Talent Acquisition & Employer Brand Manager | Gauteng | Permanent

SUMMARY:
-

POSITION INFO:
Build the talent pipelines and employer reputation that help a leading South African FMCG business attract the people it needs to deliver on its strategic objectives. This is an opportunity to shape talent acquisition at a strategic level, combining executive recruitment, workforce planning, talent analytics and employer brand development. The Talent Acquisition & Employer Brand Manager will lead the development and execution of talent acquisition strategies across executive, senior leadership, professional, critical skills and young talent segments. Working closely with senior business leaders, HR Business Partners and People, Organisation and Effectiveness teams, the successful candidate will ensure that recruitment is proactive, commercially aligned and focused on securing high-quality talent. A key part of the role is developing a compelling employer brand and translating it into targeted campaigns that strengthen the organisation's position in the talent market. The role also provides strategic oversight of young talent initiatives, external talent mapping, leadership and critical-skills pipelines, recruitment technology, and talent acquisition analytics. Success will depend on the ability to influence senior stakeholders, build strategic external partnerships and continuously improve the candidate and hiring manager experience. The opportunity sits within the People Centre of Excellence of an established FMCG organisation with a broad operational footprint and a strong focus on attracting, developing and retaining talent. The business is looking for a commercially minded talent acquisition professional who can connect workforce requirements, employer brand positioning and recruitment execution to measurable business outcomes. What You'll Do Develop and implement talent acquisition strategies for executive, senior leadership, professional, critical-skills and young talent requirements. Lead the development and execution of the employer brand, representing the organisation to prospective employees and the external talent market. Develop and manage strategic workforce plans that support proactive recruitment, retention and succession planning. Build external talent maps and targeted talent pools for leadership positions and critical skills across the organisation. Partner with HR Business Partners, People, Organisation and Effectiveness managers, and senior leaders to develop sourcing strategies and fill key vacancies. Manage the full recruitment lifecycle for assigned executive, senior leadership, professional and critical roles. Provide strategic oversight of young talent programmes and integrate early-career initiatives into employer branding, talent acquisition and talent development strategies. Design and execute focused employer brand and recruitment campaigns for priority talent segments. Establish and manage strategic relationships with recruitment agencies, sourcing channels, universities and relevant industry partners. Leverage recruitment technology, applicant tracking systems, LinkedIn and other sourcing channels to improve candidate attraction and acquisition. Develop talent acquisition analytics and business intelligence in collaboration with People Insights specialists. Track and report on recruitment performance, including vacancy fill rates, time to fill, employment equity outcomes, employer brand effectiveness, candidate experience and hiring manager satisfaction. Promote compliance with the organisation's Employment Equity targets and BBBEE plan. Conduct candidate screenings, screening interviews, recruitment strategy meetings and hiring manager calibration sessions. Support the development of talent research capability and expertise across the People function. Negotiate recruitment and candidate remuneration expectations while balancing business requirements and candidate interests. What You Bring A bachelor's degree. Demonstrated experience managing the full recruitment lifecycle for executive-level positions. At least two years of executive recruitment experience in a corporate environment, preferably within FMCG. Experience engaging and influencing senior stakeholders across multiple business functions. Strong expertise in talent acquisition strategy, executive search, proactive sourcing and talent pipeline development. Experience designing and implementing employer brand initiatives and targeted talent attraction campaigns. The ability to build and manage relationships with external candidates, senior business leaders and strategic sourcing partners. Strong stakeholder management, negotiation and relationship-building capabilities. Experience using talent acquisition analytics and recruitment data to inform decisions and improve performance. Familiarity with applicant tracking systems, recruitment technology and digital sourcing platforms. A sound understanding of employment equity requirements and their application to recruitment. A commercial, analytical and collaborative approach to solving talent challenges. Previous experience in a managerial or technical role outside Human Resources would be advantageous. What Success Looks Like Improved vacancy fill rates and time to fill for priority positions. Stronger executive, senior leadership and critical-skills talent pipelines. Effective delivery against employment equity targets and the organisation's BBBEE plan. A credible, differentiated employer brand that strengthens the organisation's ability to attract and retain talent. Improved candidate experience and hiring manager satisfaction. Effective integration of young talent and early-career programmes into the broader talent strategy. Stronger use of recruitment analytics and market intelligence to support workforce planning and sourcing decisions. Successful achievement and maintenance of the organisation's employer-of-choice certification objectives. Continuous improvement in recruitment processes, technology utilisation and sourcing effectiveness. This is an opportunity for a strategic talent acquisition professional who can operate confidently with senior leadership while remaining close to recruitment execution. If you bring executive search expertise, commercial insight and a passion for building employer brands that connect organisations with exceptional talent, this role offers the scope to make a meaningful impact.