About Us

Archer Mac specialises in executive search across government, the public sector and not-for-profit organisations. We understand the complexities of public sector recruitment - from governance and compliance to diversity and candidate experience.

Drawing on first-hand government experience, we build long-term talent pipelines that strengthen organisations and reflect the communities they serve. Trusted for our integrity, expertise and collaborative approach, we connect purpose-driven people with organisations making a lasting impact.

Meet the Team

Stephanie Robinson

Stephanie brings senior experience in government and public sector recruitment, having worked inside the Civil Service before moving into agency recruitment and founding Archer Mac in 2025.

Stephanie began her career at the Department of Health and Social Care, before moving to the Cabinet Office where she was part of the talent team for the Government Commercial Function specialising in procurement and contract management recruitment. She then joined the Executive Recruitment team where she managed Director (SCS2) level campaigns for departments including BEIS, Defra, CPS and MHRA. Following her civil servant career, she moved into agency recruitment, specialising in senior finance and c-suite appointments across central government, local government and the NHS, with a strong focus on equality, diversity and inclusion.

Identifying a gap in the market for honest, inclusive recruitment that delivers genuine value for money, Stephanie founded Archer Mac. She combines first-hand experience of how government recruitment actually works with a clear commitment to fair, transparent and cost-effective service, shaping the way Archer Mac works with both clients and candidates.

Image of Stephanie.

Adam Davidson

Adam brings over a decade of experience in government and public sector recruitment, having led senior campaigns and built recruitment functions from the inside.

At the Cabinet Office, Adam managed Director and Deputy Director level (SCS) campaigns for departments including the MOD, DHSC, DfT and DWP, before leading a transformation project that more than significantly increased the service's delivery capacity. He went to lead the recruitment function at a national charity as Head of Talent Acquisition, cutting time-to-hire, introducing data-led decision making and strengthening inclusive recruitment practices for disabled, care-experienced and ex-offender candidates. Before joining Archer Mac, Adam worked in agency recruitment, with a focus on executive search within the public sector.

He combines hands-on search experience with a deep understanding of how government recruitment actually works, from procurement and frameworks through to candidate care and assessment.

Adam also volunteers with Radical Recruit, supporting disadvantaged jobseekers through CV and interview workshops.

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Testimonials

  • “We had been trying to fill a specialist PFI role for well over a year without success. The PFI market is challenging and candidates with technical credibility in this area are scarce. Finding the blend of technical depth, seniority, and understanding of public sector priorities had proven genuinely difficult, and we were beginning to question whether the right person was out there at all.

    When we engaged Archer Mac, they took the time to properly understand the technical requirements and the context around it: how PFI exit expertise would be applied within DfE's, the challenges our team faced, and what the right candidate would need beyond the job description. They were honest about the market, set realistic expectations.

    The quality of their search was evident in the results. They presented us with a broad range of talent from across the public and private sectors, their insight and expertise helped guide us through a shortlisting decision which identified a diverse group of highly credible candidates, and we emerged with multiple genuinely appointable candidates after interview, giving our panel a real choice at the final stage. We would not hesitate to recommend Archer Mac to any organisation facing a difficult or specialist recruitment challenge.”

    Niala Anderson, Head of Finance and Governance, Department for Education

  • “Stephanie, I just wanted to record how brilliant you have been throughout this whole campaign! You have been so supportive, encouraging and thoughtful, ensuring that I am kept informed at regular intervals – and ensuring that I know what is going on and what to expect. You have been so kind and considerate and your use of Whatsapp and email and every other method to keep me in the picture was just so appreciated when I was in South America and not quite knowing what time it was! Indeed you managing the 5-6 hours’ time difference was a huge help to me. It really was the care you gave me that meant so much, as well as ensuring I knew what to expect and to do - during things like the fireside chats, Staff Engagement Exercise and the interview itself. Your message to me over Easter enabled me to relax and enjoy my trip to Arran, especially appreciated when I knew you too were away in Ireland with your children for the Easter break. I am so grateful for all you have done; I couldn’t have possibly succeeded in securing the role without your help – right from the outset when we discussed how I should best approach the Suitability Statement! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.“

    Melinda Johnson, Chief Operating Officer, OFGEM

  • “Steph is incredibly professional and collaborative in her approach to executive search for the Government Finance Function. She is knowledgeable of Civil Service recruitment processes and builds credibility with senior stakeholders effectively. She understands the intricate processes of the civil service and has successfully appointed some of our most impressive hires.”

    Ria Bush, Senior HRBP, Government Finance Function

  • “I was privileged to meet Ms Robinson while looking for a senior position in the UK. She provided invaluable advice on my resume and assisted me during the recruitment process. Her help and advice have been tremendous and helped me to focus on the critical element of the job interview, which was successful. I want to express my deep gratitude to Ms Robinson for her guidance and assistance during the process. Her professionalism and proactive attitude contributed to the success of my interview.”

    Andrea Manfrin, Deputy Director of Clinical Investigations and Trials, MHRA

  • "Since receiving the opportunity to interview with the NAO, I received a recruiter who was truly in my corner to help me obtain this great opportunity. I found Stephanie to be: incredibly patient with answering my many questions (many 2 min phone calls would go 20 but you wouldn’t have known with Steph's understanding), great motivator in managing nerves for the recruitment process which was very challenging and great at reflecting post the process when I was being overly critical of myself. Receiving the news from her that I got an offer from the NAO was a highlight of the year (even my career) and I have to credit her massively for making this moment. Even now after receiving and accepting the offer after more than 5 months, she even made the effort to check in (whilst away on a much-needed break) which was really appreciated. I would highly recommend Stephanie to be their recruiter in getting the role of their interest. Thanks again Steph." ‍ ‍

    Ashwin Rajakumar, Senior Auditor, NAO

  • “As a successful candidate working with Stephanie, I found her great support from the initial application discussions through to starting the role and all points in between! She was enthusiastic, insightful and well-informed about her client and the job role, and she is friendly, professional, encouraging and generous with her time. She ensured I was well prepared for the process. She is clearly someone with a lot of passion for her industry and the public sector!”


    Andrew Reeve, Strategic Finance Lead, Richmond and Wandsworth Councils

  • “Steph was fantastic to work with for a large and complex recruitment campaign across two separate financial reporting teams at Treasury. Her knowledge of Civil Service processes and professional approach was a huge factor in helping us attract a range of excellent candidates in roles that were historically difficult to recruit to. In particular, Steph struck a really impressive balance between the needs of the organisation and those of the candidates, from whom she received some excellent feedback. I’d have no hesitation of working with Steph again.”

    Matt Rowe, Head of Whole Government Accounts, HM Treasury

  • “Steph led us through the recruitment process with ease, from an initial discussion all the way to offer. Steph offered advice and did a brilliant job of the candidate pack, seeking out suitable candidates, shortlisting and arranging interview schedules. It was Steph’s knowledge and advice that I valued the most through the process and will be asking her to help us with future recruitment.”     

    Sarah Forster, Finance Director, Sport England 

  • “Steph did a great job leading our recruitment campaign for a number of senior finance roles within a newly formed team. I was impressed with how she thought outside the box to give us a selection of good candidates from a range of different sectors, and her recommendations and appraisals showed a strong understanding of a complex brief. She was a great communicator throughout and a pleasure to work with.”

    James Deane, Director of Business, Finance and Property, House of Commons