Talent Acquisition Executive

More about the role:

Burson is seeking a Talent Acquisition Executive to join our People & Culture team in the MENAT region. This role is essential to attracting and securing top communications talent across our growing business, with a primary focus on junior hires. Reporting to the Senior Talent Acquisition People Partner, you will be responsible for the full recruitment cycle for junior hires, from proactive sourcing and candidate engagement through to offer management and seamless onboarding. A key aspect of this role is ownership of the Burson Graduate Programme, ensuring we attract and develop the next generation of communications professionals. This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious recruitment professional to develop their career in a fast-paced, creative environment while building expertise in talent acquisition within the communications industry.

What you'll do:

• Source and build talent pipelines for junior to mid-level positions across the business through proactive headhunting, LinkedIn searches, job boards, social media, university partnerships, and employee referrals


• Own and manage the Burson Graduate Programme end-to-end, including sourcing graduate talent, coordinating assessment processes, liaising with universities, and ensuring a best-in-class candidate experience


• Schedule and coordinate interviews across multiple stakeholders and time zones, managing complex diaries and ensuring seamless interview experiences for all candidates and hiring managers


• Screen CVs and applications, conduct initial phone interviews, and maintain accurate candidate records and pipeline status updates in the Applicant Tracking System (ATS)


• Prepare and extend offer letters, conduct comprehensive reference checks, and manage the offer acceptance process while addressing candidate queries and negotiations


• Support new hire onboarding by coordinating pre-employment documentation, employment contracts, background checks, and ensuring all compliance and regulatory requirements are met


• Partner with hiring managers to understand role requirements, develop compelling job advertisements, and provide market insights on junior to mid-level talent availability and competitive positioning


• Track and report on recruitment metrics including time-to-hire, source effectiveness, pipeline health, and candidate experience feedback to support continuous improvement of hiring processes

Experience that contributes to success:

• 1-2 years of recruitment or talent acquisition experience, preferably within a professional services environment, communications agency, or in-house recruitment team


• Hands-on experience with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and recruitment tools such as LinkedIn Recruiter, with strong ability to manage candidate data and generate pipeline reports


• Demonstrated experience sourcing and building talent pipelines for junior to mid-level positions, with creative approaches to identifying and engaging candidates


• Proven ability to manage high-volume interview scheduling across multiple stakeholders, with exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail


• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with a professional, candidate-focused approach and ability to build relationships with universities and early career talent communities


• Experience supporting graduate recruitment programmes, campus hiring initiatives, or early careers talent attraction is highly desirable


• Understanding of UAE employment regulations, visa processes, and compliance requirements, with knowledge of Emiratisation initiatives considered a strong advantage


• Self-motivated and results-oriented with a collaborative mindset, ability to work under pressure, and genuine passion for connecting great people with exciting opportunities

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