Head of Talent Acquisition

Head of Talent Acquisition

£85,000-£95,000 plus excellent benefits (Work Level
4)

Manchester – hybrid working between home and two days a week in the office. Find out more about our hybrid working policy here:

We’re looking for a Head of Talent Acquisition to join our Co‑op Business Services (CBS) organisation. CBS is made up of several diverse teams dedicated to delivering high-quality, reliable and cost-effective business services across our Co‑op. You’ll play a key role in helping CBS to support and realise our group vision of ‘co-operating to build more value for member‑owners every day’.

In this role, you’ll deliver the Talent Acquisition strategy for our Co‑op. We’ll look to you to help us understand how things work today, spot where can them better, and shape what comes next for us. You’ll balance what the business needs now with what’s coming next, making sure capacity and budgets are carefully managed. And above all else you’ll role model an inclusive leadership style, where colleagues feel supported, inspired and able to grow.

It’s a big job, where no two days will be the same, providing a unique opportunity to work across a wide range of meaningful projects, from big strategic pieces to hands on problem solving.

This role plays a vital part in helping our Co‑op thrive. By shaping and delivering a Talent Acquisition strategy that reflects our values and supports our long‑term goals, you’ll make sure we’re bringing in the people who will keep our Co‑op moving forward.

• Be a strategic partner for Talent Acquisition across the business, owning the end‑to‑end attract‑to‑hire solution and identifying opportunities for efficiencies and improvements
• Through inclusive leadership, you’ll help the team to realise their potential and deliver a service that adds value for our business
• Build strong relationships across Talent Acquisition, the wider People and CBS teams, and our business leaders, helping us spot talent, nurture, and build a healthy pipeline for the future
• Keep close to market trends and new ways of working to help us stay at the leading edge of how we attract, assess and develop great people
• Work closely with external partners and make sure we get the best from those relationships
• Own the Talent Acquisition budget, making sure governance frameworks are in place including all centralised recruitment budgets across the Co‑op

• Experience of leading Talent Acquisition teams within a large, matrix organisation
• A track record of delivering change initiatives and a passion for continuous improvement
• Experience of managing large budgets effectively
• Strong relationship building skills with the ability to influence and challenge external suppliers and senior leaders effectively
• The ability to foster a culture of inclusivity, co‑operation and development

At Co‑op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• Private healthcare
• Company car or car allowance
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• 30% discount on Co‑op products and 10% off other brands
• Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
• 24/7 colleague support service
• Training and support for your development and career progression
• Cycle‑to‑work scheme

We’re building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We’re proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at  and our inclusion commitments at

As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment before the closing date on our careers website. This assessment typically takes up to 50 minutes. If you're a current Co‑op colleague, this does not need to be completed.