Oliver James - Multisite Website Builds

Introduction

WordPress Multisite Development for Oliver James

Oliver James required a future-ready digital platform to support its four talent solutions brands. Their proprietary CMS limited flexibility and an impending licence expiry added urgency to the project.

Partnering with Filter, the internal design team refined their creative vision for WordPress, while our developers delivered a robust, high-performance multisite solution built for speed, scalability and recruitment-specific functionality.

Launched on schedule, the new platform avoided downtime and provided each brand with a seamless, engaging candidate experience.

Relationship Length

The new websites launched in July 2025

Focus

WordPress multisite platform to support recruitment operations across multiple brands

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Problem

Three recruitment websites built on a restrictive proprietary CMS
Limited design flexibility and slow content updates
No in-house WordPress expertise to deliver the migration from the proprietary CMS to WordPress

Solution

Collaborated with in-house designers to refine and enhance visual designs
Built a WordPress Multisite solution for shared components and brand-specific functionality
Integrated WP Engine Smart Search AI, WPML and JobRelay to connect with the Broadbean ATS

Result

Three fast, modern websites with improved search and application processes
Greater editorial control and efficiency across brands
Seamless migration to WordPress within agreed timeline

The Challenge

The Oliver James websites (oliverjames.com, astral-legal.com, avenciatalentsolutions.com and newly launched avenciaconsulting.com) were held back by a CMS that slowed operations and restricted growth.

The platform limited design flexibility, made routine updates cumbersome, and offered no clear path for future expansion.

With the CMS licence due to expire at the end of July, the business needed to launch the new platforms before this date.

Our Approach

Filter was introduced to Oliver James through WP Engine and selected for our expertise in WordPress and multi-brand builds.

Working with their in-house design team, we refined layouts, optimised reusable components and ensured accessibility and scalability. We then developed a WordPress Multisite platform using the Gutenberg Block Editor, giving each brand its own identity on a shared technical foundation.

The build incorporated WP Engine Smart Search AI platform for fast job searches, JobRelay integration with Broadbean ATS to keep applications on-site and WPML for multilingual content on oliverjames.com. A shared block library, automatically styled for each brand, streamlined content creation and ensured visual consistency.

Results

All four websites launched within a demanding three-month window, meeting the critical fixed deadline.

The new multisite framework has streamlined maintenance, empowered editorial teams, and delivered a faster, more intuitive job search and application process. The client praised the speed and quality of delivery, with early stakeholder feedback overwhelmingly positive.

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Why This Story Matters

This project highlights our successful collaboration with an in-house client design team, showing how our WordPress specialist delivery team can deliver complex, multi-brand platforms under significant time pressure.

For Oliver James, the new websites are not only modern and user-focused but also structured to grow with the organisation, providing a long-term foundation for business success across diverse markets.