At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead talent acquisition for a climate tech company, shaping recruitment strategies and processes.
- Company: Join CarbonChain, a pioneering firm tackling climate change through innovative carbon accounting.
- Benefits: Competitive day rate, potential contract extension, and direct exposure to leadership.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities for professional growth and a focus on diversity.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the climate tech sector while developing your recruitment expertise.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in technical recruitment, strong stakeholder management, and direct sourcing skills.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
About CarbonChain
The fight against Climate Change is evolving rapidly. Climate tech is changing. The first wave was reporting. The next is treating carbon the way companies treat money: as a way to decide what to buy, who to sell to, and which incentives to claim. Around the world, carbon is becoming a condition of trade. Border taxes, free allocations, green premiums, cheaper capital. It looks a lot like the post-war rebuild: governments put capital and tax incentives on the table, and the companies that could keep the books moved first. The missing piece then was bookkeeping. The missing piece now is the same, carbon accounting. CarbonChain is that bookkeeping. We turn messy, real-world supply-chain data into numbers a trader, a sustainability lead, or a CFO will actually use. We want people who are agents of change, who feel the impact of climate change and know there is no way around it to create a better future for every being. People who know the customer is the truth of how a company thrives. People who treat data as the fuel for how fast society can change. People who use AI to accelerate the cause for good by working through an AI lens first to automate repetitive tasks and analyse data. Finally, people who enjoy working with people.
Our Product
We help the world's largest commodity producers and traders measure and cut emissions, with verified primary data where we can get it and defensible defaults where we cannot. The platform turns operational and supplier files into decision-grade carbon and compliance insight: sourcing, CBAM, product and corporate footprints, reporting customers and regulators will stand behind. We organise carbon accounting around the user in four contexts at once:
- Immediate: the tools in front of them
- Internal: how they work with colleagues
- External: how they work with suppliers and customers
- Societal: how they work with society, governments, and disclosing bodies
The data we hold is only useful if it makes all four of those jobs easier.
About the Role
Reporting to the Head of Operations and partnering closely with the founders and technical leadership, the Head of Talent Acquisition will assume full ownership of the talent acquisition function during a critical period of growth. This is a hands-on appointment, combining strategic responsibility for the hiring roadmap with direct delivery against a defined set of vacancies.
The role carries a clearly defined mandate: the successful appointment will lead the recruitment of approximately 5-8 senior engineering and product hires over the contract term, while simultaneously professionalising the recruitment systems, processes and capability that will underpin the company's hiring beyond it.
What You'll Do
Key responsibilities:
- Developing and delivering a talent acquisition strategy aligned to the organisation's growth ambitions and headcount plan
- Partnering with the senior leadership team and hiring managers to define role requirements, success profiles and structured scorecards for each vacancy
- Taking direct ownership of senior technical recruitment, including proactive sourcing, candidate engagement, assessment and offer management
- Designing and embedding a consistent, structured interview process, including interviewer training and calibration for hiring managers across the business
- Reducing reliance on external recruitment agencies through the development of direct sourcing capability and a sustainable talent pipeline
- Championing an outstanding candidate experience and acting as a credible ambassador for the CarbonChain brand in a competitive technical market
- Leading offer negotiation and closing activity, including compensation benchmarking and equity discussions appropriate to the company's stage
- Optimising the applicant tracking system and establishing meaningful reporting on pipeline health, time to hire, source effectiveness and cost per hire
- Delivering a documented talent acquisition playbook and comprehensive handover to enable the business to operate the function effectively at the conclusion of the contract
Measures of success:
- Delivery of the agreed engineering and product vacancies within the contract term
- A reduction in median time from first candidate contact to offer to under 45 days.
- A demonstrable reduction in agency expenditure, with the majority of hires delivered through direct and referred channels
- Structured scorecards and interview loops in place and in active use across all open roles
- A documented playbook, an accurate applicant tracking system and a warm pipeline in place at handover
The Successful Applicant
The successful candidate will be an accomplished in-house talent acquisition professional with a strong track record of senior technical hiring in a high-growth, venture-backed environment.
You will likely bring:
- Proven ownership of engineering and product recruitment for 5y+ within seed to Series B technology businesses, including successful delivery of senior, staff and lead-level appointments
- Demonstrable direct sourcing expertise, with the ability to personally generate and convert pipeline for hard-to-fill technical roles
- Experience of designing and implementing structured interview processes and scorecards in organisations where these were not previously established
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the credibility and confidence to challenge and shape hiring manager requirements
- Comfort operating as a standalone function, balancing strategic responsibility with hands-on operational delivery
- A strong working knowledge of the UK technology talent market, including compensation benchmarking, notice periods and visa sponsorship
Desirable:
- Prior experience within climate technology, B2B SaaS, data infrastructure or financial technology
- A background in recruiting full stack engineers and product managers
- Previous contract or interim experience, with a proven ability to mobilise quickly and hand over effectively
- Experience of successfully transitioning an organisation from agency-led to direct hiring
- Track record of taking/developing job specs and role briefs quickly and generating candidate pipeline quickly.
- Familiarity in Greenhouse.com as an ATS, we’ve been using it for 6 years and have lot of existing data to leverage
- Willingness to support the ad hoc sourcing of non-tech roles from time to time together with the Head of Operations.
How We Work
As a hybrid co-located team, we're inspired by our values and anchored in hubs across the UK and US. This role would be located 3d/week in our London LABS Camden office space. The in-office requirement reflects the collaborative nature of the appointment: the successful candidate will work in close partnership with hiring managers, lead interview debriefs in person and host candidates on site throughout the process.
What We Offer
- A day rate of £550 – £650, outside IR35, dependent on experience
- An initial 6-month contract, with a potential opportunity to extend to 12 months
- A newly created appointment with full autonomy and a clearly defined mandate
- Direct exposure to the founders and senior leadership team of a well-funded, high-growth business
- The opportunity to contribute to a business with a substantive and measurable climate impact
- A collaborative London-based culture, including quarterly team offsites, regular team lunches and a well-established social calendar
The Process
The recruitment process comprises:
- An initial competency-based discussion covering previous hiring delivery conversation with the Head of Operations
- A working session with a hiring manager based on a live vacancy
- A final conversation with the founders
The business intends to conclude the process within two weeks and to provide feedback within 48 hours of the final stage.
CarbonChain values diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds. If you think your skills and experience match what we’re looking for and you’d like to join the next Climate Tech industry unicorn, please get in touch!
Head of Talent Acquisition (6-month contract) in London employer: CarbonChain
At CarbonChain, we are not just a startup; we are a mission-driven team dedicated to tackling the climate crisis through innovative technology. Our vibrant work culture fosters collaboration and creativity, offering generous benefits such as a £2,000 annual learning allowance, private healthcare, and a supportive environment for professional growth. Join us in our Camden office, where you will have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact while enjoying perks like team lunches and subsidised gym classes.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Talent Acquisition (6-month contract) in London
✨Get Involved in Recruitment Events
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✨Engage in Online Recruitment Communities
Join communities on platforms like LinkedIn or niche forums where recruiters hang out. Engage in discussions, share your insights, and post your availability for temporary roles. You never know, a connection might refer you to a role at a place like CarbonChain before it even hits job boards!
✨Flex Your Availability and Skills
When applying for temporary positions, be upfront about your availability and any specific skills you have that can meet the urgent needs of recruiters. This makes you more attractive to hiring managers looking for someone who can hit the ground running.
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If you're still near a university, don't forget about their career services! They often have exclusive listings for temporary roles, especially in talent acquisition, and can connect you with employers who are keen to hire students or recent grads like us for short-term assignments.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Talent Acquisition (6-month contract) in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Recruitment Skills:As someone applying for a talent acquisition role, it’s key to highlight your experience in finding and placing talent. Talk about specific methods you’ve used in past roles—whether it’s social media sourcing, networking, or using ATS systems. Show us how you’ve made a difference in previous projects!
Tailor Your CV for Talent Acquisition:When you're putting together your CV for a temporary role in recruiting, focus on your measurable achievements—like the number of positions filled or the reduction in time-to-hire. Use bullet points to make it easy for us to see your contributions at a glance, and don’t forget to mention any relevant certifications or training you've undergone!
Craft a Relatable Cover Letter:For a temporary role, your cover letter should not only explain why you want this job but also why you’re suited for short-term projects. Mention your adaptability and any past experiences where you quickly integrated into a team or got up to speed with new processes. Let us know how you can hit the ground running!
Highlight Immediate Availability:Since this is a temporary position, it’s essential to emphasise your availability in your application. Make it clear when you can start and how flexible you are with hours. Frame it as a positive—your ability to jump in and help us right when we need you will definitely make you stand out!
How to prepare for a job interview at CarbonChain
✨Show Off Your People Skills
Since you're getting into talent acquisition, it's crucial to highlight your communication and interpersonal skills. Think of a few scenarios where you've successfully dealt with candidates, managed relationships, or resolved conflicts—these will give you a solid edge in the interview with CarbonChain.
✨Research the Latest Recruiting Tools
Stay ahead of the game by familiarising yourself with popular ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) and recruitment tools that are trending in the industry. Be ready to discuss how you might use these tools in your role at CarbonChain, even if it's just a temporary role—they’ll want to know you can hit the ground running.
✨Understand the Urgency
Temporary roles often mean quick turnarounds. Show that you understand the nuances of urgent hiring processes, perhaps by sharing experiences where you had to source candidates under tight deadlines. It demonstrates you know the ropes and can adapt fast, which will definitely impress CarbonChain.
✨Highlight Your Flexibility
Temp roles can be unpredictable, so emphasise your flexibility and willingness to take on varying workloads or adapt to different company cultures. Prepare a few anecdotes where you've thrived in a dynamic environment—CarbonChain will want to see that you can roll with the punches!
