Head of Industrial Talent Acquisition Europe
Our client is strengthening its Global Knowledge Centre in Gdańsk and is seeking an experienced, strategic Head of Industrial Talent Acquisition Europe. This leadership role is dedicated to driving high‑volume industrial hiring across multiple European markets—ensuring plants, warehouses, and technical operations have the talent needed to keep production running efficiently and reliably.
As the Head of Industrial Talent Acquisition Europe, you will own the end‑to‑end recruitment strategy for blue‑collar and technical roles across the region. You will build and maintain talent pipelines critical for manufacturing, logistics, and technical functions, while ensuring delivery excellence, consistency, and compliance across markets.
You will lead, mentor, and empower TA Managers and Recruitment Teams, partner closely with senior operational and HR leaders, and play an essential role in aligning recruitment demand with production forecasts and workforce planning. The position reports directly to the Head of Knowledge Centre Europe.
What You’ll Do
1. Strategic Workforce Enablement
- Build and execute a proactive recruitment roadmap for industrial and technical roles aligned with production planning and operational KPIs.
- Collaborate with plant and operations leadership to anticipate seasonal workforce needs, labour shortages, and ramp‑ups.
- Provide labour market insights, workforce trend analysis, and capacity recommendations to influence business decisions.
- Align regional recruitment frameworks with global TA strategy while adapting to local labour regulations and union agreements.
- Lead TA Managers and recruitment teams specialising in high‑volume, multi‑country industrial hiring.
- Define KPIs, performance standards, priorities, and service levels tied to business outcomes.
- Develop team capabilities in sourcing, market engagement, recruitment operations, and stakeholder management.
3. Stakeholder Partnership & Advisory
- Act as a strategic thought partner for business and HR leaders on workforce planning, hiring priorities, and organisational design.
- Collaborate closely with HR Business Partners, Production Leadership, and Finance to align hiring forecasts with budget and production schedules.
- Influence decision‑making related to workforce strategy, vendor selection, and headcount planning.
4. Operational Excellence
- Oversee end‑to‑end recruitment delivery for industrial roles across multiple European countries, ensuring scalability, efficiency, and compliance.
- Optimize technology, automation, and data usage within the TA function to enhance performance.
- Continuously improve sourcing channels, including labour offices, job boards, community outreach, vocational networks, and industrial staffing agencies.
- Manage vendor partnerships to ensure cost efficiency and quality of services.
- Strengthen employer brand presence across industrial markets in partnership with Communications and local P&C teams.
- Build and maintain long‑term partnerships with technical schools, vocational institutions, and industrial associations.
- Leverage digital tools (LinkedIn, Talent Insights) and local labour networks to attract technical and blue‑collar talent.
- Ensure a consistent, engaging, and value‑driven candidate experience across all markets.
6. Governance, Compliance & Standards
- Ensure TA activities comply with European labour laws, GDPR, and internal governance policies.
- Work alongside global process owners and HRIS product teams to align systems and processes (e.g. SAP SuccessFactors).
- Maintain strong documentation, reporting standards, and audit readiness across the region.
Decision‑Making & Influence
- Strategic impact on workforce scalability, operational continuity, and time‑to‑hire across all European entities.
- Advisory influence over workforce planning, organisational design, and talent investment.
- Authority over TA budgets, vendor selection, and regional team structure.
- Key contributor to shaping and executing global TA strategy.
What You Bring
Professional Experience
- 10+ years in Talent Acquisition, including 5+ years in multi‑country leadership.
- Extensive experience in high‑volume industrial/manufacturing recruitment, including blue‑collar workforce strategies.
- Background in TA transformation, process scale‑up, or shared services/global business services is a strong advantage.
- Proven ability to deliver measurable hiring outcomes aligned with business needs.
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing abilities at senior levels.
- Analytical mindset and data‑driven decision‑making.
- Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
- Strategic thinking combined with operational discipline.
- Ability to operate effectively across complex labour markets, cultures, and regulatory frameworks.
- Proficiency with ATS/HRIS systems (SAP SuccessFactors, Workday, ServiceNow) and sourcing tools (LinkedIn Talent Insights).
Education
- University degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field (Master’s preferred).
Key Interfaces
- Regional & Global HR Leadership
- HR Business Partners
- Production & Operations Leadership
- Finance & Business Unit Heads
- TA Global Process Owners
- External staffing providers, universities, vocational schools, and labour offices
How Success Will Be Measured
- Achievement of hiring targets within agreed SLAs and quality standards
- Increased hiring efficiency and reduced time‑to‑fill
- Positive stakeholder and candidate experience feedback
- Standardisation and compliance across markets
- Development, engagement, and retention of a high‑performing TA team
What the Client Offers
As part of the Gdańsk‑based Knowledge Centre Europe, you will benefit from:
- Hybrid work model – flexibility and a modern office environment
- Private medical care
- Life insurance
- Sports card (Multisport or equivalent)
- Friendly, inclusive organisational culture
- Opportunity to build and lead a regional, strategic TA function with real business impact
Ready to Shape the Future of Industrial Talent Acquisition in Europe? Apply Today.
Join a growing Knowledge Centre and lead recruitment strategies that support production continuity, operational excellence, and organisational growth across Europe.
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