Talent Acquisition Partner

Syenta; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity opportunities

12% Superannuation

Flexible leave policies

Professional growth

Team events

Job summary

Syenta seeks a dedicated Talent Acquisition hunter to build a world-class team from the ground up in Australia. You’ll map global markets, engage passive candidates, and partner with technical leaders to solve meaningful problems.

This role demands hands-on sourcing, creative outreach, and a proven track record of closing difficult roles. You’ll help establish Syenta’s TA function and own end-to-end candidate engagement.

Qualifications

• Experience in technical recruitment, particularly in engineering, semiconductor, advanced manufacturing, or deep technology.
• International sourcing experience across multiple regions (US, Europe, Asia).
• Proven track record of sourcing and closing difficult-to-fill roles.

Responsibilities

• Proactively identify, source, and engage exceptional technical talent across Australia and international markets.
• Build targeted pipelines for highly specialised roles spanning semiconductor engineering, process development, automation, mechanical engineering, software, and materials science
• Go beyond LinkedIn and job boards to uncover exceptional people.
• Develop an understanding of global talent markets and where leaders in each discipline work.
• Build relationships with high-potential candidates long before a vacancy exists.
• Experiment with new sourcing channels and outreach approaches.
• Own candidate engagement from first conversation through accepted offers.
• Craft compelling narratives around Syenta's mission, technology, challenges, and career opportunities.
• Navigate compensation, relocation, and complex candidate decisions with integrity.
• Drive hiring processes forward with urgency and high standards of assessment.
• Help establish Syenta's dedicated Talent Acquisition function and maintain accurate pipelines.

Skills

Direct sourcing

Headhunting

Stakeholder management

International sourcing

ATS/CRM familiarity

Tech recruitment

Negotiation

Relationship-building

Tools

LinkedIn

Research tools

Job description

We're looking for a hunter, not a recruitment coordinator.

As Syenta's first dedicated Talent Acquisition hire, you'll have the opportunity to help build a world-class team from the ground up.

We're looking for someone who genuinely loves recruitment. Someone who gets a thrill from finding an exceptional candidate nobody else has discovered, enjoys the challenge of turning a passive prospect into an engaged candidate, and takes real pride in closing a hard-fought hire.

You won't be waiting for applications to arrive. You'll be mapping global talent markets, approaching exceptional engineers and scientists, building relationships with people who aren't actively looking, and convincing them that Syenta is where they can do the most meaningful work of their careers.

You'll work directly with our technical leaders to understand the problems we're solving and identify the people capable of solving them.

This is a high-ownership, high-impact role. You'll be given the autonomy to pursue creative sourcing strategies, challenge conventional hiring approaches, and continuously improve how we find and attract talent.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Proactively identify, source, and engage exceptional technical talent across Australia and international markets.
• Build targeted pipelines for highly specialised roles spanning semiconductor engineering, process development, automation, mechanical engineering, software, and materials science
• Go beyond LinkedIn and job boards. Explore research publications, patents, conferences, universities, technical communities, competitor organisations, and personal networks to uncover exceptional people.
• Develop a deep understanding of global talent markets and identify where the best people in each discipline are working.
• Build relationships with high-potential candidates long before a vacancy exists.
• Continuously experiment with new sourcing channels, outreach approaches, and talent engagement strategies.
• Take ownership of candidate engagement from the first conversation through to accepted offer.
• Build compelling, personalised narratives around Syenta's mission, technology, technical challenges, and career opportunities.
• Understand what motivates exceptional candidates and develop thoughtful strategies to win their interest.
• Confidently navigate competing offers, compensation expectations, relocation considerations, and complex candidate decisions.
• Treat every difficult-to-close candidate as a challenge worth solving, without compromising candidate experience or integrity.
• Challenge assumptions about candidate backgrounds, experience requirements, compensation, and talent availability.
• Drive hiring processes forward with urgency, ensuring timely feedback, clear decisions, and a consistently high standard of candidate assessment.
• Help establish the foundations of Syenta's dedicated Talent Acquisition function.
• Own and maintain accurate candidate pipelines, recruitment CRM records, and ATS workflows.
• Leverage technology, automation, and AI tools to increase sourcing reach and recruitment effectiveness.
• Identify bottlenecks and continuously improve how Syenta attracts, assesses, and secures talent.

We're less interested in how many years you've spent in recruitment and more interested in what you've actually delivered.

You might be a high-performing agency recruiter who wants to own the long-term impact of your placements, or an exceptional internal talent partner who misses the thrill of the hunt.

What matters is your mindset, track record, and ability to deliver.

You are;

• A natural hunter. You don't wait for opportunities to come to you. You actively pursue them, uncover hidden talent, and create opportunities others miss.
• A closer. You genuinely enjoy winning over exceptional candidates, navigating difficult conversations, and getting offers across the line.
• Relentlessly resourceful. When conventional sourcing methods fail, you find another way. You are creative, persistent, and comfortable experimenting.
• Comfortable with ambiguity. You thrive in a fast-moving startup where priorities evolve and there isn't always an established process to follow.
• An owner. You take personal responsibility for progressing searches, solving problems, and delivering results without needing to be chased.

What you'll bring;

• Experience in technical recruitment, particularly engineering, semiconductor, advanced manufacturing, or deep technology.
• International sourcing experience, particularly across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
• A demonstrated track record of successfully sourcing and closing difficult-to-fill roles.
• Strong direct sourcing and headhunting capabilities, including engaging passive candidates.
• Experience independently managing recruitment processes and influencing hiring decisions.
• Excellent candidate engagement, relationship-building, and negotiation skills.
• Confidence working with senior stakeholders and challenging assumptions constructively.
• Familiarity with recruitment CRMs, ATS platforms, and modern sourcing tools.
• A proactive, results-driven approach with the resilience to handle rejection and setbacks.

Why Choose Syenta?

We’re passionate about building a diverse, people-first company. Our culture of collaboration and mutual respect fuels innovation capable of redefining an industry. At Syenta, you’ll have the opportunity to take ownership, lead high-impact teams, and shape the future of semiconductor manufacturing.

What We Offer

We offer a competitive remuneration package, including equity and performance-based incentives that reward successful placements, particularly in hard-to-fill technical roles.

• Early-stage equity opportunities
• 12% superannuation contributions
• Flexible leave policies and a strong work-life balance
• Professional growth in a high-impact, fast-growing deep-tech startup
• Team events and collaborative culture, including company-wide gatherings in Australia