Head of Talent Job Description: Strategic HR Leadership

The Head of Talent leads the design and delivery of talent strategies that attract, develop and retain high performing people. This role is suitable for a senior HR professional with proven experience in talent acquisition, development and workforce planning who can operate at board level and translate strategy into measurable outcomes.

Head of Talent Job Profile

The Head of Talent is responsible for shaping the organisation's talent agenda, ensuring the right people are in the right roles now and for the future. The role combines strategic workforce planning, employer brand leadership, senior stakeholder engagement and oversight of end to end recruitment and development practices.

The post holder will partner with executive leaders to align talent priorities with business objectives, champion inclusive hiring and development practices, and establish metrics to measure the effectiveness of talent interventions.

Head of Talent Job Description

This role requires a strategic thinker who can create and implement a comprehensive talent strategy that supports business growth and change. The Head of Talent will lead a cross functional team, set priorities across attraction, development and retention, and ensure processes are efficient, compliant and candidate centred.

Working closely with senior leaders, the Head of Talent will assess future capability needs, design succession plans, and drive initiatives to strengthen employer reputation. The role carries responsibility for defining success metrics, reporting progress to the executive team, and continuously improving approaches based on people analytics and business feedback.

The Head of Talent is expected to balance strategic leadership with hands on delivery where necessary, provide coaching to senior hiring managers, and foster a positive employee experience aligned to organisational values.

Head of Talent: Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a cohesive talent strategy aligned to organisational objectives and workforce plans.
• Lead and manage the talent team, setting clear goals, performance standards and professional development plans.
• Own employer brand positioning and candidate experience to attract high calibre candidates across levels.
• Design and oversee end to end recruitment processes, ensuring consistency, fairness and compliance.
• Partner with business leaders to define role profiles, selection criteria and senior appointment processes.
• Establish succession and talent pipelines for critical roles and monitor readiness through regular reviews.
• Drive learning and development strategies to close capability gaps and support career mobility.
• Implement diversity and inclusion initiatives within talent practices and monitor progress against objectives.
• Use people analytics to inform decision making, measure impact and report on key talent metrics.
• Advise on organisational design and workforce planning to support business transformation and growth.
• Manage stakeholder relationships across HR, finance and business units to secure buy in and resources.
• Ensure recruitment and talent practices comply with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Lead employer value proposition development and campaigns to improve attraction and retention.
• Provide coaching and guidance to senior leaders on talent-related matters and succession decisions.

Head of Talent: Requirements and Qualifications

• Degree in human resources, business, psychology or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Proven senior experience in talent management, talent acquisition or organisational development.
• Demonstrable track record of developing and delivering talent strategy at scale.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills at executive level.
• Excellent people management skills with experience of leading and developing teams.
• Solid understanding of workforce planning, succession management and capability frameworks.
• Experience using people data and metrics to drive decisions and improvements.
• Knowledge of employment law and recruitment compliance in relevant jurisdictions.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, able to represent talent priorities to boards.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver change in a fast paced environment.
• Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion with practical experience of embedding inclusive practices.
• Professional credibility and a consultative approach with senior leaders.