Startup & Scaleup Recruitment
Specialist recruitment for growing retail, ecommerce and consumer brands
Building a business is one thing. Building the right team to help it grow is another.
Whether you’re an ambitious startup making your first key hires or an established brand preparing for your next stage of growth, having the right people around you makes a real difference.
As businesses grow, so do their recruitment needs. What starts with one or two important appointments can quickly develop into building entire departments, strengthening leadership teams and bringing in specialist skills.
At Zachary Daniels, we work with growing retail, ecommerce and consumer brands, helping them find the people they need at every stage of their journey.
From Buying, Merchandising and Product Development to Marketing, Ecommerce, Finance, Operations, Technology and Executive Leadership, our specialist recruitment teams understand the challenges that come with building a growing business.
And because we recruit across so many different functions, you don’t need to find a new recruitment partner every time your business needs something different.
Talk to our team about your growth plans
Recruitment that grows with your business
Recruiting for a growing business isn’t always straightforward.
Priorities change, new opportunities emerge and the people you need today may be very different from those you’ll need in twelve months.
You might be a founder looking to make your first senior appointment. An ecommerce brand building its product and marketing teams. Or a successful consumer business looking to introduce more structure as you scale.
We understand that growing businesses often need people who can do more than simply perform a job.
They need people who are comfortable with change, willing to get involved and capable of helping build something.
Someone who has spent their career in a large, established business might have excellent experience, but that doesn’t automatically make them the right fit for a fast-growing brand.
That’s why we take the time to understand your business, where you’re heading and what you really need from the people joining your team.
How we support startups and scaleups
Every business grows differently, and recruitment needs to reflect that.
Startups and early-stage businesses
When you’re building a business, every appointment matters.
You might be making your first senior hire, bringing in specialist expertise or recruiting someone who can take ownership of a function that’s previously been managed by the founder.
We help growing businesses identify people who can bring experience, introduce new ideas and make a genuine contribution.
That might be a Head of Ecommerce, a Product Developer, a Finance Manager or a senior commercial leader who can help shape the next stage of growth.
We understand the importance of finding people who are happy to be hands-on and who can adapt as the business develops.
Scaling ecommerce and direct-to-consumer brands
As an online brand grows, the demands on its team often increase.
More customers, wider product ranges, additional sales channels and greater operational complexity can all create new recruitment requirements.
We support ecommerce and direct-to-consumer (DTC) businesses recruiting across digital marketing, performance marketing, CRM, ecommerce, product, buying, merchandising, customer experience and operations.
Whether you’re strengthening an existing team or building a new department, our specialists can help you find people with relevant experience across retail and consumer markets.
Building head office teams
As businesses move beyond their early stages, they often need to develop more established head office functions.
That might mean introducing a dedicated HR team, strengthening financial management, developing a buying and merchandising structure or appointing experienced operations leaders.
Our specialist teams work across these functions every day.
We can support individual appointments or help you build several teams as your business develops.
Senior leadership and executive recruitment
There often comes a point in a growing business when the founder or existing leadership team needs additional support.
Appointing a Finance Director, Operations Director, Commercial Director or Chief People Officer can be an important step.
But the right person needs more than a strong CV.
They need to understand the stage your business is at, the challenges you’re facing and the culture you’ve worked hard to build.
Our Executive Search specialists help businesses identify experienced leaders who can bring the right balance of strategic thinking and practical delivery.
Moving from online into physical retail
For successful ecommerce brands, opening a first store, showroom or flagship location can be an exciting next step.
It also brings a different set of recruitment challenges.
Our Retail Operations specialists help brands recruit Store Managers, Area Managers, retail leadership teams and wider store colleagues.
We can support a first store opening or a wider programme of retail expansion, alongside the head office appointments needed to support that growth.
The roles we recruit for growing businesses
One of the advantages of working with Zachary Daniels is the breadth of our specialist recruitment teams.
As your business grows, we can support recruitment across:
Buying, Merchandising & Product
Buying, Merchandising, Planning, Product Development, Design and Wholesale.
Buying & Merchandising
Product, Design, Technical & Wholesale
Marketing, Ecommerce & Digital
Marketing, Ecommerce, CRM, Digital, Brand and Customer Experience.
Marketing & Brand
Digital & Ecommerce
HR, People & Talent
HR, Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, Reward and People Leadership.
Finance & Accountancy
Financial Accounting, Commercial Finance, Financial Control and senior finance appointments.
Technology
Technology, Data, Software Engineering, IT Leadership and Digital Transformation.
Supply Chain & Logistics
Supply Chain, Procurement, Logistics, Distribution and Operations.
Executive Search
Senior leadership, functional directors and executive appointments through ZD Search.
Why recruitment for a growing business is different
Finding people who suit your stage of growth
Someone who thrives in a well-established corporate environment may not enjoy the pace, ambiguity and changing priorities of a growing business.
Equally, someone who’s been successful in a startup may need different skills as a business becomes larger and more structured.
We look at what candidates have achieved, the environments they’ve worked in and what motivates them.
Knowing when to bring in specialist expertise
In the early stages, it’s common for founders and small teams to manage several functions themselves.
As the business develops, there comes a point when bringing in specialist experience can make a real difference.
We can help you understand the talent available, what different roles typically involve and the experience that may be most valuable for your next appointment.
Protecting your culture as you grow
The culture that helped your business succeed in the early days is worth protecting.
Bringing new people into a growing team can change how a business operates, particularly when you’re introducing senior leaders or building departments for the first time.
We take the time to understand how your team works, what matters to your business and the qualities you value in your people.
Recruiting across several functions
Growth rarely happens in just one department.
A new product launch might create requirements across Buying, Design, Marketing, Ecommerce and Supply Chain.
Opening a physical store might mean appointing Retail Operations leaders alongside HR, Finance and Property specialists.
Rather than approaching every vacancy separately, we can look at your wider plans and bring together the right recruitment specialists.
Our experience supporting growing brands
We’ve worked with ambitious retail and consumer businesses as they’ve developed from smaller teams into larger organisations with more established functions and leadership structures.
Here are two examples of how we’ve supported that growth.
Case Study: Supporting a growing sportswear brand
83 placements across multiple business functions
A growing UK sportswear brand initially partnered with Zachary Daniels to recruit a handful of specialist positions.
As the business expanded, its recruitment needs developed across product, buying, merchandising, marketing, ecommerce, finance, operations and retail.
Since 2022, we’ve supported the business with 83 appointments, from junior and specialist positions through to senior leadership.
These have included a Finance Director, Head of Product, Designers, Garment Technologists, Merchandisers, Marketing Managers, Technology specialists and Store Managers.
What started as support for a few vacancies has developed into a long-standing recruitment partnership.
As the brand has grown, we’ve been able to bring in specialists from across ZD to support new roles and departments.
Case Study: Helping a fast-growing beauty brand build its team
26 placements across leadership, ecommerce, buying and operations
A fast-growing UK beauty brand approached Zachary Daniels as its recruitment requirements increased across several departments.
The business already had internal recruitment support, but some of its senior and specialist appointments were proving more challenging.
Since the beginning of 2026, we’ve supported the business with 26 placements across leadership, buying, merchandising, ecommerce, marketing, finance, retail and operations.
Appointments have included an Operations Director, Buyers, Merchandisers, Ecommerce leaders, Social Media and Influencer Marketing specialists, and Finance professionals.
By working closely with the leadership and internal recruitment teams, we’ve been able to support different hiring priorities as they’ve emerged.
For the client, that means having access to several specialist recruitment teams through one established relationship.
Our approach to recruitment for growing businesses
We don’t believe there’s one recruitment approach that works for every startup or scaleup.
Some businesses need help with one important appointment. Others need ongoing support as they build several teams.
We start by understanding what you’re trying to achieve.
1. Get to know your business
We want to understand your brand, your customers, your culture and your growth plans.
What’s working well? Where are the gaps? What do you need the next person to bring to the business?
2. Understand your recruitment priorities
Not every vacancy needs to be filled at once.
We work with you to understand which appointments are most important and what skills and experience you need.
3. Find the right people
Our consultants recruit within their own specialist markets, using their networks, industry knowledge and proactive search to identify relevant candidates.
4. Keep things moving
We help manage interviews, feedback, candidate communication and offers, keeping you informed throughout the process.
5. Stay alongside you as you grow
As your business develops, your recruitment needs may change.
We want to build relationships that last, so when you’re ready to make your next appointment, you already have a team that understands your business.
Get in touch with us about your hiring plans
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Zachary Daniels help startups recruit their first employees?
Yes. We support growing retail, ecommerce and consumer businesses with specialist and leadership recruitment, including businesses making their first key appointments.
We can help you understand the experience needed for a role and identify candidates suited to the stage your business is at.
Do you work with founder-led businesses?
Yes. We work with growing businesses where founders are still closely involved in recruitment and business decisions.
We understand how important it is to find people who share your ambition, work well within your culture and can contribute as the business develops.
Can you help a scaleup build an entire team?
Yes. Our specialist recruitment teams can support multiple appointments across different departments, including Buying, Merchandising, Marketing, Ecommerce, Finance, HR, Operations, Technology and senior leadership.
Do you recruit for ecommerce and DTC brands?
Yes. We support ecommerce, direct-to-consumer and omnichannel retail brands across specialist, management and leadership roles.
Can you help us recruit senior leaders as we grow?
Yes. Our Executive Search and specialist recruitment teams support senior management, director-level and executive appointments, including Finance Directors, Operations Directors, Commercial Directors and People leaders.
What if we already have an internal recruitment team?
We regularly work alongside internal recruitment and talent acquisition teams.
We can provide additional support with specialist appointments, difficult-to-fill positions, senior leadership roles or recruitment projects that require extra capacity.
Can you support our recruitment as we expand into new markets or open stores?
Yes. We support retail and consumer businesses recruiting across the UK and internationally, including ecommerce brands opening their first physical stores and established retailers expanding their store estates.
What types of businesses do you work with?
We recruit across fashion, footwear, sportswear, beauty, cosmetics, health and wellness, home, lifestyle, FMCG and wider retail and consumer markets.
Growing your business? Let’s talk.
Whether you’re making your first senior appointment, building a new department or planning your next stage of expansion, we’d love to hear what you’re working towards.
Tell us a little about your business, your plans and the people you’re looking to recruit.
We’ll connect you with the right specialists at Zachary Daniels and have a conversation about how we can help.
Talk to us about your recruitment plans
Looking to join a growing brand?
We also work with talented people who enjoy the challenge of building something, making an impact and helping ambitious businesses grow.
If you’re interested in opportunities with growing retail, ecommerce and consumer brands, take a look at our latest roles.
Looking to recruit? Get in touch with your local office below...
London Office (South East)
16 Great Chapel St, London, W1F 8FL
Birmingham Office (Midlands)
Spaces Lewis Building, Bull Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B4 6AF
Warrington Office (North West)
Riverside Court, Chester Road, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 6AR
Glasgow Office (Scotland)
204-206 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4HW
Belfast Office (NI & ROI)
Forsyth House, Cromac Street, Belfast, BT2 8LA
We take pride in understanding your business needs through industry knowledge. Whether you need professionals in fashion retail, e-commerce, or traditional store management, our tailored approach ensures that we find the right candidates for your needs.
