Head of Talent

JR United Kingdom; Guildford; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

A fast-growing, private equity-backed education company seeks a Head of Talent to lead the end-to-end talent strategy. This role demands a strategic leader passionate about education to attract, develop, and retain top talent, while fostering a culture of high performance and inclusion.

Qualifications

• Proven success in high-growth, fast-paced environments.
• Deep expertise across talent acquisition, L&D, performance, and engagement.
• Strategic thinker with strong execution skills and a data-driven mindset.

Responsibilities

• Lead talent strategy and build a high-performing Talent team.
• Partner with leaders to forecast and fulfill talent needs.
• Drive performance management frameworks and employee engagement initiatives.

Skills

Talent Acquisition

Leadership Development

Employee Engagement

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Education

Experience in high-growth environments

Job description

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We’re a fast-growing, private equity-backed education company on a mission to transform learning outcomes at scale. With ambitious growth plans and a commitment to excellence, we’re building a world-class team to shape the future of education.

We’re looking for a strategic and hands-on Head of Talent to lead our end-to-end Talent strategy, reporting directly to the COO.

This is a critical leadership role responsible for attracting, developing, and retaining top talent across the business—while building a culture of high performance, continuous learning, and inclusion.

More about the role:

• Continuous improvement and execution of a scalable talent acquisition strategy aligned with business growth (currenlty one of the fastest growing businesses in Europe)
• Building a strong employer brand and candidate experience
• Partner with leaders to forecast and fulfill talent needs across all functions with the support of your team
• Using data to make informed decisions and business directives
• Lead the design and delivery of learning programs that build capability and support career growth
• Champion and ensure the businesses academy and apprenticeship programme and scheme are world class and fit for purpose
• Champion leadership development, coaching, and succession planning
• Embed a culture of continuous learning and feedback
• Oversee performance management frameworks that drive accountability and growth
• Lead employee engagement initiatives and culture-building programs
• Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion across all talent practices
• Build and lead a high-performing Talent team
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the executive team on all talent-related matters

More about you:

• Proven success in high-growth, fast-paced environments—ideally PE-backed/ mission-driven
• Deep expertise across talent acquisition, with further experience in L&D, performance, and engagement
• Strategic thinker with strong execution skills and a data-driven mindset
• Passionate about education and building high-impact teams