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The Focus Group
Talent Acquisition Specialist - MUST BE WORKING FOR A START UP!The Focus Group • Cape Town, Western Cape, ZA
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Talent Acquisition Specialist - MUST BE WORKING FOR A START UP!

Talent Acquisition Specialist - MUST BE WORKING FOR A START UP!

The Focus Group • Cape Town, Western Cape, ZA
30+ days ago
Job description

Mandatory Startup Experience

MUST BE WORKING FOR A START UP!!

Role Overview

We’re looking for a Talent Acquisition Specialist to own and elevate how we hire across non-technical functions - improving quality of hire, reducing reliance on external agencies, and building a world‑class candidate experience. This role is about raising the bar. You’ll act as a dedicated talent partner to non‑technical teams, working closely with the relevant People Business Partner and business leadership to ensure we consistently hire exceptional talent that succeeds at COMPANY.

Key Responsibilities

  • End‑to‑end hiring
  • Own the full recruitment lifecycle across non‑technical roles (e.g. Customer Success, Growth, Finance, Legal, Operations)
  • Partner with Hiring Managers and the People Business Partner to define role requirements and craft high‑quality job specs
  • Build and manage strong inbound and outbound pipelines

Functional Alignment & Business Partnership

  • Act as the primary talent partner for your aligned business functions
  • Work closely with the People Business Partner and business leadership to align hiring with team priorities
  • Develop a deep understanding of team structures, hiring needs, and capability gaps

Screening & Quality Control

  • Conduct structured, high‑signal screening to assess candidate quality before Hiring Manager involvement
  • Act as a quality gatekeeper, pushing back when the bar is not met
  • Continuously improve how we assess candidates across different functions

Interview Design & Assessment

  • Design and evolve interview processes, scorecards, and assessments to ensure consistent, high‑quality hiring decisions
  • Calibrate with hiring managers and interviewers to maintain a high hiring bar

Candidate Experience

  • Own and continuously improve the candidate experience end‑to‑end
  • Ensure all candidate interactions reflect COMPANY’s high standards, speed, and attention to detail
    Speed & execution
  • Run fast, efficient processes across multiple roles simultaneously
  • Ensure interviews are well‑structured, coordinated, and high signal
  • Remove friction for Hiring Managers wherever possible

Sourcing & Pipeline Building

  • Proactively source high‑quality candidates using creative and data‑driven approaches
  • Build long‑term relationships with strong candidates across relevant functions
  • Reduce dependency on agencies by building strong internal pipelines

Offer Management & Closing

  • Own offer processes, including structuring, negotiation, and closing candidates
  • Partner with Hiring Managers and leadership to secure top talent in competitive markets

Agency Ownership (where needed)

  • Manage and optimise relationships with external recruiters for niche roles
  • Set clear expectations and hold partners accountable for quality

Data & Continuous Improvement

  • Use data to inform and improve hiring decisions and processes
  • Track funnel performance and identify areas for optimisation

Quality of Hire & Feedback Loops

  • Track and continuously improve quality of hire
  • Use post‑hire performance and probation outcomes to refine hiring decisions and processes

Stakeholder Enablement

  • Coach and support Hiring Managers to improve interview quality and consistency
  • Drive alignment on hiring standards and decision‑making

AI & Automation

  • Leverage AI tools and automation to streamline sourcing, screening, coordination, and communication
  • Continuously identify opportunities to reduce manual work and improve efficiency
  • Stay at the forefront of modern recruiting practices

Process & Strategy

  • Design and evolve hiring processes that balance speed and quality
  • Translate business hiring needs into effective recruiting strategies in partnership with the People Business Partner
  • Contribute to employer brand by shaping how COMPANY shows up to candidates

Requirements

  • 4+ years of experience in recruiting across non‑technical roles
  • Proven track record of hiring high‑quality candidates in fast‑paced environments
  • Strong ability to assess candidate quality and generate clear hiring signals
  • Experience partnering with a variety of business functions (e.g. commercial, operations, finance, etc.)
  • Comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy while partnering closely with stakeholders
  • Strong stakeholder partner – able to influence and push back constructively
  • Highly organized and able to manage multiple roles without dropping the ball
  • Excellent communication skills and strong attention to detail

Ideal Candidate

  • Demonstrates a strong commitment to quality of hire, not just filling roles
  • Highly proactive, with a bias toward action and the ability to operate without direction
  • Able to move quickly while maintaining strong judgment and decision‑making standards
  • AI‑savvy, with a continuous focus on automation and improving efficiency
  • Takes full ownership of problems and drives outcomes end‑to‑end
  • Motivated by building and improving systems, not just maintaining existing processes

What Success Looks Like

  • We consistently hire high‑quality talent across non‑technical functions
  • New hires are high‑performing and successful in their roles
  • Improved probation pass rates through better hiring decisions
  • Hiring managers are unblocked and supported
  • Our reliance on external recruiters decreases significantly over time
  • Candidates have a fast, thoughtful, and high‑quality experience
  • COMPANY consistently attracts top‑tier talent

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Talent Acquisition Specialist - MUST BE WORKING FOR A START UP! • Cape Town, Western Cape, ZA