Talent Acquisition & Branding Specialist

Who are we?

Santam is the market leader in the general insurance industry in Southern Africa. We are a large, diversified, expanding and transforming company and whilst based in South Africa, we are rapidly moving into a number of emerging markets, both in Africa and Asia. Our success is rooted in our passion for our clients and everything we do is centred on our delivery of Insurance Good and Proper.

The Santam People Experience team is recruiting for a Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding Specialist to join the team. This role supports a broader People Experience portfolio, ensuring hiring practices are future-fit, inclusive, data-driven, and aligned to business, transformation, and DEI & B objectives.

Location:

Johannesburg or Cape Town

• Deliver end-to-end recruitment across volume, professional, specialist, and leadership roles, with a strong emphasis on search, market mapping, and headhunting.
• Proactively source passive talent using Linked In Recruiter, networking, referrals, and targeted search strategies.
• Build and maintain robust talent pipelines for critical and scarce skills, particularly within insurance and financial services.
• Partner closely with hiring managers to understand role requirements, business context, and capability needs.
• Conduct structured interviews and support assessment processes to ensure quality, fair, and defensible hiring decisions.
• Manage recruitment governance, compliance, and documentation in line with internal policy and employment legislation.

• Support the development and execution of the employer branding strategy aligned to the Employee Value Proposition (EVP).
• Ensure a consistent, engaging, and inclusive candidate experience from attraction to onboarding.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Communications, and HR to create and curate employer brand content (Linked In, campaigns, events, early talent initiatives).
• Represent the organisation at career fairs, industry events, and targeted talent engagement initiatives.

• Act as a trusted advisor to hiring managers on recruitment strategy, market insights, and hiring trends.
• Provide guidance on inclusive hiring practices, bias awareness, and disability-inclusive recruitment.
• Deliver regular recruitment insights and updates to stakeholders.

• Actively support Employment Equity, DEI & B, and disability inclusion objectives across recruitment practices.
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to enable accessible, inclusive, and equitable hiring processes.
• Track and report on transformation and diversity hiring metrics.

• Maintain accurate recruitment data and reporting (time-to-fill, quality of hire, source effectiveness, diversity metrics).
• Identify opportunities to improve recruitment processes, tools, and candidate engagement.
• Stay informed of industry trends, future of work developments, and best practices in talent acquisition.

• Undergraduate degree is essential.
• Minimum 2 years in a recruitment agency or search firm environment.
• 4–7 years’ experience in Talent Acquisition or Recruitment, preferably within insurance or financial services.
• Demonstrated experience in headhunting and search-led recruitment.
• Experience partnering with senior and specialist hiring managers.
• Exposure to employer branding initiatives and EVP activation.

• Strong capability in search, headhunting, and proactive sourcing.
• Solid understanding of the insurance / financial services talent market.
• Stakeholder management and consultative partnering skills.
• Employer branding and candidate experience mindset.
• Strong interviewing, assessment, and decision-making skills.
• High attention to detail, governance, and process discipline.
• Data-driven with the ability to translate insights into action.
• Passion for inclusion, transformation, and people experience.

• Proactive, resilient, and solutions-oriented.
• Credible, confident, and able to influence at multiple levels.
• Curious, adaptable, and future-focused.
• Values-driven with a strong commitment to fairness and inclusion.

This role plays a critical part in shaping a future-fit, inclusive, and high-performing organisation through exceptional talent and authentic employer branding.

Santam is committed to diversity, inclusion, and belonging. As an equal opportunity employer, we encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, including persons with disabilities. We are dedicated to neuro-inclusivity and fostering a workplace where everyone can thrive.

Take the next step in your career—apply now and be part of a company that’s shaping the future of insurance. This is Freedom!