Executive Talent Acquisition Partner

West Midlands Combined Authority; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

EV car benefit

Healthcare plans

Discounted gym membership

Costco membership

Job summary

West Midlands Combined Authority is seeking an Executive Talent Acquisition Partner to lead the recruitment of Directors, Chief Officers and other senior appointments. You will blend executive search expertise with market insight to help WMCA make informed, inclusive leadership choices.

You will oversee external partners, build high-quality pipelines, design evidence-based assessment processes and ensure a strong candidate experience across campaigns.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading senior or executive recruitment campaigns.
• Experience advising senior leaders and appointment panels on recruitment decisions.
• Experience managing supplier relationships including executive search firms and MSPs.

Responsibilities

• Lead inclusive and compliant executive and senior leadership recruitment campaigns from brief to appointment.
• Advise senior stakeholders and panels using evidence and market insight to support decisions.
• Build executive talent pipelines through market mapping, research and targeted engagement.
• Design robust, inclusive assessment and selection processes with high candidate experience.
• Oversee executive search firms, recruitment agencies and MSPs with governance and cost control.
• Use workforce data and market intelligence to improve outcomes, diversity and succession planning.

Skills

Executive recruitment

Stakeholder management

Market mapping

Sourcing senior candidates

Governance & SLAs

Education

Degree-level qualification in HR or related

Job description

The leaders we appoint shape our organisation, our culture and the impact we deliver for the West Midlands.

As our Executive Talent Acquisition Partner, you will lead the recruitment of Directors, Chief Officers, Executive Directors and other critical senior appointments. You will combine executive search expertise, market intelligence and credible stakeholder advice to help WMCA make informed, inclusive and evidence-based leadership appointments.

You will work closely with senior leaders, appointment panels and external partners, building high-quality executive talent pipelines and delivering a professional candidate experience throughout every campaign. You will also oversee executive search and recruitment suppliers, ensuring strong governance, service excellence and value for money.

This is an opportunity to influence leadership capability across WMCA and support our ambition to create a values-driven, high-performing organisation where people can do their best work and belong.

What you will be doing

• Lead inclusive and compliant executive and senior leadership recruitment campaigns, from the initial brief and market positioning through to assessment and appointment.
• Advise, influence and constructively challenge senior stakeholders and appointment panels, using evidence and market insight to support fair and informed decisions.
• Build executive talent pipelines through market mapping, research, targeted sourcing and credible engagement with senior candidates across the public, private and third sectors.
• Design robust, inclusive and evidence-based assessment and selection processes that provide a high-quality experience for candidates and stakeholders.
• Manage executive search firms, recruitment agencies and the Managed Service Provider, monitoring service levels, expenditure, governance, performance risks and recruitment outcomes.
• Use recruitment data, workforce information and executive market intelligence to improve campaign outcomes, diversity, succession planning, value for money and future leadership capability.

What's essential

• Significant experience leading senior or executive-level recruitment campaigns.
• Experience working with executive search firms, recruitment agencies and senior external suppliers.
• A strong understanding of executive search methodologies and talent mapping techniques.
• Experience advising, influencing and constructively challenging senior leaders and executive stakeholders on recruitment and appointment decisions.
• Knowledge of recruitment governance, employment legislation and best-practice selection methods.
• Experience developing and managing supplier performance frameworks and service level agreements.
• Account management - enterprise level experience.
• Experience delivering inclusive recruitment strategies.
• Experience managing Managed Service Provider or recruitment supplier relationships, including monitoring service level agreements, expenditure, performance risks and recruitment outcomes.
• Strong stakeholder management, influencing and relationship-building skills, with the ability to build credibility and challenge effectively at Chief Executive, Executive Director, Chief Officer, Board and Committee level.
• Extensive knowledge and application of executive search methodologies, market mapping and executive talent identification techniques.
• The ability to use labour market intelligence, executive talent insight and organisational workforce information to inform recruitment and succession-planning decisions.
• Strong executive assessment and selection capability, including interviewing, candidate evaluation and evidence-based decision-making.
• Strong analytical, reporting and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate data and market intelligence into actionable recommendations.
• Proven project-management and campaign-delivery skills, with the ability to manage multiple senior appointments and complex recruitment processes simultaneously.
• High levels of discretion, judgement, political awareness and confidentiality when managing sensitive recruitment activities and stakeholder relationships.
• A degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience in Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, Workforce Planning, Organisational Development, Business Management or a related discipline.
• Evidence of continuous professional or personal development.
• Professional training and development in recruitment practices.

Location

The location for this role is 16 Summer Lane, with two days a week spent in the office.

Salary and benefits.

We advertise salary ranges, with new appointments typically starting at the lowest salary point. In exceptional cases, the salary point may be adjusted to secure the best candidate. This approach allows for potential year-on-year salary increases, offering progression and appropriate rewards to employees. Requests for salaries above the maximum advertised range will not be considered.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Local Government Pension Scheme (one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK).
• Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contributionscheme where you can build an additional pot of money alongside your pension with contributions exempt from Income Tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs).
• 28 days paid annual leave (with an option to purchase more) + Statutory days.
• EV car benefit scheme
• Healthcare plans.
• Discounted gym membership, will writing,andmortgage advice.
• An option to buy a bicycle, including e-bikes and adapted pedal cycles, at a discounted rate.
• 3 days of paid leave each year to volunteer.
• Interest-free financing through SmartTech to buy the latest technology
• Discounted shopping with over 2,000 big-name retailers, and more. You can now also obtain a Costcomembership through the WMCA.
• Boundlessunlocks unlimited entry to top-rated UK attractions and loads of extra benefits and discounts.
• EyeCare Scheme,offering a free eye test and a financial contribution towards your glasses.

For more information, please visit the benefits page on our career site.

Why join WMCA?

WMCA is laser-focused on improving the West Midlands, bringing economic growth, jobs, homes, and better journeys to the region. We target local needs where it matters most, ensuring everyone has a job that pays well and has access to safe and affordable places they can call home.

We put people and place at the heart of everything we do, working hand in hand with our partners to direct funding where it's needed most. What you do, really matters, your expertise will help make a big difference, improving people's lives, every day.

Our Values and Behaviours.

• Collaborative -We work as one organisation. Together we build trust, connection and shared purpose across teams, partners and residents to create the biggest impact for our region.
• Driven -We are focused on outcomes. We perform at our best to unlock productivity and delivery, achieving the greatest regional impact.
• Inclusive - We value difference. Creating an environment where people belong, and feel psychologically safe, so we can all thrive and shape a West Midlands built for everyone.
• Innovative - We are courageous. We embrace new ideas and challenge the status quo to continuously improve and shape the future of the West Midlands.

Creating an inclusive workplace.

WMCA holds diversity accreditations, such as the RACE Code Quality Mark, Armed Forces Covenant (Gold status) and has been recognised as one of the Inclusive Top 50 Employers and The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. We're a Disability Confident Employer with Leader' status, committed to interviewing applicants with disabilities who meet all the essential role criteria.

We are also proud to be a Ban the Box employer, which means we do not ask about criminal convictions at the initial application stage, and will only ask after an offer is made as part of our onboarding checks, which helps us remove barriers for people with past convictions and supporting fair opportunities for all.

We recognise that certain groups, such as women and people of colour, may be less likely to apply for roles if they feel they do not meet all the requirements. However, we encourage individuals who are passionate about the role and want to make a difference to still apply. We value potential and encourage applicants to highlight their skills, including transferable ones, even if they don't fit the traditional "perfect candidate" mould.

We gladly consider part-time, flexible, and job share arrangements, so please don't let these factors deter you from applying

Right to Work in the UK

Proof of Right to Work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed.

Non-UK applicants (excluding Ireland) would be required to hold a relevant Visa from the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).