offer....

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Sandeep Kulshrestha

Formulation Director, US

Oliver is very good in matching skills of the candidates with the company’s requirements. I personally got benefits o...

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Kay Witte

Global Director Performance Excellence

Joseph was instrumental in making my last professional opportunity happen. He was easy to work with, responsive, and ...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Anja Florbach

Digital & Commercial Excellence Manager

Thank you so much Joseph! You have given me a great support. It was really nice to be in contact with you and I thin...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Dipen Shah

Account Manager, Canada

I was assisted by Aiden Kerr on getting a new job in the chemical industry. He was fantastic in terms of timing, comm...

Aidan Kerr

Chemicals

Andrew Coutts

Director Global Strategy, US

First Class Service Emma shared details of a relevant opportunity and did a great job helping to manage lengthy nego...

Emma Conlin

Animal Health

Franz-Leo Nedo

Territory Sales Manager

Joseph is an expert in recruting people. He has in-depth practical knowledge and helpful by solving potential issues....

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Daniel Villanueva

Key Account Manager

Joseph is a dedicated professional and a stand up person to work with. His patience and his understanding certainly s...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Lucas Quadflieg

Sales Manager, Netherlands

Good vibes on finding a new opportunity... I was contacted by Aidan Kerr for a position of Sales Manager Benelux. Af...

Aidan Kerr

Chemicals

Andreia Sa

Director, Italy

I would like to sincerely thank Evan Ball for all the support throughout the process. He provided assistance at diffe...

Ewan Ball

Food Ingredients & Biotechnology

Veronica Hagborg

Senior Director Global HR, Sweden

I have had the opportunity to co-operate with Joseph in a process and I found him very proactive in keeping me inform...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Joerg Schlagmann

Senior Global Manager

Great expert: supportive, challenging and always empowered for his customers and his work! Not more to say: just exce...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Kyle Corrigan

Technical Account Manager

It was a pleasure working with Joseph when searching for the next chapter in my career. Proactive, energetic and prof...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Jon Steele

CFO, US

Grace taught an old dog some new tricks! I had been in my previous position for 30 years. I loved my job for most of...

Grace Smith

Electronic Components & Products

Guillermo Leal

Global Director of Pricing, US

I've worked with a few recruiters in the past but Oliver surprised me not only for his professionalism, excellent com...

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Christoph Snaga

Investment Manager, Germany

Christopher from Irving Knight handled the overall process well and we managed to get to a successful completion smoo...

Christopher Clay

Real Estate & Homebuilding

Eduardo Valle

Development Mgr, US

This opportunity fell on my lap at the perfect time and the overall process with Christopher was great. It was a very...

Christopher Clay

Real Estate & Homebuilding

Tim Mitchell

Plant Manager, US

Stewart did an amazing job representing me for a new opportunity.

Stewart Boyd

Construction Materials & Mining