A recruitment agency in Bulgaria for international companies.
StaffUpNext finds permanent employees for companies hiring into Bulgaria — and for Bulgarian companies who want the search run properly. Boutique by choice: you deal with the founders, not an account manager.
When you need a partner, not a portal
Job boards work when the right person is already looking. These are the situations where they do not.
You are hiring from abroad
You know the role. You do not know which Bulgarian salary is generous and which is insulting.
The role has been open for months
Applications arrive. None of them are right, and the team has stopped reading them.
The last hire did not stay
Someone was found, joined, and left inside a year. Twice is a pattern, not luck.
You need someone who knows the ground
Which companies are shedding people, which are poaching, what a counter-offer looks like here.
Four steps, founder-led throughout
- 1
Brief and benchmark
We pin down the role and tell you what it actually costs to fill — before you commit to a salary band.
- 2
Search
Direct approach as well as advertising. The best candidate for a role is usually employed elsewhere.
- 3
Shortlist
A small number of people we would vouch for, each with our honest read on their risks as well as their strengths.
- 4
Offer, onboarding & closing support
We manage or co-pilot offer negotiations, notice periods, and early onboarding. Whether leading the process or collaborating with your internal teams, we adapt to your workflow to ensure a successful hire.
What a boutique agency does differently
- The founders run your search — it is not handed to a junior
- Salary benchmarking before you set the band, not after you lose someone
- Direct approach to people who are not applying to anything
- Honest assessment, including the reasons not to hire someone
- Full market context — who is hiring, who is cutting, what people move for
- Candidate care that protects your employer brand, whether they are hired or not
- Offer and counter-offer management through to the start date
- One point of contact who knows your business, not a rotating account team
Permanent recruitment, answered
Which sectors do you recruit for?
Roughly 70 to 80% of our work is across the entire IT landscape. We cover all functional tech roles, from hands-on Software, Data, Cloud, Development, Testing, Security and more to Management, Tech leadership, Agile/Scrum, IT Consulting, Support and many more. The remainder spans finance, accounting, and specialized white-collar roles. If a request falls outside our core expertise, we will tell you directly rather than take it on.
How are your services priced?
All terms and conditions are tailored to your needs, discussed, and agreed upon during our initial discovery call before any work begins. Pricing varies based on specific search parameters — such as role seniority, technical complexity, and engagement model. Our commitment is always straightforward: clear, transparent pricing upfront with defined expectations and zero hidden costs.
How long does a permanent search take?
For permanent roles we deliver a curated shortlist within 2 to 5 business days. The full process — from discovery call to signed offer — typically takes 2 to 4 weeks. That timeline depends heavily on how proactively both sides engage: how quickly interview slots are scheduled, how many interview stages are involved, operational readiness on both ends, and the mutual availability of everyone in the chain. A narrow specialism or a senior leadership hire takes longer again, because the right person has to be found, approached and persuaded rather than simply selected. In short: we move fast on our side, and the overall timeline flexes with yours.
Can you help if we have no legal entity in Bulgaria?
Yes. Plenty of our clients start with no Bulgarian presence at all. Our Bulgaria hiring guide sets out the employment options, the statutory costs and the calculator for total employer cost, and we can talk through which route fits before you commit to one.
What makes you different from a traditional recruitment agency?
Large agencies often win your business with senior partners, only to hand the actual search off to junior recruiters. We do the work ourselves, which limits how many searches we run at once and is the reason we turn some down. You get direct access to experienced partners who truly understand your domain. This hands-on approach ensures every candidate is thoroughly evaluated and properly represented — no automated filters, no generic shortlists, and no ghosting. You get quality over quantity, senior accountability, transparent communication, and candidates who actually stay.
Do you recruit outside Bulgaria?
Yes — across Europe, North America and the Middle East as well. Bulgaria is where our market knowledge is deepest, and it is where most clients come to us for, but the search itself does not stop at the border.
Tell us about the role.
One conversation is enough for us to say whether we are the right firm for this search — and we will tell you if we are not.