Rrecruitment & Retention Lead

Morgan McKinley; Cavan; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan McKinley in Ireland seeks an experienced Talent Acquisition Leader to shape the end-to-end recruitment strategy and lead a high-performing team. You will partner with key stakeholders to align hiring with growth and develop sustainable retention initiatives.

The role requires multi-channel attraction, direct sourcing, KPI-driven processes, and a strong focus on candidate experience to optimise time-to-hire for high-volume roles.

Qualifications

• Talent Acquisition Expertise: Proven track record in high-volume recruitment with direct sourcing, candidate assessment, and pipeline management.
• Leadership Experience: Prior experience in people management, team leadership, or directing talent acquisition workflows.
• Retention Mindset: Proactive, candidate-centric approach focused on workforce engagement and long-term retention.
• Commercial & Operational Acumen: Thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic operational environment and communicate effectively across all organisational levels.
• Transferable Sector Background: Experience in logistics, transport, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, healthcare, construction, or other high-volume industries.
• HR Foundation: Good practical understanding of HR processes, compliance, and employment guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Develop multi-channel candidate attraction strategies using job boards, social media, LinkedIn, direct sourcing, referrals, and agencies.
• Drive initiatives to improve retention, engagement, and candidate experience.
• Lead, mentor, and manage the recruitment team for high performance and efficient pipeline management.
• Establish and optimise recruitment KPIs to improve time-to-hire, conversion rates, and sourcing effectiveness.
• Partner with operational managers, HR teams, and commercial leads to align hiring with core business goals.
• Apply HR policies and assessment frameworks to ensure fair and compliant hiring.

Skills

Direct sourcing

High-volume recruitment

People management

Employee engagement

Stakeholder management

HR compliance

Job description

This is a pivotal, hands-on role designed for a talent acquisition leader who can balance strategic vision with operational execution. Reporting to key business stakeholders, you will be responsible for shaping the end-to-end recruitment process, leading a team, and developing sustainable retention strategies that go beyond simply filling vacancies.

Key Responsibilities

• Recruitment Strategy & Attraction: Develop and implement multi-channel candidate attraction strategies utilising job boards, social media, LinkedIn, direct sourcing, referral schemes, talent databases, and external agencies.
• Retention & Engagement: Drive initiatives focused on improving driver retention, employee engagement, and candidate experience to build long-term workforce stability.
• Team Leadership & Management: Lead, mentor, and manage the recruitment team to ensure high performance, clear accountability, and efficient pipeline management.
• Performance & KPI Tracking: Establish, track, and optimise recruitment KPIs to streamline time-to-hire, improve conversion rates, and elevate overall sourcing effectiveness.
• Stakeholder Management: Partner closely with operational managers, HR teams, and commercial leads to align hiring strategies with core business goals.
• HR & Compliance Alignment: Apply sound working knowledge of HR policies, employment practices, and assessment frameworks to ensure fair and compliant hiring.

What We Are Looking For

• Talent Acquisition Expertise: Proven track record in high-volume recruitment with strong skills in direct sourcing, candidate assessment, and pipeline management.
• Leadership Experience: Prior experience in people management, team leadership, or directing talent acquisition workflows.
• Retention Mindset: A proactive, candidate-centric approach focused on workforce engagement and long-term retention rather than transactional hiring.
• Commercial & Operational Acumen: Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic operational environment and communicate effectively across all organisational levels.
• Transferable Sector Background: Experience in logistics, transport, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, healthcare, construction, or other high-volume industries.
• HR Foundation: Good practical understanding of HR processes, compliance, and employment guidelines.