At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead talent acquisition and development, shaping a high-performance culture.
- Company: Join a respected European SaaS scale-up with a strong product-led foundation.
- Benefits: Enjoy a hybrid working style, competitive salary, and stock options.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on hiring strategies and employee growth in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in talent leadership within high-growth B2B SaaS environments.
- Other info: Apply through LinkedIn for a fair candidate experience.
The predicted salary is between 120000 - 130000 £ per year.
Head of Talent Acquisition and Development
Salary: £120,000 – £130,000 + Stock Options
Location: London
Working style: Hybrid
Hawkwood are partnering with a leading European SaaS scale-up in their search for a Head of Talent Acquisition and Development.
With offices across Europe and North America and a strong, product-led foundation, this company has built one of the most respected platforms in its space. Their product is trusted by major enterprise brands across a range of industries and has become an essential tool for enabling smarter, data-driven decision-making at scale.
Following significant investment from one of Europe\’s leading growth funds, the company is focused on long-term, sustainable growth, investing thoughtfully in its people, product, and culture.
Reporting to a newly appointed Chief People Officer, this role will lead a small team of Recruiters and play a central role in building an incredible hiring culture that is high performing, collaborative, and thrives on continuous improvement.
About the role:
This is a unique opportunity to shape both the talent acquisition and talent development areas of the talent journey. Within this role, you will own the hiring strategy and execution while driving talent management and development initiatives. You’ll be hands-on in attracting, hiring, and retaining top talent, while also shaping a culture that fosters growth, innovation, and peak performance.
On a typical day, you will:
- Lead talent acquisition: Own hiring end-to-end, ensuring a seamless, high-impact process that brings in the right talent while elevating candidate experience.
- Shape & elevate internal talent development: Drive workforce planning, onboarding, and retention strategies that help our people grow and thrive.
- Embed high-performance & talent density: Ensure career progression, performance management, and leadership development fuel a culture of excellence.
- Amplify the employer brand : Showcase our culture, success stories, and career-defining opportunities, shouting louder about what makes us a great place to work.
- Turn data into action: Use insights to continuously refine hiring, talent decisions, and engagement strategies.
- Strip back & simplify: Remove complexity, build lean and effective talent processes, and focus on what truly drives impact.
About you:
- Proven talent leadership: Experience leading talent acquisition and management in a high-growth environment, ideally in B2B SaaS.
- Commercial & data-driven: Strong analytical mindset with the ability to use data to drive decisions and measure impact.
- Hands-on & strategic: Comfortable balancing tactical execution with long-term talent strategy.
- Culture & change leadership : A track record of driving high-performance cultures and leading change initiatives.
- Execution excellence : Solution-oriented, proactive, and thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic setting.
- Employer brand champion: Passionate about building an employer brand that attracts top talent and positions us as a destination workplace.
We recognise how challenging this current job market is for candidates, and Hawkwood are therefore striving to provide the best candidate experience we can.
If you are interested in this opportunity, we kindly request that you apply via this LinkedIn advert, as opposed to sending us an email or LinkedIn direct message. We are eager to ensure that each candidate application is considered fairly, and receives a consistent experience.
Unfortunately, we cannot ensure this standard if you enquire about a role via email or LinkedIn message, as it falls outside of our established process.
Head of Talent Acquisition & Development – European, SaaS, Scale-Up employer: Hawkwood l People & Talent Recruiting
Contact Detail:
Hawkwood l People & Talent Recruiting Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Talent Acquisition & Development – European, SaaS, Scale-Up
✨Tip Number 1
Network with professionals in the SaaS industry, especially those who have experience in talent acquisition and development. Attend relevant industry events or webinars to connect with potential colleagues and learn about best practices.
✨Tip Number 2
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in talent acquisition and development, particularly in high-growth environments. This knowledge will help you demonstrate your understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the sector during interviews.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss specific examples of how you've successfully led talent initiatives in previous roles. Highlight your ability to use data to drive decisions and improve processes, as this aligns with the company's focus on data-driven strategies.
✨Tip Number 4
Showcase your passion for building a strong employer brand. Think about innovative ways to amplify the company’s culture and success stories, as this is a key aspect of the role and will set you apart from other candidates.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Talent Acquisition & Development – European, SaaS, Scale-Up
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Take time to thoroughly read the job description for the Head of Talent Acquisition and Development. Understand the key responsibilities and required skills, as this will help you tailor your application.
Tailor Your CV: Customise your CV to highlight relevant experience in talent acquisition and development, particularly in high-growth SaaS environments. Use specific examples that demonstrate your leadership and strategic capabilities.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that showcases your passion for building a strong employer brand and your ability to drive high-performance cultures. Mention how your background aligns with the company's goals and values.
Highlight Data-Driven Achievements: In both your CV and cover letter, emphasise your analytical mindset by including metrics or data that illustrate your impact in previous roles. This could be improvements in hiring processes, retention rates, or team performance.
How to prepare for a job interview at Hawkwood l People & Talent Recruiting
✨Showcase Your Leadership Experience
Be prepared to discuss your previous roles in talent acquisition and management, especially in high-growth environments. Highlight specific examples where you led teams or initiatives that resulted in significant improvements in hiring processes or employee development.
✨Demonstrate Data-Driven Decision Making
Since the role requires a strong analytical mindset, come equipped with examples of how you've used data to inform your talent strategies. Discuss metrics you've tracked and how they influenced your decisions in hiring or talent management.
✨Emphasise Cultural Fit and Change Leadership
This company values a high-performance culture, so be ready to share your experiences in driving cultural change. Talk about how you've fostered collaboration and continuous improvement within teams, and how you plan to do the same in this new role.
✨Prepare Questions About Their Employer Brand
As an employer brand champion, show your interest by preparing insightful questions about their current branding efforts. Ask how they showcase their culture and success stories, and what initiatives they have in place to attract top talent.