Talent Acquistion Manager

Upgrowth HR. SDN BHD; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Upgrowth HR. SDN BHD in Kuala Lumpur is seeking a seasoned Head of Talent Acquisition to lead the function across two teams, align priorities, and drive performance with clear measures.

You will own end-to-end recruitment for internal and client assignments, translate requirements into briefs and sourcing plans, and coach the team on sourcing, screening, interviewing, offers and onboarding. The role also covers client service, budgets, forecasting, governance, and continuous improvement of

Qualifications

• Degree or diploma in HR or related field.
• At least 5 years in recruitment or talent acquisition.
• At least 2 years leading or supervising a recruitment team.
• Experience managing multiple vacancies and working with clients or hiring managers.
• Strong commercial awareness and ability to balance delivery quality, timelines, costs and service fees.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the overall Talent Acquisition function, including Team A and Team B.
• Set clear recruitment priorities, responsibilities and performance expectations for each team.
• Review team and individual performance regularly, identify gaps and coach team members to improve.
• Build healthy competition between teams through clear, fair and transparent measures.
• Ensure both teams follow consistent recruitment standards, processes and service expectations.
• Identify recruitment capacity needs and recommend improvements to the team structure and workflow.
• Oversee end-to-end recruitment for internal hiring and client assignments.
• Translate hiring requirements into clear job briefs, sourcing plans and recruitment timelines.
• Guide the team on sourcing, screening, interviewing, shortlisting, interview coordination, offer management and onboarding follow-up.
• Monitor open vacancies, ageing roles, candidate pipelines and placement progress.
• Step in to support complex, urgent or senior-level searches when needed.
• Ensure recruitment recommendations are based on role fit, capability and evidence.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with clients and their designated HR contacts.
• Clarify hiring requirements, service scope, timelines, decision-making responsibilities and charges arrangements at the start of each assignment.
• Keep clients informed of progress, challenges, market feedback and next steps.
• Manage client expectations professionally and raise risks early when a role or timeline may be affected.
• Monitor recruitment service delivery and contribute to client retention and business growth.
• Work with the Founder and relevant teams to identify additional recruitment opportunities.
• Maintain an accurate sales pipeline covering new enquiries, confirmed assignments, active vacancies, expected placements and completed placements.
• Prepare recruitment revenue forecasts using realistic assumptions, including vacancy status, expected placement dates, agreed charges and likelihood of success.
• Track sales achieved against forecast and explain material changes, delays or risks.
• Maintain complete and accurate recruitment sales records, including client, candidate, role, charges, placement, and invoice details.
• Liaise with the Founder’s EA and Finance team to prepare and reconcile recruitment sales reports.
• Ensure placement and charges information is submitted promptly and accurately to support invoicing and financial reporting.
• Monitor agreed recruitment budgets, including sourcing costs, job advertisements, recruitment tools and other approved expenses.
• Identify overspending or cost risks early and seek approval before committing unbudgeted expenditure.
• Follow up with relevant teams on invoice status and payment updates when required, and flag outstanding items or discrepancies.
• Track key measures such as time to shortlist, time to fill, interview-to-offer conversion, placement success, agreeable-period outcomes, sales performance and client satisfaction.
• Use recruitment and sales data to identify bottlenecks and recommend practical improvements.
• Maintain accurate recruitment records and ensure candidate and client information is handled confidentially.
• Ensure the team follows approved processes, client communication arrangements and company requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Founder from time to time.

Skills

Numerical and analytical skills

Communication and negotiation

Coaching and leadership

Spreadsheets and reporting tools

Client management

Priority management

Education

Degree or diploma in HR or related field

Tools

Recruitment systems

Reporting tools

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION

Lead the Talent Acquisition Function

• Lead and manage the overall Talent Acquisition function, including Team A and Team B.
• Set clear recruitment priorities, responsibilities and performance expectations for each team.
• Review team and individual performance regularly, identify gaps and coach team members to improve.
• Build healthy competition between teams through clear, fair and transparent measures.
• Ensure both teams follow consistent recruitment standards, processes and service expectations.
• Identify recruitment capacity needs and recommend improvements to the team structure and workflow.

Deliver Recruitment for UpGrowth and Clients

• Oversee end-to-end recruitment for internal hiring and client assignments.
• Translate hiring requirements into clear job briefs, sourcing plans and recruitment timelines.
• Guide the team on sourcing, screening, interviewing, shortlisting, interview coordination, offer management and onboarding follow-up.
• Monitor open vacancies, ageing roles, candidate pipelines and placement progress.
• Step in to support complex, urgent or senior-level searches when needed.
• Ensure recruitment recommendations are based on role fit, capability and evidence.

Manage Client Service and Commercial Results

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with clients and their designated HR contacts.
• Clarify hiring requirements, service scope, timelines, decision-making responsibilities and charges arrangements at the start of each assignment.
• Keep clients informed of progress, challenges, market feedback and next steps.
• Manage client expectations professionally and raise risks early when a role or timeline may be affected.
• Monitor recruitment service delivery and contribute to client retention and business growth.
• Work with the Founder and relevant teams to identify additional recruitment opportunities.

Manage Recruitment Sales, Forecasts and Budgets

• Maintain an accurate sales pipeline covering new enquiries, confirmed assignments, active vacancies, expected placements and completed placements.
• Prepare recruitment revenue forecasts using realistic assumptions, including vacancy status, expected placement dates, agreed charges and likelihood of success.
• Track sales achieved against forecast and explain material changes, delays or risks.
• Maintain complete and accurate recruitment sales records, including client, candidate, role, charges, placement, and invoice details.
• Liaise with the Founder’s EA and Finance team to prepare and reconcile recruitment sales reports.
• Ensure placement and charges information is submitted promptly and accurately to support invoicing and financial reporting.
• Monitor agreed recruitment budgets, including sourcing costs, job advertisements, recruitment tools and other approved expenses.
• Identify overspending or cost risks early and seek approval before committing unbudgeted expenditure.
• Follow up with relevant teams on invoice status and payment updates when required, and flag outstanding items or discrepancies.

Improve Process, Reporting and Governance

• Track key measures such as time to shortlist, time to fill, interview-to-offer conversion, placement success, agreeable-period outcomes, sales performance and client satisfaction.
• Use recruitment and sales data to identify bottlenecks and recommend practical improvements.
• Maintain accurate recruitment records and ensure candidate and client information is handled confidentially.
• Ensure the team follows approved processes, client communication arrangements and company requirements.

Other Duties

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Founder from time to time.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Degree, diploma or equivalent experience in Human Resources, Business or a related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in recruitment or talent acquisition.
• At least 2 years of experience leading or supervising a recruitment team.
• Experience managing multiple vacancies and working with clients or hiring managers.
• Good understanding of recruitment revenue, placement fees, sales forecasting, budget
• monitoring and business reporting.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills, with the ability to maintain accurate records and explain variances.
• Experience using spreadsheets, recruitment systems and reporting tools.
• Strong communication, negotiation, coaching and problem-solving skills.
• Commercial awareness and the ability to balance delivery quality, timelines, costs and service
• fees.
• Able to manage changing priorities while keeping clients and the team updated.

What Success Looks Like

• Both teams deliver against clear and fair performance expectations.
• Vacancies are managed proactively, with timely shortlists and clear progress updates.
• Recruitment sales forecasts and reports are timely, accurate and supported by complete records.
• Recruitment expenditure is monitored against approved budgets.
• The EA and Finance team receive the information they need to prepare and reconcile sales reports.
• Clients receive consistent, professional recruitment support.
• The function improves its placement results, client retention and contribution to UpGrowth’s growth.

The Mindset That Fits UpGrowth

Ownership : You take responsibility from instruction to completion.

Proactiveness : You anticipate what is needed and act before matters become urgent.

Clarity : You communicate updates, risks and next steps in a simple and timely way.

Resourcefulness : You investigate, propose solutions and keep moving when information is incomplete.

Accountability : You follow up respectfully but firmly and do not allow commitments to disappear.

Growth mindset : You welcome feedback, learn quickly and continuously improve how work gets done.