Talent Acquisition Operations Lead

Posted 5 Days Ago
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Reading, Berkshire, England, GBR
Hybrid
Senior level
Fashion • Retail
The Role
Lead a small TA operations team, manage recruitment vendors and global TA budget, drive AI/automation and process improvements, ensure governance and cross-functional alignment, and deliver TA transformation and operational excellence.
Summary Generated by Built In
Company Description

Talent Acquisition Operations Lead

Because we strive to put people first. Culture, our way. 

What’s a career at Primark all about? The positive impact you’re making, the experiences you’re having and the people you’re with. You’re our inspiration. Embrace what sets you apart, own your career and develop in ways you never expected. Leave your mark. And do it your way.

Job Description

What You’ll Get

The work you do shapes the impact we have. We’re focused on providing you with the culture to reach your potential. Your wellbeing is our top priority.

Lifestyle at Primark: Healthcare, pension, and potential bonus. 27 days of leave, plus bank holidays and if you want, you can buy 5 more. Because Primark is all about tailoring to you, we offer Tax Saver Tickets, fitness centre, and a subsidised cafeteria.

Qualifications

What You’ll Do as a Talent Acquisition Operations Lead

In your role, you’ll collaborate with different people across a range of skillsets. Here’s a flavour of your day-to-day:

  • Lead and develop a small TA operations team, providing direction, coaching, and support to ensure consistent, high-quality delivery while building capability across vendor management, systems, and continuous improvement.
  • Own and manage relationships with recruitment vendors and external partners, including performance management, renewals, tenders, and collaboration with Employer Branding, Procurement, and hiring support partners.
  • Manage the global Talent Acquisition operations budget, tracking ROI, analysing spend, and providing insights to optimise efficiency and support informed decision-making.
  • Drive AI and innovation initiatives by identifying and prioritising automation opportunities across the recruitment lifecycle, partnering with Technology and Process teams to pilot and implement solutions.
  • Ensure strong operational governance and cross-functional alignment by acting as a key liaison with internal stakeholders, maintaining consistency in tools, processes, and global TA practices.
  • Lead TA transformation and continuous improvement efforts, streamlining processes, enhancing productivity, optimising technology usage, and providing leadership with performance and innovation insights.

Additional Information

What You’ll Bring

Here at Primark, we want everyone to feel valued – so please bring your authentic self to work, of course with some other key experience and abilities for this role in particular:

  • 8+ years’ experience in talent acquisition or recruitment operations within large, complex, multi-region organisations, with strong expertise in end-to-end and high-volume hiring processes.
  • Proven experience managing recruitment vendors and external partners, with the ability to monitor performance, drive accountability, and maximise value.
  • Strong commercial acumen, including budget management, spend tracking, and evaluating ROI to support effective decision-making.
  • Experience working with recruitment technologies (e.g. ATS, sourcing platforms) and a keen interest in leveraging automation and AI to improve outcomes.
  • Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with Technology, Procurement, and HR teams in a matrixed environment, alongside strong data-driven decision-making skills.
  • Track record of leading teams and driving operational excellence, including process improvements, efficiency gains, and experience in global TA operations or retail environments (AI/automation project experience is a plus).

Ready? Good - because we can’t wait to see what you can offer. You’ll be joining a team of innovative and experienced people where you’ll truly belong, collaborating on projects that will shape the future of our industry. Apply to be part of our future and we’ll support you in developing yours.

About Primark

At Primark, people matter. They’re the beating heart of our business and the reason we’ve grown from our first store in Dublin in 1969 to a £9bn+ turnover business a over 70,000 colleagues and over 440 stores in 16 countries today. Our values run through everything we do. In essence, we're Caring and always strive to put people first. We're also Dynamic, bravely pushing the boundaries to stay ahead. And finally, we succeed Together.

If you need any reasonable adjustments or have an accessibility request, during your recruitment journey, such as extended time or breaks between online assessments, a sign language interpreter, mobility access, or assistive technology please contact your talent acquisition specialist. 

 All offers of employment are subject to background checks, including right to work, reference education and for some roles criminal, and financial checks. If you have any concerns, please reach out to our talent acquisition team to discuss.

#LI-Hybrid

Skills Required

  • 8+ years' experience in talent acquisition or recruitment operations within large, multi-region organisations
  • Proven experience managing recruitment vendors and external partners (performance management, renewals, tenders)
  • Experience managing budgets, tracking spend, and evaluating ROI
  • Experience working with recruitment technologies (e.g., ATS, sourcing platforms)
  • Experience driving or implementing automation and AI initiatives in recruitment
  • Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with Technology, Procurement, and HR in a matrixed environment
  • Track record of leading teams and delivering process improvements and operational excellence in global TA operations or retail
  • AI/automation project experience

Primark Compensation & Benefits Highlights

The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Primark and has not been reviewed or approved by Primark.

  • Fair & Transparent Compensation Pay is often characterized as fair or good compared to similar retail roles, and overtime availability can improve take-home earnings. Recent UK minimum-rate increases and the removal of age-related pay tiers reinforce a sense of improving pay fairness.
  • Leave & Time Off Breadth Paid time off stands out as comparatively strong for retail, with full-time roles described as having notably generous PTO alongside sick time and paid holidays. This breadth can increase the overall value of the compensation package beyond hourly wages.
  • Parental & Family Support Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption, and surrogacy payments are positioned as meaningful additions to the rewards package. Ongoing colleague discounts and family-oriented support contribute to a more rounded benefits offering.

Primark Insights

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The Company
HQ: Dublin, Dublin
37,781 Employees
Year Founded: 1969

What We Do

Primark is an international fashion retailer employing more than 80,000 colleagues across 17 countries in Europe and the US. Founded in Ireland in 1969 under the Penneys brand, Primark aims to provide affordable choices for everyone, from great quality everyday essentials to stand-out style across women’s, men’s and kids, as well as beauty, homeware and accessories. With a focus on creating great retail experiences, Primark has over 440 stores globally and continues to expand with the aim of reaching 530 stores by the end of 2026. ­­ Primark is working to make more sustainable fashion affordable for everyone through its Primark Cares strategy, a multi-year programme that focuses on giving clothing a longer life, protecting life on the planet and supporting the livelihoods of the people who make Primark clothes. As part of this, Primark unveiled nine commitments it is working to achieve by 2030. These commitments include making all of its clothes from recycled or more sustainably sourced materials by 2030, halving carbon emissions across its value chain and pursuing a living wage for workers in its supply chain.

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