Top Energy Recruiters in Houston

Compare Houston’s Leading Energy Recruiting Firms

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These Houston-based recruiting firms specialize in energy, oil & gas, chemicals, renewables, and energy transition — helping companies connect with technical and leadership talent across the value chain.

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Houston is home to many of the top energy recruiting firms in the country. Whether you're in oil & gas, power generation, renewables, or energy transition, the right recruiter can help you find engineers, leaders, and technical talent who move projects forward and stay for the long term.

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Below is a directory of energy recruiters with an office in Houston. Each firm takes a different approach—some specialize in executive search, others in technical recruiting or staffing. If you’re exploring recruiting options for energy-related roles, this list can help you compare models, specialties, and philosophies.

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🔎 Featured Energy Search Partner

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TLR Search

A woman-owned boutique executive search firm in Houston that helps energy and chemical companies hire engineers, specialists, and experienced leaders.

 

TLR brings executive-level strategy to high-impact, business-critical roles just below the C-suite. Known for a psychology-informed, human-centric approach and building a strong candidate experience for over 15 years.

 

TLR Search's founder worked with DHR International, Korn Ferry Futurestep, Heidrick & Struggles, and Maxwell Drummond.​

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See why clients choose TLR Search for energy executive search→

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Preng & Associates

A retainer-based international executive search firm solely focused on the global energy industry.

 

Specializing in board and senior executive placements across the energy value chain, including oil & gas, utilities, renewables, and energy services.

 

Founded in 1980, the firm has completed over 4,000 searches in 92 countries and earned a reputation for combining professional search disciplines with an in-depth understanding of the markets it serves.​​

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The Energists

Founded in 1979, The Energists is a specialist recruiting and executive search firm operating exclusively in the energy industry.

 

They offer recruitment services for oil & gas, power & utilities, and renewable energy, with a team of industry professionals.

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Richard, Wayne & Roberts

Working across multiple sectors, Richard, Wayne & Roberts has an Energy Search team focused on trading, midstream, and retail energy sectors.

 

They work with integrated energy players, global trading houses, marketers, hedge funds, retail energy companies, midstream companies, and refining companies.

 

Their specialization includes identifying talent for the front, middle, and back office, as well as in business development, engineering, sales, and operations.​

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Primary Services

Primary Services offers job opportunities in various fields, including Accounting and Financial, Information Technology, HR, Recruiting, Marketing, Procurement, Call Center, and Administration.

 

Primary serves as a strategic recruitment partner for a portfolio of long-served Fortune 500 clients across Texas and Oklahoma, with contract, temp-to-perm, and direct-hire positions.

 

The company is a woman-owned and has been in operation for over 30 years.​

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TRS Staffing Solutions

Global staffing firm with a Houston office, supporting technical roles across energy, infrastructure, and EPC projects.

 

A recruitment agency delivering staffing solutions to clients, finding the temporary, contingent, and/or permanent/direct staff needed for their projects and facilities.​

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Brunel

International recruiting based in Amsterdam.

 

Brunel is a workforce solutions firm with an office in Houston, recruiting across multiple industries, including energy, infrastructure, and life sciences.

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They offer contract recruitment, direct hire services, and RPO solutions, with over 45 years of experience and a global presence.

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HireStrong

Houston-based energy recruiting firm serving upstream, midstream, and downstream markets.

 

Founded by Joshua William May, a recruiter with over a decade of experience, an executive search recruiter focusing on engineering, supply chain, and technical sales roles across operations, manufacturing, and commercial functions. ​

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Kern Search

A boutique recruiting firm in Houston, family-run and women-led.

 

Kern recruits for roles in HR, accounting, energy, and engineering, including upstream oil and gas.

 

Founded over 50 years ago, the firm works across various industries and job levels.​

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Descriptions are based on publicly available information from company websites and professional profiles as of 2025.

 

For the most current information, we recommend reviewing each firm’s offerings directly.

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Types of Energy Recruiters​

 

Energy recruiting spans multiple specialties. Some firms focus narrowly on executive search or contract staffing, while others work across a range of engineering, leadership, and technical talent needs.

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These are the three most common types of energy recruiters:

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• Executive Search
   

 Focused on senior leadership roles for organizations in oil & gas, renewables, and energy transition.​

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• Engineering & Technical Search
   

 Specialized in placing hands-on engineers, domain experts, and problem solvers across upstream, midstream, and emerging sectors.

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• Energy Transition & Clean Tech Recruiting
   

​​Recruiters serving new markets, such as hydrogen, CCUS, geothermal, and grid modernization, often require hybrid commercial and technical skill sets.

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Some firms specialize in only one of these areas.

 

TLR Search supports hiring across all three with a consistent focus on clarity, alignment, and retention.

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Choosing the Right Recruiting Partner

 

Recruiting firms vary widely in their operating methods. Some focus on speed and volume, others on long-term alignment. Before selecting a partner, it helps to understand how the models differ.

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• Contingency recruiters often work on multiple roles at once and prioritize speed, sourcing from active candidates who are already in the market. This model works best when there’s urgency, a high volume of applicants, or when multiple firms are competing to fill the same position.

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• Retained search firms work on fewer, more focused searches—partnering closely with you to define success, align stakeholders, and proactively engage passive candidates who aren’t actively applying. This approach is ideal for high-stakes, nuanced, or strategic roles where a good fit and long-term impact are crucial.

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• Staffing agencies are valuable for short-term, contract, and technical needs where volume and speed are a priority.
   

There’s no one-size-fits-all model. What matters is finding a recruiter who understands the business drivers, the human dynamics behind technical teams, and how to align both.​​

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We want to help you find the best recruiting partner for your hiring goals.

 

If you’re looking for support with alignment, hard-to-fill roles, or long-term retention—not just resumes—explore how TLR Search energy recruiters helps energy companies hire with clarity, alignment, and retention →.