Aaron
Controls and automation
12active searches
$118knet commission
Backed by
The fastest way
to more placements.
PRIMARY gives technical recruiters signed searches across electrical engineering, applications engineering, CNC programming, automation, and industrial operations, with help on admin, coordination, and back office work. You recruit. We handle the busy work.
Apply to join
Free to join. A network of 500+ independent recruiters and agencies. Approved already? Sign in.
Open searches
Roles open now
Electrical Engineer
Power electronics startup
Expected payout
$15K to $26K
Limited seats
Applications Engineer
Industrial automation
Expected payout
$17K to $23K
Limited seats
CNC Programmer
Precision manufacturing
Expected payout
$13K to $17K
Seats full
Signed, scoped, and fee agreed.
What a stronger desk
can look like.
Industrial salaries create serious placement fees. Signed searches and less admin give specialists room to compound.
Daniel
Plant leadership
3 / moplacements
$62kmonthly potential
Marcus
Industrial construction
20+hires
9 motime span
Elena
Energy and field service
8active clients
$96kmonthly potential
Say goodbye to
business development.
Half of running a desk is not recruiting. It is pitching clients, negotiating contracts, invoicing, and chasing payment. On PRIMARY, that half is gone. Every role you work is already signed, scoped, and committed before you see it. Searches come from industrial employers across every region in the United States.
Signed searches, day one
No pitching, no contracting, no ghost roles. Fee agreed, pay band verified, decision maker named before a role goes live.
Feedback in 48 hours
Clients commit to responding to submissions within two business days. Your candidates stay warm and your time stays respected.
Limited seats per role
Each role goes to a small group of matched specialists. You know the brief, the client commitment, and what you own before you start.
Fast, protected payouts
Staged payouts as your placement hits 30, 60, and 90 days. Money you have earned is never clawed back.
You recruit.
Agents handle the busy work.
Custom AI agents help with submission prep, follow-ups, scorecards, and coordination around each search.
01
Get matched to roles in your lane
We route roles to the recruiters whose track record fits. Your specialty, your region, your level. Take a seat on the searches where you can win.
02
Submit with less admin
Agents draft outreach, prepare submissions, update scorecards, and keep follow-ups moving. You decide who to recruit and stay in control of every candidate relationship.
03
Track it and get paid
A transparent pipeline from submission to offer. From client comms to feedback and payments, we manage the manual work so you stay focused on recruiting.
Open searches
with expected payouts.
Signed industrial searches with clear economics and limited seats.
01 / 05
Open search
Electrical Engineer
$15K to $26K
Expected payout
Open search
Firmware Engineer
$15K to $26K
Expected payout
Open search
Applications Engineer
$17K to $23K
Expected payout
Open search
CNC Programmer
$13K to $17K
Expected payout
Open search
Director of Operations
$30K to $36K
Expected payout
Your recruiting desk
with less admin.
Agents organize role requirements, prepare submissions, track feedback, and keep searches moving. You choose the candidates and keep control of your relationships.
Matched role
Controls Engineer · Northeast Ohio · $120–140K
✓
Allen-Bradley PLC experience8 years across automotive and metals
Verified
✓
Commute and shift aligned28 miles from site · open to first shift
Confirmed
✓
Compensation alignedTargeting $132K base
In range
✓
Submission preparedResume parsed, notes drafted, scorecard complete
Ready
Agent workflow
One search, less coordination
For candidates you choose to submit, agents help parse resumes, score role fit, draft outreach, and keep the workflow current.
Resume parsingMatch scoringOutreach drafts
Back office
The busy work stays moving
Submission tracking, interview scheduling, client feedback, invoicing, and staged payouts live in one operating loop.
PipelineCalendarScorecardsPayouts
Three ways to build
on the network.
Independent recruiters, solo agencies, and recruiting firms can all work signed industrial searches through PRIMARY.
Independent recruiter
Run your own desk
Bring the relationships and recruiting judgment. We bring signed industrial clients, software, coordination, contracts, and collections.
Best for: solo specialists with a track record in plant leadership, engineering, construction, energy, or technical sales.
Apply to join →
Solo agency
Scale a one-to-three person firm
Add qualified searches without adding a business development hire. Keep your brand and client book while using the network as another revenue engine.
Best for: focused agencies ready for more role flow, more sourcing leverage, and less operational drag.
Apply to join →
Recruiting firm
Put a team behind the searches
Route signed roles to the right specialists across your firm, standardize submissions, and track every candidate, interview, and payout in one place.
Best for: established industrial recruiting firms with four or more producers and repeatable niche coverage.
Apply to join →
Frequently asked questions
What does it cost to join?
Nothing. There is no membership fee and the toolkit is included. Each search shows the expected payout before you decide to work it.
How do payouts work?
The expected payout is shown before you work a search. Your actual payout is confirmed when the placement is made, then paid in stages as the hire completes 30, 60, and 90 days.
What kinds of roles will I work?
Technical and leadership roles across manufacturing, automation, energy, and industrial services. Think electrical engineers, applications engineers, firmware engineers, CNC programmers, controls engineers, plant leaders, and field service. No high-volume hourly staffing.
How many recruiters work each role?
Every role has limited seats, assigned by specialty, region, and track record. You get a defined brief and clear ownership, without racing an open marketplace.
What protects my candidates and my work?
Candidate consent is required on every submission, and the timestamped record protects your claim to the candidate and company pairing. Duplicate disputes are settled by that record, not by whoever shouts loudest.
How do I get in?
Complete the short application. We review every profile and email you if your lane fits the network. Approval unlocks your recruiter sign in.