Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the recruitment strategy and enhance the hiring experience at Iris.
- Company: Join a dynamic creative agency with a focus on innovation and talent.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, inclusive culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of talent acquisition in a fast-paced, creative environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in talent acquisition within a creative agency and strong stakeholder management skills.
- Other info: Be a visible ambassador for Iris and build long-term talent pipelines.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
We are looking for an experienced Talent professional to partner, shape and deliver the Iris talent strategy while leading a best-in-class, end-to-end recruitment experience. As Talent Lead, you are the connective tissue between ambition and capability: a trusted partner to senior leaders, a champion of dynamic hiring, and a hands-on operator who pursues the attraction of high-performing talent aligned to Iris’ future direction. Equal parts strategic and practical, this role thrives on pace, complexity and influence.
Responsibilities
- Own the talent agenda: Act as a strategic Talent Advisor to senior leaders across Creative, Client Leadership, Strategy, Production, PR & Social and Performance. Partner closely to understand workforce plans, future capability gaps and evolving business needs.
- Manage the Talent Manager and lead the end-to-end recruitment cycle. Own the full recruitment lifecycle from role briefing and search strategy through to offer, acceptance and pre-boarding with support from the People Partner and Talent Manager – ensuring quality experience, speed, and consistency across all hires.
- Ownership of smart sourcing strategies: Build and execute proactive sourcing approaches across niche, senior and leadership roles. Confidently market-map, headhunt and engage talent in a competitive creative landscape.
- Champion inclusive hiring: Coach and challenge hiring managers on best-practice interviewing, equitable decision-making and bias-aware processes. Ensure every candidate experience reflects fairness, clarity and respect.
- Strengthen employer brand: Champion Iris’ employer brand in-market, ensuring it authentically reflects our culture, values and creative ambition. Collaborate with Leadership to deliver compelling attraction campaigns and storytelling.
- Be a visible talent ambassador: Represent Iris at industry events, networking sessions and talent communities: building credibility, relationships and long-term pipelines.
- Use insight to improve: Track and analyse recruitment data to inform decisions, spot trends and measure impact. Continuously evolve tools, processes and ways of working to keep Talent Acquisition future-fit and ambitious.
Stretch tasks
- Shape future capability: Partner with senior leadership to anticipate how the agency/department needs to evolve their talent acquisition from emerging disciplines to new operating models, and translate that into forward-looking talent plans or campaigns.
- Evolve TA practice: Help define and embed best-in-class Talent Acquisition standards, frameworks and governance that scale with the business while protecting craft, inclusion and candidate experience.
- Influence beyond hiring: Contribute to wider people and culture initiatives, supporting retention, development and engagement through insight gained from the talent market.
- Build long-term pipelines: Develop strategic relationships with communities, partners and educational institutions to strengthen diverse early, mid and senior-level pipelines.
What We’re Looking For
- Significant experience in an in-house Talent Acquisition or Senior Recruitment Partner role within a creative agency environment.
- Strong cultural awareness and instinct for what’s relevant and resonant in the creative industry.
- Expertise in direct sourcing, headhunting and market mapping.
- Confidence to work with internal stakeholders, including a fast-paced parent company/HoldCo.
- Deep understanding of inclusive hiring principles and best practice.
- High emotional intelligence with the ability to build trust through empathy, self-awareness and sound judgement.
- Exceptional stakeholder management skills with confidence influencing at senior level.
- Commercially minded with a strong grasp of agency dynamics and pressures.
- Curious, improvement-oriented and comfortable navigating change.
- Highly organised, resilient and able to manage multiple priorities with pace and precision.
Talent Lead in City of London employer: Iris
Contact Detail:
Iris Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Talent Lead in City of London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with industry folks at events or online. Building relationships can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Show your passion for the role! When you get the chance to chat with hiring managers, let your enthusiasm for the company and its mission shine through. It’s all about making that personal connection.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those tricky interview questions! Research common queries in the talent acquisition space and practice your responses. We want you to feel confident and ready to impress.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team.
We think you need these skills to ace Talent Lead in City of London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Talent Lead role. Highlight your experience in talent acquisition within creative agencies and showcase how your skills align with our needs at Iris.
Showcase Your Impact: When detailing your previous roles, focus on the impact you've made. Use specific examples of how you've improved recruitment processes or contributed to building diverse talent pipelines. We love seeing measurable results!
Be Authentic: Let your personality shine through in your application. We value authenticity and want to get a sense of who you are beyond your professional achievements. Share your passion for talent acquisition and the creative industry!
Apply Through Our Website: For the best chance of success, make sure to apply directly through our website. This helps us keep track of your application and ensures it reaches the right people quickly. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Iris
✨Know the Company Inside Out
Before your interview, dive deep into Iris' culture, values, and recent projects. Understanding their creative ambition and how they position themselves in the market will help you align your answers with their vision.
✨Showcase Your Strategic Thinking
As a Talent Lead, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to think strategically. Prepare examples of how you've shaped talent strategies in the past, particularly in fast-paced environments, and be ready to discuss how you can apply that experience at Iris.
✨Emphasise Inclusive Hiring Practices
Iris values inclusive hiring, so come prepared to discuss your experience with equitable decision-making and bias-aware processes. Share specific examples of how you've coached hiring managers on best practices to ensure a fair candidate experience.
✨Prepare for Stakeholder Engagement
You'll be working closely with senior leaders, so practice articulating your ideas clearly and confidently. Think about how you can influence and build trust with stakeholders, and be ready to discuss how you've successfully managed relationships in previous roles.
