Halfords

About us 

Halfords is the UK’s leading retailer and service provider for motoring and cycling, operating a network of garages, retail stores, mobile services, and commercial fleet services nationwide. As part of our ambitious growth and transformation agenda, we are evolving our Talent Acquisition function to become a truly strategic, proactive partner to the business. 

Our Talent Acquisition team is at the heart of this transformation, proactively building talent pipelines, and delivering exceptional candidate experiences across garages, retail, mobile, and fleet operations. This is a unique opportunity to be part of a high-volume, fast-moving environment, helping Halfords attract, retain, and develop talent that drives our business forward across our garage, retail, mobile, and fleet operations. 

About the role  

We are seeking a Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist to join our dynamic Talent Acquisition team. In this role, you will manage a portfolio of approximately 15–25 roles at any one time, delivering high-quality recruitment outcomes and providing valuable market insight to your stakeholders. You will play a key role in shaping best practice across the function, ensuring our recruitment processes remain efficient, competitive, and candidate-focused. 

As a senior team member, you will also support the coaching and development of colleagues, deputise for the Team Leader when needed, and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives. This position is part of a flexible Talent Acquisition model, giving you the opportunity to adapt and respond to the evolving needs of the business while making a real impact on our recruitment strategy and overall talent pipeline. 

Key responsibilities 

• Partner with Hiring Managers to advise on workforce needs, complex roles, candidate profiles, and selection strategies. 

• Lead high-volume and specialist recruitment campaigns, aligning hiring with business priorities and workforce planning. 

• Develop innovative sourcing strategies to build diverse talent pipelines, with a focus on direct sourcing and proactive engagement. 

• Own the end-to-end candidate experience, ensuring a seamless journey from first contact to onboarding. 

• Act as a trusted advisor, providing market insight, recruitment data, and recommendations to support informed hiring decisions. 

• Coach and upskill Talent Acquisition Specialists, sharing best practices and promoting continuous learning. 

• Deputise for the Team Leader and contribute to projects improving processes, systems, and overall candidate experience. 

• Represent the company externally, maintain strong site presence, and ensure recruitment adheres to legal and best-practice standards. 

About you 

• Proven experience in high-volume recruitment, delivering results across multiple locations and disciplines. 

• Skilled at influencing senior stakeholders and providing strategic advice on workforce planning and hiring decisions. 

• Strong expertise in direct sourcing, candidate generation, and engagement of passive talent via job boards, ATS, and other tools. 

• Experienced in producing, analysing, and presenting recruitment data and market insights to inform hiring strategies. 

• Demonstrated experience coaching colleagues, supporting their development, and driving change initiatives to improve recruitment processes. 

• Excellent time management and prioritisation skills, balancing multiple roles while maintaining data-driven decision-making. 

Reward & benefits  

• A fair and competitive salary evaluated against market data, annual discretionary bonus scheme, pension, life assurance, 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and enhanced family leave. 

• Commitment and dedication to your ongoing personal and professional development. We help you to own and grow your potential so you can be at your best in your current role and to support your future career aspirations. 

• We offer hybrid working in our Support Centre, you will be based at our Support Centre a minimum of 2 days a week. 

• You will have access to a wealth of employee discounts across the Halfords suite of products and services.  

• Wellbeing and inclusion are at the heart of our colleague experience. We offer resources and ongoing support to enhance your wellbeing at work and active Colleague Networks supporting inclusion initiatives across Halfords. 

Not sure you meet all the criteria? We'd encourage you to take the wheel and apply anyway! At Halfords we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for our colleagues. We're an equal opportunities employer and proud to welcome applications from all backgrounds and embrace diversity within our one Halfords Family. 

At Halfords, we operate a hybrid working policy with a minimum of 2 days on site at our Support Centre in Redditch, Worcestershire.