Talent Acquisition & People Lead (MAT COVER) 3Days

Vivienne Westwood is one of the most iconic British Fashion Brands who cares and believes in its people and the environment. As a company we strive to make quality products that respect people and the planet. Our core values are Gaia, Quality not Quantity, Activism, Culture & Heritage, and they reflect the way we work and behave towards each other every day. If you’re interested in being part of an organisation that produces quality products, promotes awareness for a better world, and provides an excellent benefits package to support its employees, keep reading.

The Talent Acquisition & People Lead provides focused recruitment support to the business, taking ownership of day-to-day hiring activity, pipeline management and interview coordination across departments. The postholder will work closely with hiring managers to deliver a structured, efficient and brand-aligned recruitment process. The role will also provide support to the People team with other HR responsibilities, contributing to a positive and inclusive workplace. This role is offered on a three day a week part time basis, for 12 months (maternity cover), and is based in the head office in Battersea London.

• Manage end-to-end recruitment processes across allocated vacancies, including drafting and refining job descriptions, advertising roles, screening applications and shortlisting candidates.
• Utilise the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and LinkedIn Recruiter to manage vacancies, proactively source candidates, track progress and maintain accurate, compliant recruitment records while building high-quality talent pipelines.
• Coordinate and schedule interviews, ensuring a seamless candidate and hiring manager experience.
• Advise hiring managers on recruitment best practice, inclusive interview techniques, assessment structure and market insights to ensure fair and objective selection decisions.
• Conduct salary benchmarking and market comparisons to inform offer recommendations, with final approval from the People Manager and Director.
• Prepare offer documentation and support negotiation discussions in line with agreed salary bands and internal equity.
• Manage relationships with recruitment agencies where required, including briefing and fee negotiation.
• Manage temporary worker administration where required, including liaison with agencies, timesheet checks and invoice submission to Finance.
• Track recruitment metrics (e.g. time-to-hire, source of hire) and provide regular updates to the People Manager.
• Work closely with the People Administrator to coordinate all onboarding activity, ensuring contracts are issued promptly, documentation is complete and new starters experience a smooth and well-organised transition into the business.
• Ensure recruitment and onboarding processes comply with employment legislation, right to work requirements and GDPR.
• Support the wider People team and contribute to ad-hoc administrative tasks as required, including but not limited to processing of expenses via Emburse platform.
• Support with any ad-hoc HR projects or tasks as required to meet business need.

• Proven experience managing end-to-end recruitment with the ability to run multiple vacancies independently.
• Highly organised, with strong attention to detail in maintaining ATS records, recruitment trackers and compliance documentation.
• Strong direct sourcing capability using LinkedIn Recruiter and other search tools.
• Confident advising and influencing stakeholders at varying levels on selection decisions, salary benchmarking and offer positioning.
• Commercially aware, with experience supporting offer negotiations and maintaining internal equity.
• Experience managing recruitment agencies and temporary worker administration.
• Sound understanding of UK employment legislation relating to recruitment, right to work and GDPR.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build credible working relationships across the business.
• Self-motivated and able to prioritise effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience recruiting within a creative, fashion, retail or brand-led environment would be advantageous but not essential.

• Staff discounts
• Health & Wellbeing support (includes Private Medical Health Insurance, EAP, Gym Discounts, Access to Financial Planning Service, etc.)
• Perkbox Discounts and Wellness Hub
• Cycle to work scheme
• Generous annual leave allowance
• Pension Scheme
• Training and hands-on experience
• Opportunities to build new skills and gain valuable industry knowledge

Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis, so we recommend applying early to avoid missing out.

Equal Opportunity: Vivienne Westwood is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by local government laws.