- +44 203 397 4565
- Send Job
- Send CV
Scaling senior JavaScript engineers post-acquisition for Vesselman
I worked with Josh on a recent contract and he was excellent throughout. He’s diligent, responsive, and properly on top of things, which honestly makes a big difference. What stood out to me was that I never really had to chase him for long, and whenever there were issues with systems or process, he jumped on them quickly and got things moving. He was clear in communication, easy to deal with, and generally made the whole process feel much smoother than it usually does. He’s genuinely one of the best recruiters I’ve worked with, and I’d happily recommend him to other contractors.
Software Engineer | Vesselman
The Client
VesselMan is a SaaS business founded in Oslo in 2015, focused on project management for large-scale maritime dry-docking and vessel maintenance. The platform supports ship owners and operators running time-critical inspection and repair programmes, where delays cost serious money.
In 2023, VesselMan was acquired by Marcura, a global maritime software group. The business stayed small and product-led, with a team of around 22 people based primarily in Oslo, while gaining access to group funding and shared resources. Post-acquisition, the focus shifted to modernising a legacy platform and delivering new features at speed.
The Challenge
VesselMan needed to hire senior JavaScript engineers quickly as it transitioned to a modern JavaScript and Next.js stack. Marcura contacted Consortia as a trusted recruitment partner, having successfully delivered multiple hires across the group previously.
Two senior hires were requested, one full-stack engineer and one mobile-focused, but early conversations showed the roles were not clearly defined, and the technology shift was still underway.
Hiring was open across Oslo, the UK, and Southern Europe. This added pressure around salary alignment, notice periods, and confidence in remote working. The market for senior JavaScript engineers was tight, competition was high, and the interview process was demanding, with a backend-heavy technical assessment and multiple stakeholders across Marcura and its sister companies.
The roles were visible at group level and delays would slow delivery during a sensitive post-acquisition phase.
The Result
Consortia supported the business with contract and permanent engineering recruitment by working closely with VesselMan and Marcura to strip the roles back to what actually mattered. The team clarified expectations, separated the two positions properly, and adjusted screening to reflect the real backend requirements.
To keep delivery moving, Consortia recommended and delivered an interim solution within days. A contract full-stack JavaScript developer was sourced, vetted, and embedded while permanent hiring continued.
Alongside this, Consortia ran a focused multi-market search, prioritised passive candidates, and managed coordination across product, engineering, and group stakeholders. By refining pre-screening around Next.js backend capability, late-stage drop-off was reduced and interview quality improved.
Consortia successfully delivered three key placements:
- Contract Full-Stack JavaScript Developer
- Permanent Senior Full-Stack JavaScript / Next.js Engineer
- Permanent Mobile-focused React Native Engineer
The contractor stayed on long-term due to strong delivery and fit. Together, these hires added over 10 percent to the team and supported VesselMan through a critical transition away from legacy systems. Feedback highlighted technical strength, trust in remote working, and the ability to operate autonomously inside a growing product business.