Talent Acquisition Senior Manager Fixed term contract

Description

The Senior Talent Acquisition Manager is responsible for leading the delivery of Talent Acquisition services across UKI & Nordics. Acting as a trusted Talent partner to senior business leaders, HR and Hiring Managers, the role delivers exceptional hiring outcomes through operational excellence, proactive workforce planning and innovative sourcing strategies. This role is for a 9month fixed term contract.

The Senior Talent Acquisition Manager leads a small team of Talent Acquisition professionals whilst personally managing strategic and executive hiring. The role ensures recruitment activity aligns with business priorities, Global Talent Acquisition standards and European client group requirements, delivering an exceptional candidate and hiring manager experience.

Working closely with the Talent Acquisition Director and Global Centers of Excellence, the Talent Acquisition Manager translates enterprise recruitment strategies into effective local execution, helping position The Estée Lauder Companies as the Best Home for Talent.

Talent Acquisition Delivery

• Lead end-to-end Talent Acquisition delivery across an assigned European client group.
• Deliver hiring plans aligned to business priorities and workforce planning requirements.
• Personally manage recruitment for critical, senior and specialist positions.
• Ensure consistent application of recruitment policies, governance and compliance.
• Monitor recruitment demand and adjust priorities to meet changing business needs.
• Drive high quality hiring decisions through robust assessment and selection practices.

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach and develop a small Talent Acquisition team.
• Create an engaging, high-performing team culture focused on collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Allocate recruitment workload across the team based on hiring demand and capability.
• Coach recruiters on sourcing, stakeholder management and candidate experience.
• Support succession planning and capability development within the Talent Acquisition team.

Business Partnership

• Build trusted partnerships with HR, Business Leaders and Hiring Managers.
• Provide market intelligence, talent insights and hiring recommendations.
• Influence hiring decisions using external market trends and recruitment data.
• Support workforce planning discussions and future capability requirements.
• Partner with Finance and HR to manage recruitment activity against approved headcount.
• Contribute to cross-regional Talent Acquisition projects. 

Operational Excellence

• Ensure recruitment processes deliver consistent, compliant and high-touch experience.
• Drive continuous improvement through data analysis and process optimisation.
• Ensure accurate utilisation of Talent Acquisition technology and reporting.
• Maintain strong governance across all recruitment activity while monitoring recruitment KPIs

Candidate & Hiring Manager Experience

• Champion an exceptional candidate experience throughout the recruitment lifecycle.
• Coach Hiring Managers on effective interviewing, assessment and selection.
• Ensure timely communication with candidates and stakeholders.
• Promote inclusive hiring practices and equitable assessment processes.
• Support onboarding transitions through effective offer management and stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• Significant experience as an in-house and/or agency Talent Acquisition professional, with expertise across the full recruitment lifecycle, including direct sourcing.
• Proven experience leading, coaching and developing recruitment teams, with the ability to build capability and drive high performance.
• Experience supporting complex corporate, retail, manufacturing or commercial organisations; exposure to multiple European markets is advantageous.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute talent acquisition strategies that align with business priorities and workforce planning.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to influence and build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Data-driven approach with experience using recruitment metrics and market insights to inform decisions and drive continuous improvement.
• Strong understanding of Talent Acquisition technology, including applicant tracking systems (e.g. SAP SuccessFactors), CRM platforms and sourcing tools.
• Expertise in developing innovative, multi-channel sourcing strategies that attract diverse active and passive talent.
• Passion for delivering an exceptional candidate and hiring manager experience through a high-touch, customer-centric approach.
• Excellent communication, project management and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• High levels of emotional intelligence, resilience and adaptability, with strong coaching, influencing and change management capabilities.
• Strong attention to detail, governance and operational excellence, with a continuous improvement mindset.