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

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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