Stella McCartney Head of Talent Acquisition

About Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney is a pioneering British luxury fashion house, founded in 2001 and renowned for redefining modern elegance through a steadfast commitment to sustainability, innovation, and cruelty-free design. As an employer, the brand offers a purpose-driven environment where creativity, craftsmanship, and responsible business practices converge across ready-to-wear, accessories, beauty, and lifestyle categories. Its teams are encouraged to challenge convention, embrace circular thinking, and contribute to a progressive vision of luxury that respects people, animals, and the planet. Working at Stella McCartney means joining an influential global maison with an entrepreneurial spirit and a clear ethical voice.

Role & Responsibilities

• Own the full recruitment lifecycle, from briefing and sourcing through offer management and onboarding.
• Personally manage a varied, complex recruitment portfolio, prioritising competing demands and responding quickly to changing business requirements.
• Partner with hiring managers and People Partners to understand current and future talent needs, advising on recruitment strategy and market conditions.
• Lead recruitment for specialist, creative and business-critical roles, particularly in Design and Creative.
• Identify and engage high-calibre passive candidates through direct sourcing, networking and market research, reducing reliance on external agencies.
• Develop market maps and talent pipelines for creative and difficult-to-hire positions.
• Deliver recruitment efficiently, at pace and to a consistently high standard of quality and candidate experience.
• Build trusted relationships with hiring managers, People Partners and executive leadership, acting as a credible recruitment partner and adviser.
• Collaborate with People Partners on organisational changes and evolving talent requirements across their areas.
• Advise and challenge hiring managers on role requirements, candidate profiles, market availability and recruitment approaches.
• Provide regular updates on recruitment progress, market insights, challenges and recommendations.
• Balance business needs with a pragmatic, solutions-focused approach and adapt to changing priorities.
• Maintain a deep understanding of the luxury fashion industry, particularly the creative and design talent landscape.
• Network with industry professionals and develop relationships with talent communities to strengthen Stella McCartney’s talent pipelines.
• Build relationships with universities and educational institutions to support early-career talent attraction.
• Partner with Marketing and Communications on employer-brand initiatives that strengthen Stella McCartney’s position as an employer of choice.
• Monitor competitor activity, industry developments and emerging talent trends, providing relevant market intelligence to the business.
• Champion recruitment best practice and ensure consistent, inclusive and professional assessment and selection.
• Deliver recruitment training and guidance to hiring managers to support informed, effective hiring decisions.
• Provide a positive and engaging candidate experience throughout the recruitment journey, representing the brand.
• Review and improve recruitment processes to drive efficiency, quality and consistency.
• Ensure recruitment practices are fair, equitable and aligned with relevant local employment legislation.
• Track and analyse recruitment metrics, including time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, quality of hire and candidate experience.
• Use recruitment data and market insights to identify trends and challenges and recommend improvements.
• Manage relationships with external recruitment agencies and service providers, regularly reviewing the preferred supplier list and appropriate use of external support.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a senior Talent Acquisition role, with a strong record of personally delivering end-to-end recruitment across a broad range of functions.
• Specialist luxury fashion recruitment experience, particularly in Design and Creative recruitment.
• A hands-on approach, attention to detail and confidence managing a busy, varied recruitment workload independently.
• Demonstrable experience partnering with senior stakeholders and advising hiring managers on recruitment strategy and talent decisions.
• Strong direct sourcing, networking and market-mapping capabilities, with the ability to identify and engage exceptional passive talent.
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, including the ability to manage multiple vacancies and competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Proactive, adaptable and resilient, with the confidence to work autonomously and respond positively to changing business needs.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and influencing skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data and market insights to inform decisions.
• Knowledge of recruitment best practices and relevant local employment legislation.
• Experience with applicant tracking systems (ATS) and other talent acquisition technologies.
• Global recruitment experience is desirable.

Skills

Experience

Proven experience in a senior Talent Acquisition role and specialist recruitment experience within luxury fashion, particularly Design and Creative.

Benefits

Up to 50% discount on Stella McCartney products; matched pension contributions up to 6%; annual health screening; 25 days’ annual leave excluding bank holidays, plus one day of birthday leave; flexible working/core hours; enhanced maternity and paternity packages; matched Give as You Earn charity scheme; health cash plan; physical and mental wellbeing support services; employee referral bonus; optional or paid benefits including season ticket loan, cycle-to-work and technology schemes, travel and dental insurance; private medical and critical illness insurance; life assurance.

Culture

Stella McCartney fosters a progressive, purpose-driven workplace where creativity is closely tied to sustainability, innovation, and responsible luxury. The brand encourages collaboration, ethical thinking, and entrepreneurial energy, offering employees an environment shaped by modern design, conscious values, and a commitment to positive change in fashion.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.