Talent Acquisition Manager- Non-Education

Cognita Schools; United Arab Emirates; Hybrid; AED 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognita Schools in Dubai seeks a proactive Talent Acquisition professional to manage the full recruitment lifecycle for corporate and regional roles. You will partner with hiring managers, source high-quality candidates through multiple channels, and ensure a smooth experience from screening to onboarding.

We value five+ years of experience, strong stakeholder skills, and comfort with ATS systems. In-house experience and CIPD are desirable in a multinational education setting.

Qualifications

• Five years of end-to-end recruitment experience across corporate functions.
• Proven ability to source talent via social media, networks and CV databases.
• Experience recruiting across IT, Finance, HR, Operations, Marketing and Admissions.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• In-house recruitment preferred; CIPD or HR qualification desirable.

Responsibilities

• Manage full recruitment lifecycle from sourcing to offer and onboarding.
• Provide market insights, guidance and recruitment best practices to hiring managers.
• Build and maintain talent pipelines and support recruitment events and campaigns.

Skills

Full-cycle recruitment

Stakeholder management

Sourcing strategies

ATS usage

Multilingual capabilities

Education

University degree

HR qualification (CIPD)

Job description

About Cognita:
Cognita is a global leader in independent education. Founded in 2004, we are a growing community of 90 schools in 20 countries - in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East - serving more than 100,000 students. Each of our schools are proudly unique, however our collective purpose is to create an environment where everyone can, "Thrive in a rapidly evolving world".

About Cognita:
Cognita is a global leader in independent education. Founded in 2004, we are a growing community of 90 schools in 20 countries - in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East - serving more than 100,000 students. Each of our schools are proudly unique, however our collective purpose is to create an environment where everyone can, "Thrive in a rapidly evolving world".

About the Role:
The Cognita Talent Acquisition Team - Non-Education plays a key role in building and delivering a high-quality talent pipeline for corporate and non-education positions across our schools and Regional Offices in Dubai. Working in a fast-paced, dynamic and competitive environment, the successful candidate will partner closely with hiring managers to understand workforce needs, develop effective sourcing strategies, and attract high-calibre talent through a variety of channels including LinkedIn, job boards, networking and proactive market mapping. The role involves managing the full recruitment lifecycle, from sourcing and screening candidates through to offer management and onboarding, while ensuring an exceptional candidate experience and full compliance with relevant regulatory requirements. You will also provide guidance and training to hiring managers on recruitment best practice and ATS usage, build and maintain strong talent pipelines, support recruitment events and sourcing campaigns, contribute to workforce planning and reporting activities, and assist with wider recruitment projects as required. This is an exciting opportunity for a proactive, commercially minded recruiter who enjoys building relationships, thinking creatively and delivering results in a collaborative team environment.
Working Arrangement: 4 days per week in the Dubai office or schools, 1 day working from home.

Who We Are Looking For:
We are looking for an experienced and proactive Talent Acquisition professional with at least five years' experience managing full-cycle recruitment across a variety of specialist and corporate functions. You will have a strong track record of sourcing high-quality talent through social media, professional networks, CV databases and applicant tracking systems, alongside experience recruiting for areas such as IT, Finance, HR, Operations, Marketing and Admissions. With excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building skills, you will be confident partnering with hiring managers and senior leaders, providing market insights, recruitment advice and guidance throughout the hiring process. Highly organised and able to manage multiple priorities, you will demonstrate sound judgement, strong negotiation skills and a commitment to delivering an exceptional candidate experience. Experience in-house is preferred, although applicants from specialist recruitment agencies will also be considered. A university degree and HR qualification, such as CIPD, are desirable, as is experience within the education sector, agency vendor management and multilingual capabilities relevant to the region.

Cognita Schools is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to safer recruitment checks, including an enhanced DBS check. Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is available on the school website. Details on Recruitment of Ex-Offenders is included within the Application Guidance.
We are an equal opportunities employer committed to diversity and treating all employees with dignity and respect regardless of background.