Industrial Recruitment Agency Belgium

Archetype recruits technical salespeople (Sales Engineers), Key Account Managers and sales or general managers for industrial companies in Belgium. Our core business is sales, marketing and management profiles, which account for over 90% of our assignments. Assignments run in French, Dutch or English, on a retainer, in 12 weeks on average, with a 6-month replacement guarantee. The firm was founded in 1993.

A technical sales engineer and a production manager talking in a Belgian machine hall — VDAB lists the Sales engineer among its 227 shortage occupations in Flanders for 2026.

Technical recruitment: yes for sales, no for production

Many managers look for a technical recruitment agency. Our field is the roles that sell, manage accounts and lead. The Sales Engineer who sells a production line: yes. The engineer who runs it in your plant: no.

Decision grid

Which industrial roles we recruit

Role	What it does	Archetype?	KOAN competencies we check first
Sales Engineer	Turns a technical need into a priced offer and follows the project to the order	Yes	Customer Orientation, Methods, Perseverance
Key Account Manager	Holds major accounts and framework contracts, negotiates with procurement	Yes	Influencing Strategies, Communicating and Networking
Sales Director, Sales Manager	Sets market priorities, leads the team and the distributor network	Yes	Example to Others, Results-Orientated Approach
Country Manager, Managing Director	Owns the P&L of the Belgian subsidiary	Yes	Commitment to Organization, Positive Attitude
Production engineer, technician, operator	Runs the plant	No	Outside our scope

Competencies from the KOAN Sales model.

Why technical salespeople are scarce in Belgium

Both regional employment services list this profile. In Wallonia, Le Forem lists the technical sales representative among its 2026 shortage occupations, describes the level of tension as low, and notes that at least a third of people in the job are over 50. In Flanders, VDAB includes the Sales engineer in its 227 shortage occupations for 2026. Many good profiles are already employed and do not read job ads.

Selling in industry: what the candidate must already know

An equipment order goes through the design office, production, procurement and often a head office abroad. The salesperson reads a specification, knows when to bring in your technical support, prices without giving margin away and follows up for months, in more than one language. If you sell electronic components or equipment, see also our page on electronics recruitment.

Profiles we recruit for industrial companies

Sales Engineers and field technical sales, see technical sales recruitment
Key Account Managers, see Key Account Manager recruitment
Sales Directors, Sales Managers, Country Managers and Managing Directors
B2B Marketing Managers and Product Managers

For an existing sales team we also run competency assessments, including gap assessments of 3 to 10 people in French, Dutch or English.

An assessment that ends with a PDF report has no value. Ours rests on three moments: the deep-dive interview, competency analysis on real cases and role-plays, and the KOAN personality test. And above all, the debrief: spoken, structured, actionable. What you walk away with is a clear read on competencies, drivers, and gaps versus the target profile. Not a score. A decision.
The Archetype method, since 1993

Method, timing and fees

Our first call challenges the brief: role, scorecard, salary range. Proposal within 48 to 72 hours, then five steps: briefing, sourcing strategy, structured screening, detailed candidate presentation with scorecard and KOAN test, follow-up before, during and after the hire. Fees are set before the assignment starts, in a written proposal, on a retainer basis: never a success fee. 6-month replacement guarantee.

Example: a French industrial equipment maker

We are working with a French industrial equipment manufacturer on a transformation project covering 120 people, still under way. Such projects follow a typical path: assess, train the board, management and sales staff, and recruit the missing profiles.

About Archetype

Archetype is a Belgian family business founded in 1993 by Marc Diamant and now co-managed with Davy Diamant and Steve Diamant. A member of Federgon, it won Talent Business Innovation of the Year 2025 for its ethical and structured use of AI.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to recruit an industrial salesperson?

Fees are set before the assignment starts, in a written proposal, on a retainer basis: never a success fee. 6-month replacement guarantee.

How long does it take to hire a Sales Engineer?

12 weeks on average, from signing the assignment to the candidate signing.

Do you also recruit production engineers or technicians?

No, only sales, marketing and leadership roles. For production engineers or technicians, contact an engineering recruitment specialist, a temporary staffing agency, Le Forem, VDAB or Actiris.

Which languages do you work in?

French, Dutch and English, across Flanders, Brussels, Wallonia and the Netherlands.

Is a Sales Engineer the same as a technical sales representative?

Usually yes: the title varies by company, the job is to turn a client’s technical need into an order. We define the level of technical depth and the length of the sales cycle in the scorecard at briefing.

Looking for a Sales Engineer, a Key Account Manager or a Sales Director for your industrial business? Written proposal within 48 to 72 hours of a first call.

Main page: Sector expertise built since 1993

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