Will is a recruitment consultant specializing in the North Carolina region, where he partners with food & beverage manufacturers, as well as plastics manufacturing and packaging companies. He works with businesses of all sizes, from growing startups to internationally established organizations.
Will supports clients across key areas such as maintenance, production, automation, and skilled operations staffing. With a deep understanding of the local talent market, he provides actionable insights to help clients streamline hiring, set realistic expectations, and secure long-term talent that strengthens their operations.
James joined ACE Partners four years ago and has since developed extensive networks across key manufacturing sectors, including Life Sciences, Food & Beverage, Plastics, and Chemical manufacturing. Now heading ACE’s Manufacturing division, he leads a dedicated team of consultants focused on sourcing maintenance talent—from hands-on technicians to senior leadership roles.
James has played a critical role in helping clients build full maintenance teams across multi-shift operations, as well as securing high-impact maintenance leaders. Known for working quickly and with a strong sense of urgency, he brings deep industry insight and a strong track record of delivering results in complex, fast-paced environments.
Connor is a principal consultant within Maryland’s Food & Beverage manufacturing sector, specializing in maintenance and engineering roles while also supporting production and operations positions at all levels.
With deep industry knowledge and a thoughtful, solutions-driven approach, he connects skilled professionals with businesses looking to strengthen efficiency, reliability, and overall operational performance. Known for his personalised style and integrity-led work, Connor helps employers build high-performing teams and supports candidates in securing roles that align with their skills, ambitions, and long-term career goals.
Olly joined ACE Partners in 2025 and has since developed extensive networks with industries across Georgia, focusing on food & beverage manufacturing facilities across major cities in the state. He has played a critical role in supporting clients with hard-to-fill positions they couldn’t source internally from entry-level technicians to leadership roles.
Olly prides himself on his speed and urgency to fill his clients vacancies as he understands the impacts these have on production output for the client, and has a proven track record of delivering results in a fast-paced environment.
Max is a specialist senior consultant focused on the Ohio market, with a niche in connecting high-caliber talent to leading employers across Quality, Engineering, and Maintenance within the U.S. manufacturing sector.
He brings a deep understanding of the regional talent landscape and provides clients with valuable insights on market trends, talent movement, and competitive hiring strategies. Max is highly effective at identifying client needs, navigating demanding expectations, and delivering long-term, operations-strengthening hires.
He has a strong track record of rapid and strategic placements, achieving time-to-hire as fast as five working days for senior-level roles, and has successfully built full teams from the ground up, including a complete Product & Process Engineering department for a leading global manufacturing organization.
Dom joined ACE Partners in 2023 and has since developed extensive networks across key manufacturing sectors, including household products, plastics, packaging, and industrial manufacturing.
He has played a critical role in helping clients build complete maintenance and tool room teams across multi-shift operations - from entry-level technicians to leadership roles. Known for his speed, responsiveness, and strong sense of urgency, Dom brings deep industry insight and a proven track record of delivering results in complex, fast-paced environments.
Armin is a dedicated recruitment consultant specializing in the Michigan market, partnering with high-growth industries including aerospace organizations generating billions in revenue per year and planning to hire over 850 new employees in the coming year.
With deep expertise across maintenance, engineering, field service, production, and automation, Armin brings a strong understanding of both local and national talent markets at a micro and macro level. Known for his 24/7 availability and extremely fast service without compromising quality, he operates as a true extension of his clients’ teams - helping streamline hiring processes, set clear expectations, and secure long-term talent that drives operational performance and sustainable growth.
With over 3 years of recruitment experience, Nathan joined ACE Partners to lead and expand the U.S. Logistics & Supply Chain division. He specializes in sales, operations, and commercial placements for international freight forwarders - from agile mid-sized firms to Top 20 Global Forwarders.
Nathan has built an extensive network of high-performing professionals and trusted client relationships across the East Coast. His consultative approach and deep industry insight have resulted in key hires that drive sales growth, operational excellence, and long-term success.
With over 4 years of recruitment experience, Joe joined ACE Partners to create the Advanced Engineering division for the US. He specializes in, but not limited to, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering across Aerospace, Space and Defense sectors, from start-ups, to larger OEMs .
With a deep network of exceptional engineers and trusted clients across the U.S., Joe has become a go-to partner for high-impact technical hiring—particularly on the West Coast. His consultative style and industry insight consistently deliver the kind of hires that elevate performance and build long-term success.
Danielle Lea joined ACE Partners in 2022 and quickly built deep networks across the medical device industry. She began with technical and engineering searches before pivoting into commercial placements. Over the past year and a half, her projects have primarily been within the Executive Search space, either building the leadership teams for medtech startups, or partnering with companies looking to transform their executive team, after new investment or leadership.
Danielle oversees a team of six, delivering executive and commercial searches throughout the US; while also helping non-US companies secure their first “boots on the ground” hires in America. Known for her relationship first approach, she excels in mapping emerging markets, nurturing long term connections, and translating complex needs into decisive, growth-driving hires.
Tom Hatfield is a recruiter specializing in the medical device industry, leading the U.S. Technical Leadership Practice at ACE Partners. With five years of experience, Tom supports both executive and functional-level searches for U.S. companies and international firms seeking FDA approval and U.S. market entry.
He began his career in EMEA, partnering with early-stage device companies across R&D and product development before expanding into the U.S. market. Known for a consistent 3:1 CV-to-placement ratio, Tom combines deep technical understanding with strategic insight to help clients identify leaders who drive innovation, compliance, and scalable growth from concept through commercialization.
Paige is the Associate Director of Performance at ACE Partners, where she is responsible for the strategy behind consultant performance, revenue growth, and sales execution. A former recruiter herself, she brings first-hand experience of the challenges and opportunities within the role, which she now uses to enhance commercial capability, improve conversion, and embed sales processes that drive predictable results.
With a strong focus on improving deal quality, pipeline management, and developing people, Paige plays a key role in increasing outputs, building high-performing consultants, and shaping the next generation of leaders at ACE Partners.
Josh joined ACE Partners at the end of 2025 and brings a strong background in fast-paced contract recruitment environments working closely with senior stakeholders, executive and C-suite level clients, to deliver critical hiring solutions.
Since joining ACE Partners, Josh has quickly made an impact by leveraging his recruitment expertise and relationship-driven approach. Josh thrives in high-pressure environments and understands the importance of speed, clear communication, and quality delivery when supporting clients with business-critical vacancies.
Josh now specializes in placing Maintenance professionals into Industrial Food & Beverage Manufacturing facilities across Indiana.
ACE Partners
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Nathan Blake has over 14 years' experience in recruiting within the Aerospace and Defence Industry. He heads up the Aerospace and Defence team specialising in recruiting Quality & Manufacturing Engineering staff from CNC Machinists/Programmers, Manufacturing/Quality Engineers and Managers to C-suite level.
He started his career building long standing relationships in the UK and has brought that experience into building new and trusted relationships in USA, with his primary focus in California. Nathan has partnered with a variety of machining business' which manufacture intricate, complex aero engine parts to larger components that support airframes for Aviation, Military and Space aircrafts.
Known for his highly consistent 1.6/1 CV to Interview ratio, Nathan strives to fully understand a business' requirements in order to be as accurate as possible in sourcing the talent they require. His goal is to consistently build & grow trusting and successful relationships with clients and candidates so he can continue to deliver a premium service.
Your partner for
transformative teams
ACE Partners is a recruitment firm dedicated to sourcing top talent for the US Manufacturing & MedTech sectors.
About UsOur Specialisms
Manufacturing
ACE Partners is a direct-hire recruitment firm specializing in placing Maintenance, Engineering, and Automation professionals across US manufacturing sectors - including food production, chemicals, consumer goods, industrial manufacturing, semiconductors, and more.
MedTech
ACE Partners is a direct-hire recruitment firm specializing in MedTech start-ups, scale-ups and turnarounds; hiring both executive leaders and the functional roles beneath them that make the difference.
We partner with Executive teams through clinical milestones, FDA clearance, and commercial scale, delivering the leadership that turns breakthrough science into market leading enterprises.
Recruiting across the US
Discover the reach of our staffing and recruitment success. Explore the regions where we’ve made impactful placements, connecting talent with leading manufacturing and medtech organizations across the US.
Armin was great to work with! He was attentive to what our company was looking for, and readily available. I would trust him with future hiring needs.
Armin and his team have been able to find and connect me with several qualified candidates for difficult to fill technical roles within our industry.
Armin is highly responsive and involved in the hiring process. I've worked with a lot of vendors to fill skilled trades roles and have been impressed with Armin and his team!
For anyone considering changing careers or employers and wanting assistance in navigating through the process I highly recommend Armin.
Armin recently worked with me as I started looking for a new opportunity. He was very helpful and professional in helping place me with my now current employer. Armin is a great communicator and a professional in the recruiting career field.
Working with Dominik was a pleasure, he met my needs and made the process seamless!
It was a great experience working with Dom, he is very efficient in what he does and he is super knowledgable about the company that he placed me with.
I couldn't be happier working here, everyone is eager to help me not to mention the fact that the manufacturing plant is one of the best I've ever worked for. Thank you very much Dom!
ACE Partners helped guide me through my job search by understanding my background, experience, and what I was truly looking for in my next role.
They connected me with opportunities that matched my skills and kept me informed throughout the process, which made the search feel more focused and less overwhelming.My experience working with Olly was very positive. He was professional, respectful, and genuinely invested in my success. I felt heard and supported, not just treated like another resume. The communication was consistent, clear, and honest. I appreciated being kept in the loop at every stage and having my questions answered promptly. That level of transparency made a big difference and built trust.I would definitely recommend ACE Partners and Olly to other candidates. Their professionalism, communication, and genuine support make the job search process smoother and more encouraging, especially for someone looking for real opportunity and growth.
In my role leading a business, having a trusted partner who can take care of the small details and provide an excellent executive summary for candidates tailored to my specific needs is an invaluable resource.
I’ve worked with a few agencies in the past, but Nathan and the team at ACE Partners were an absolute pleasure to work with and have my strong endorsement for anyone who is looking to fill a role in their organization - across any level.Their level of service, communication, and transparency is top-notch. Nathan is a consummate professional whose commitment to finding the right fit for my team remains unparalleled.
I highly recommend Joe Cartwright for engineering recruiting. He is friendly, professional, and closes the deal.
As an applicant, he lobbied for my placement after the initial interview did not result in an offer. Thanks to Joe, I am now happily employed at an amazing company. His work doesn't end there. He keeps in touch to make sure all is going well.
I’m incredibly grateful for Joe and the support he gave me throughout my hiring process. He was attentive, proactive, and consistently checked in to make sure I had everything I needed at each step.
What I appreciated most was how friendly and easy he was to work with. He communicated clearly, kept me informed, and always made sure of any questions or concerns I had been sharing with the hiring team so we could confirm the role was the right fit. His advocacy and genuine care made the entire experience both smooth and positive.I highly recommend Joe to anyone looking for a recruiter who truly champions their candidates and makes the process feel exciting from start to finish. He is by far the best recruiter I have ever worked with!
This was unquestionably one of the most successful hiring partnerships we have experienced over the past four years.
Early on, Tom spent the right amount of time understanding not just our role needs but also the culture of the company, making sure that candidates put forward would be good long-term matches for us.Once we kicked off the engagement, we had solid candidates almost immediately, and you applied the perfect balance of presence and pressure to keep candidates moving through the interview process.Quick chats after an interview made sure we were all aligned, and we continued forward progress all throughout.Overall, we landed with a great new addition to our team – solid skills and great culture fit. Quality. Speed. Collaboration. A great recruiting partner, indeed.
As Hiring Managers, we all have had to wade through a lot of resumes to hopefully find the correct candidates. In my case, we were quite literally starting from ground zero attempting to fill maintenance technician roles for our department.
Going through the normal processes just wasn’t working quickly enough. Then we found ACE Partners, once we contracted with them, we received quality candidates and lots of them from local areas.The process was made very easy for us, James Murawa was extremely responsive to our needs, consistently provided updates and great candidates, consistently sought updates on where we were regarding what we were looking for and how many openings we had to fill.I personally highly recommend ACE Partners as a recruiting service. We have had nothing but a fantastic relationship with ACE and James.
I am thrilled to provide a glowing reference for Thomas Hatfield from ACE Partners. Working with Thomas has been an absolute pleasure, and his expertise as a recruiter truly stands out in every way.
From the beginning of our engagement, Thomas demonstrated an impressive understanding of both my professional goals and the nuances of my industry.His insights and guidance went beyond mere placement; he took the time to understand my skills, experience, and aspirations, ensuring that the opportunity he presented to me was aligned with my career objectives.Thomas’s dedication, professionalism, and genuine care for his clients are unparalleled. He is proactive, transparent, and incredibly knowledgeable, which made the entire process smooth and efficient. His communication skills are exceptional, keeping me informed at every stage and providing invaluable advice that gave me confidence and clarity in my decision-making.What sets Thomas apart is his commitment to finding the perfect fit for both his clients and the organizations he represents. He has a rare ability to see potential and recognize where individuals can thrive and make the most impact.I highly recommend Thomas Hatfield for anyone seeking a recruiter who not only delivers results but also offers unwavering support and expertise. Working with him has been an outstanding experience, and I am deeply grateful for the role he has played in advancing my career.
I don’t even know how Thomas found me. My LinkedIn profile is neglected at best, and somehow, he found me for a role that was perfect.
I turned down the role during our initial conversation, but he handled the objection and got me to agree to another call. He worked with me to understand what it would take to accept the role, and he worked with the company to come up with an agreement.I don’t know if ‘recruiter’ or ‘talent acquisition specialist’ is even the right way to categorize what Thomas does, but I can tell you that he is the best I have encountered, and I have been recruited A LOT on LinkedIn.
I had the pleasure of working with Thomas during my recruitment process. From the very first call, he stood out as a highly professional, approachable, and insightful recruiter.
Thomas guided me through each stage with clarity, transparency, and genuine support.What I appreciated most was his ability to combine professionalism with empathy – he was always available to answer my questions, provided timely updates, and gave valuable advice that helped me feel fully prepared and confident throughout the process.Thomas doesn’t just “fill a position”; he ensures the right match by truly understanding both the candidate and the company’s culture and expectations. His communication style is clear, respectful, and encouraging, making the entire experience smooth and positive.
I had the great pleasure of working with Danielle Lea during my recruitment process, where she made what would normally be a complex and high-stakes executive search feel seamless, thoughtful, and truly personalized.
Danielle has that rare ability to understand not only the technical and professional fit for a role, but also the mission alignment and leadership chemistry that make lasting partnerships possible.It was Danielle who first connected me with the team - an introduction that has evolved into one of the most meaningful professional opportunities of my career. Her insight, professionalism, and genuine commitment to both candidate and client were evident in every conversation.If you are an executive or organization seeking a recruiter who listens deeply, moves with precision, and truly invests in long-term success, I cannot recommend Danielle Lea highly enough. She is exceptional at what she does and an absolute pleasure to work with.
I had the pleasure of being recruited by Danielle for my current role, and I couldn't be more impressed by her professionalism and expertise.
From our very first conversation, Danielle demonstrated a deep understanding of my skill set, career aspirations, and how they aligned with my new organisation's needs. Her ability to match talent with the right opportunities is truly exceptional.Throughout the recruitment process, Danielle was always available, communicative, and supportive. She guided me through every step, providing valuable insights and ensuring that the transition into my new role was seamless.Her dedication to both the candidates and the companies she serves sets her apart from others in the industry. I highly recommend Danielle to any organization or professional seeking an expert recruiter who genuinely cares about the success of both parties involved. She is a true asset to the recruitment world, and I’m incredibly grateful for her support.
It is my pleasure to recommend James Murawa as a recruiter very highly.
James is almost like a concierge that works in the best interests of the company and the potential employee. His intuition regarding fit between an open role and candidate is strong, and his communication is impeccable.He helped and guided me through the process of working with a new company expertly. He checked in regularly without overdoing it, and followed up on every question and potential hurdle quickly.My sense is that James truly cares about helping people find and secure new opportunities. I have worked with a few excellent recruiters over the years, and James stands out among them.
I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Max and Olly on multiple job openings. What stood out to me was their exceptional professionalism, punctuality, and dedication to follow-through. Their attention to detail and top-notch communication skills made the entire process seamless and efficient.
We quickly received excellent candidate profiles, salary requirements, and availability from ACE Partners. Their prompt response time enabled us to expedite the interview process, scheduling both phone and in-person interviews in rapid succession, which significantly reduced our time-to-hire.I would highly recommend working with ACE Partners to other hiring managers. Their exceptional communication, attention to detail, and follow-through on every step of the process made our experience seamless and stress-free.They’re a true partner in the hiring process, and their dedication to finding the right candidates has been outstanding. This positive experience from submission to hire has likely contributed to our retention success, as candidates felt valued and supported throughout the process.
Working with Connor has been an absolute pleasure. His professionalism, responsiveness, and deep understanding of our hiring needs made the recruitment process seamless and efficient.
He consistently presented high-quality candidates and took the time to truly understand our team and culture.Thanks to his support, we were able to make great hires in a timely manner. We’re grateful for his partnership and look forward to continuing to work together in the future.
Danielle selected senior leaders that I subsequently interviewed to run startup companies that my incubator launched. The people she referred have excelled in their roles.
I would not have found these people myself. Her initial work and follow up was outstanding, and far exceeded my expectations of what a recruiter could do.
Working with ACE Partners has been a great experience. We've partnered closely for nearly a year now, and the relationship has been strong from the start.
I really enjoy working alongside their team; they take the time to understand what we're recruiting for and consistently provide meaningful support. During high-volume hiring periods, when timelines are tight and pressure is high, ACE Partners is willing to step in and make it a priority. Their responsiveness, partnership approach, and dedication have made them a trusted and valued staffing partner.
Joe is an exceptional recruiter who delivers results at lightning speed. I was blown away by his ability to get me from an initial interview to offer in under 14 days.
He wasn't just a middleman; he was a true partner who understood my goals and vouched for my skills to ensure a perfect match. His professionalism and dedication to the candidate experience is top tier. I highly recommend Joe to any professional or organization looking for elite recruiting capabilities.
I highly recommend Joe as an exceptional technical recruiter who played a key role is my successful placement.
He demonstrated a strong, hands-on understanding of technical roles and challenges of engineering, clearly understood the required stack and expectations, and matched me with a position that truly fit my experience and aligns with my goals. What I especially appreciated was the human side of the process - honest communication, timely feedback, and genuine support at every stage. Joe doesn't just fill roles - he helped me to find the right place to grow and succeed.
Joe is the best recruiter I've worked with in 30 years. From everything he said, to how he said it, everything about Joe made me feel like he was on my side the whole time.
He found me on LinkedIn, sold me on the opportunity, advised me where I needed it, encouraged me when I needed it, and handled salary negotiation for me. Ten business days from his first InMail, ten, I received the dream offer for the dream work, at the dream company, that he had told me all three appeared to be for me, from my resume, in our first conversation. It felt great to have a recruiter of such excellence working for me.
My wife met Tom Hatfield from ACE Partners in person last year at a European MedTech conference and highly recommended I connect with him, given his focus on both full-time and fractional executive placement within MedTech.
Tom and I have worked closely together over the past three months. He recently placed two fractional advisors for us - a VP of Clinical & Regulatory and a VP of Engineering - and delivered quickly, but more importantly, with real quality. In each case, it took him only two weeks to identify fractional executives with outstanding experience specifically in mechanical circulatory support. Importantly, both executives are open to transitioning to full-time roles once our venture round is funded early next year.ACE Partners focuses exclusively on MedTech companies, supporting businesses from early-stage through post–Series A scale. They cover both full-time executive search and fractional leadership, particularly across clinical, regulatory, quality, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and commercial build-outs.While many firms treat fractional mandates the same as full retained searches, Tom tailors his engagement model to the company’s stage and capital strategy, while delivering the same caliber of candidate you would expect from a top-tier MedTech search firm.Based on our experience, I would strongly recommend Thomas Hatfield and ACE Partners as a trusted resource for MedTech executive search and fractional leadership support.
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