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Learn more about our services, approach and the sectors we operate in.
For more information on our Mission Critical Construction services, get in touch with
Christopher Clay
Managing Director
Hundreds of 'Excellent' reviews
Helping Mission Critical Construction companies unlock their next stage of growth
Specialisms We Cover
Investment in mission critical construction continues to accelerate globally, driven by demand for resilient healthcare facilities, data centres, and advanced manufacturing environments.
Mission critical construction encompasses highly complex, high-stakes projects where reliability, uptime, and precision are non-negotiable. From hospitals and healthcare facilities to data centres and advanced manufacturing plants, these environments demand exacting standards across design, engineering, construction, and commissioning. Projects are often delivered under compressed timelines, strict regulatory oversight, and zero-tolerance for failure.We work with organisations delivering mission critical projects across healthcare, digital infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing. Our expertise spans construction management, engineering, commissioning, and operational readiness, enabling us to support clients throughout the full project lifecycle. By securing specialist and leadership talent with experience in complex, safety-critical environments, we help our clients deliver resilient facilities that perform from day one.
Mission critical construction leaves no margin for error.
Organisations in this space deliver facilities where downtime is unacceptable, from data centres to healthcare and other high-dependency assets. Success depends on rigorous planning, technical coordination, and disciplined execution, with outcomes closely tied to the capability of the people delivering the work.Strength in mission critical construction comes from proven experience in live, high-risk environments. Appointing individuals who understand sequencing, resilience, and operational handover enables projects to meet performance requirements and safeguard long-term asset reliability.
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
97% Placement Rate 11.78:1 CVs Sent to Interviews 2Avg. 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
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
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
Jane Scates
Packaging Engineer, US
Henry was a true professional, perfect attention to detail at every step of the process. Would definitely recommend!
Henry Spooner
Packaging, Paper, Recycling
Ashley Maclean
Systems Sales Engineer, South Carolina
Jack Purnell with Irving Knight was the best recruiter I’ve worked with - by far. He communicated clearly, was respec...
Jack Purnell
Material Handling & Automation
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
Michael Wilson
Senior Account Manager
Working with Joseph was a seamless and positive experience from our first contact along with the various steps of the...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Nika Kuchaidze
Senior Continuous Improvement Chemist, US
It was a pleasure working with Joseph on transitioning to a position with a new company. Communication was prompt,...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Tim Staniels
Territory Sales Manager, US
Joseph was very easy to work with. He was motivated and attentive during his recruitment process, very responsive to ...
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
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
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
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
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
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
Michel Cas
Sales Manager, France
Incredibly human oriented executive search, candidates handled with great care and respect, precise and concise infor...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Kaitlin Lammers
Account Manager
Oliver made the hiring process smooth from start to finish. He was consistently responsive, understanding, and suppor...
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
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
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
Nathan Radue
Channel Marketing Manager, US
Oliver is a thorough and effective recruiter, representing both sides with character and solid communication. He appr...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
Jeff Borchardt
Director of Planning, US
Mr. Clay was a wonderful recruiter. He was communicative and helped keep me informed through the process. He also fou...
Christopher Clay
Real Estate & Homebuilding
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
Jane Scates
Packaging Engineer, US
Henry was a true professional, perfect attention to detail at every step of the process. Would definitely recommend!
Henry Spooner
Packaging, Paper, Recycling
Ashley Maclean
Systems Sales Engineer, South Carolina
Jack Purnell with Irving Knight was the best recruiter I’ve worked with - by far. He communicated clearly, was respec...
Jack Purnell
Material Handling & Automation
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
Michael Wilson
Senior Account Manager
Working with Joseph was a seamless and positive experience from our first contact along with the various steps of the...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Nika Kuchaidze
Senior Continuous Improvement Chemist, US
It was a pleasure working with Joseph on transitioning to a position with a new company. Communication was prompt,...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Tim Staniels
Territory Sales Manager, US
Joseph was very easy to work with. He was motivated and attentive during his recruitment process, very responsive to ...
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
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
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
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
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
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
Michel Cas
Sales Manager, France
Incredibly human oriented executive search, candidates handled with great care and respect, precise and concise infor...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Kaitlin Lammers
Account Manager
Oliver made the hiring process smooth from start to finish. He was consistently responsive, understanding, and suppor...
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
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
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
Nathan Radue
Channel Marketing Manager, US
Oliver is a thorough and effective recruiter, representing both sides with character and solid communication. He appr...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
Jeff Borchardt
Director of Planning, US
Mr. Clay was a wonderful recruiter. He was communicative and helped keep me informed through the process. He also fou...
