Talent Acquisition Lead (12-month FTC) - Leading VC Firm

Hawkwood l People & Talent Recruiting; England; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading venture capital firm in Central London is seeking a Talent Lead for a 12-month fixed-term contract. This pivotal role involves designing and executing recruitment strategies while partnering with senior leadership. The ideal candidate should thrive in fast-paced environments, be confident in liaising with stakeholders, and have a background in VC or similar settings. Offering a hybrid working style with a competitive salary of £90k - £150k based on experience.

Qualifications

• Experience in VC-backed companies or in-house executive search in tech/FS.
• Strong organizational skills under pressure.
• Ability to influence senior decision-makers.

Responsibilities

• Own the hiring program end-to-end.
• Coordinate partners and senior stakeholders.
• Collaborate across functions to keep searches moving.

Skills

High-agency

Confident with senior stakeholders

Hands-on and low-ego

Process craftsmanship

Pragmatic and values-aligned

Job description

Salary: This will depend on experience, but likely to be somewhere between £90k - £150k.

Start date: ASAP (we could wait for a one-month notice period)

Location: Central London

Working style: Hybrid (minimum 3 days p/week in the office)

The client is also open to considering part-time hours on a 4 day working week

Introduction

Hawkwood are delighted to be partnering with a leading London-based venture capital firm on the appointment of a Talent Lead on a 12-month fixed-term contract. This is a high-impact internal role within one of Europe’s most respected investors in technology and science-driven businesses, having successfully backed many category-defining unicorns.

About the Role

This newly created position will play a pivotal role in growth one of Europe’s most respected venture capital firms. Operating at the heart of the fund, you will be responsible for designing and executing a cohesive internal hiring strategy that enables the business to attract, assess and onboard world-class talent across multiple disciplines, including their investment team.

The Talent Lead will act as a trusted partner to senior leadership, overseeing all recruitment activity with a focus on operational excellence, stakeholder alignment and candidate experience. You will establish best-practice processes, strengthen internal capability, and ensure the firm’s growth plans are supported by a thoughtful, structured and values-driven approach to hiring.

This is a hands‑on role for someone who thrives in fast‑moving, high‑performing environments, combining the pragmatism of an operator with the credibility to influence senior decision‑makers.

What you’ll do

• Own the hiring programme end-to-end - plan, pipeline, schedule, run debriefs, and drive decisions across multiple concurrent, business critical roles.
• Be the engine of momentum - coordinate partners and senior stakeholders, protect interview time, circulate packs, and secure timely feedback.
• Partner with Search firms - set briefs, select vendors, agree KPIs, and hold suppliers to a high bar on delivery and candidate care.
• Run direct processes where appropriate - especially for associate-level and early-career funnels; design simple assessment steps and structured debriefs.
• Design light process infrastructure - implement an ATS or pragmatic alternatives; ensure data hygiene, tracking, and reporting are reliable and auditable.
• Champion candidate experience - uphold a thoughtful, empathetic and efficient recruitment process from first touch to close.
• Collaborate across functions - work closely with leadership, EAs, Finance, Compliance and Legal to keep searches moving.

About you

• High-agency - you run fast, stay organised under pressure, and keep multiple searches moving with minimal oversight.
• Confident with senior stakeholders - comfortable liaising with partners, holding the line on timelines, and pushing for clear decisions.
• Hands‑on and low‑ego - you are happy to do everything from scheduling and note capture to designing interview loops and vendor briefs.
• Background - VC experience is welcome but not required. Likely routes include extensive experience operating within VC‑backed companies, in‑house exec search within a larger tech/FS environment, or a mixed in‑house/agency profile with experience operating within a high‑performing environment.
• Process craftsmanship - you care about clean pipelines, crisp comms, structured interviews, and a consistent candidate journey.
• Pragmatic and values‑aligned - you’ll reflect the firm’s emphasis on humility, curiosity and long‑term thinking while keeping outcomes front and centre.

We recognise how competitive the current market is for Talent professionals, and Hawkwood is committed to ensuring a confidential, fair and positive candidate experience throughout.

If you’re interested in exploring this opportunity, please apply via this LinkedIn advert rather than by email or direct message. This ensures every application is reviewed fairly and consistently.