Group Head of Talent Acquisition

Group Head of Talent Acquisition Reporting to: Chief People Officer (CPO)

Location: Bon Secours Health System Head Office

Contract: Permanent

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Talent Acquisition Leadership & Transformation Lead the establishment, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Group wide Talent Acquisition Shared Services model, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and excellence in recruitment delivery. Partner with the CPO and senior leadership team to develop and implement strategic workforce attraction plans aligned to organisational priorities and service delivery needs. Work closely with the Head of Organisational Development & Design to translate workforce planning and organisational design requirements into proactive recruitment strategies. Lead the implementation, optimisation, and governance of Workday Talent Acquisition and related recruitment technologies. Provide strategic labour market intelligence, workforce insights, and recruitment risk analysis to support organisational decision making. Develop and maintain recruitment frameworks, policies, standards, and processes that ensure compliance with employment legislation, healthcare regulations, and organisational governance requirements. Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance recruitment effectiveness, operational efficiency, and service quality.
• Talent Sourcing, Pipeline Development & International Recruitment Develop and implement innovative sourcing strategies to build sustainable talent pipelines for critical and hard to fill positions across clinical, operational, and corporate functions. Lead international recruitment initiatives, ensuring compliance with relevant immigration, professional registration, relocation, and employment requirements. Reduce organisational reliance on agency and temporary staffing through effective workforce planning and proactive talent attraction strategies. Establish strong relationships with recruitment partners, educational institutions, professional bodies, and workforce agencies to support talent acquisition objectives. Develop and maintain talent communities and candidate networks to support future workforce requirements. Create workforce attraction strategies targeting key talent segments, including nursing, allied health professionals, consultants, and specialist support functions.
• Employer Brand & Candidate Experience Partner with the Marketing and Communications teams to develop and promote a compelling Employer Value Proposition (EVP) aligned with the organisation's mission, values, and strategic objectives. Lead initiatives to strengthen Bon Secours Health System's reputation as an employer of choice across local, national, and international markets. Ensure a seamless and positive candidate journey from application through onboarding, delivering an exceptional candidate experience. Develop recruitment marketing campaigns, social media strategies, and attraction initiatives that increase awareness and engagement with target talent pools. Represent the organisation at recruitment events, career fairs, industry conferences, and professional networking opportunities. Monitor candidate feedback and recruitment outcomes to continually improve recruitment processes and engagement strategies.
• Workforce Planning, Talent Management & Performance Collaborate with HR, Organisational Development, and business leaders to align talent acquisition strategies with workforce planning, succession planning, and organisational capability objectives. Support internal mobility initiatives, career pathways, and talent development programmes that promote employee retention and progression. Partner with Finance to ensure recruitment activity aligns with approved workforce plans, budgets, and organisational priorities. Develop and maintain executive talent acquisition dashboards and reporting frameworks measuring key recruitment metrics including: Time to Fill, Cost per Hire, Quality of Hire, Source Effectiveness, Recruitment Funnel Conversion Rates, Diversity and Inclusion Metrics. Use recruitment data, analytics, and market insights to inform decision making and demonstrate organisational impact. Build recruitment capability across the organisation through training, coaching, and guidance on best practice selection and assessment methodologies.
• Mission, Culture & Values Alignment Ensure all talent acquisition activities reflect the mission, vision, values, and ethical principles of Bon Secours Health System. Support Mission formation programmes, Mission induction activities, and organisational values initiatives. Embed inclusive recruitment practices that promote equality, diversity, and inclusion across all stages of the recruitment lifecycle. Foster a culture of collaboration, respect, integrity, and excellence within the Talent Acquisition team and across stakeholder groups. Participate in the BSMH Integration Roadmap and collaborate with BSMH HR Shared Services teams to strengthen recruitment capability and service delivery across the wider organisation.
• Governance & Continuous Improvement Ensure all recruitment activity complies with relevant employment legislation, GDPR, Garda Vetting requirements, healthcare regulations, and organisational policies. Establish governance frameworks and service standards that support quality, compliance, and operational excellence. Monitor recruitment effectiveness through performance metrics, candidate and hiring manager feedback, and market benchmarking. Lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance recruitment processes, systems, technology utilisation, and stakeholder experience. Ensure effective management of third party recruitment suppliers, agency partners, and external service providers.
• Stakeholder Engagement Build strong and effective relationships with senior leaders, hiring managers, HR teams, Finance, Marketing, and external partners. Act as a trusted advisor on talent acquisition strategy, workforce market trends, and recruitment best practice. Facilitate stakeholder workshops, workforce planning discussions, and recruitment strategy sessions. Communicate talent acquisition priorities, progress, outcomes, and workforce insights to key stakeholders across the organisation. Influence organisational decision making through expert advice, evidence based recommendations, and strong professional credibility.

Candidate Requirements Essential Qualifications

• Degree in Human Resources, Business, Organisational Psychology, Management, or a related discipline.

Desirable Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualification in Human Resources, Talent Management, Strategic Workforce Planning, Business, or a related field.
• CIPD membership or equivalent professional accreditation.
• Qualification or certification in Talent Acquisition, Recruitment Management, Workforce Planning, or Project Management.

Essential Experience

• Significant senior level experience in Talent Acquisition, Recruitment Leadership, Workforce Planning, or Strategic HR.
• Experience leading Talent Acquisition teams within complex, multi site organisations.
• Proven track record of delivering transformational recruitment strategies and talent attraction initiatives.
• Experience developing and implementing workforce planning and talent pipeline strategies.
• Demonstrated success influencing senior leaders and contributing to organisational strategy.
• Experience implementing and optimising recruitment technologies, applicant tracking systems, and recruitment analytics.
• Strong understanding of Irish employment legislation, GDPR, Garda Vetting requirements, and recruitment compliance standards.
• Experience sourcing and attracting talent across national and international markets.

Desirable Experience

• Experience in healthcare, healthcare services, public sector, voluntary sector, pharmaceutical, or other regulated environments.
• Experience transitioning recruitment services from decentralised structures to Shared Services or Centre of Excellence models.
• Experience leading large scale organisational transformation and change initiatives.
• Experience supporting international recruitment and workforce mobility programmes.
• Experience working across multiple locations and jurisdictions.

Essential Skills

• Deep understanding of strategic talent acquisition, workforce planning, sourcing strategy, and employer branding.
• Expertise in recruitment transformation, shared services models, and talent acquisition technology.
• Strong analytical capability with the ability to interpret workforce data, recruitment metrics, and labour market trends.
• Excellent leadership, communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong influencing, negotiation, and relationship building abilities.
• Ability to coach and develop leaders and hiring managers in recruitment best practices.
• Excellent project management and change leadership skills.
• Advanced IT capability including HR systems, talent acquisition platforms, reporting tools, and Microsoft Office applications.

Personal Attributes

• Strategic thinker with a commercial and organisational mindset.
• Collaborative and relationship focused leader.
• Credible, resilient, and capable of influencing at executive level.
• Innovative and solutions oriented with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Values driven, committed to inclusion, diversity, and employee experience.
• Highly motivated, adaptable, and results focused.
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