Talent Acquisition Lead, Digital Engineering

Responsibilities

• Alongside the Head of TA, you will develop and implement the talent strategy for our Digital Engineering services across key EMEA markets. You're shaping how we hire at the senior and strategic end, not just running the searches.
• Operates as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, managing expectations, challenging the brief when the ask doesn't match reality, and turning "unicorn" requests into searchable, fillable mandates.
• Use data to lead, not just report; turn hiring intelligence into the insight that shapes leadership decisions and unblocks them before they stall.
• Drive innovation across the function; pioneer new sourcing channels, AI-enabled tooling and assessment approaches, and set the standard for how DEPT® hunts rather than inheriting it.
• Build and own proactive talent pipelines and market maps so we're never starting a search cold; you know where the A-players sit, and why they'd move, before the role even opens.
• Headhunt directly at the top end. You live in LinkedIn Recruiter and your own network, going after passive senior talent at rival networks and boutiques rather than waiting on inbound.
• Be the face of DEPT® in the market; represent us at industry events, on panels and in the talent community, building our employer brand and a network that pays off long before we have a vacancy to fill.
• Champion candidate experience across EMEA, making sure every future Depster feels the "small enough to care" side of us from first touch.
• Raise the bar across the recruiting team; share playbooks, mentor, and lift how we hunt as a function.

Requirements

• Significant in-house talent acquisition experience, inside a digital or integrated agency. You understand billability, utilisation, and agency life.
• A track record of hiring across Development, AI Engineering and Data Analytics ; you understand these roles and where to find the best candidates.
• Experience recruiting in multiple EMEA markets; you know the difference between running a search in London, Amsterdam and Berlin, and you adapt accordingly.
• Comfortable managing senior stakeholders in a matrix organisation, with the confidence to push back and lead hiring strategies.
• Real direct-sourcing; Boolean, market mapping, pedigree mapping across rivals
• Data fluency; you're comfortable building and defending a hiring story with metrics, not just gut feel.
• Navigational Intelligence; the instinct for how to actually get things done inside a global, fast-moving, partner-led organisation.
• A proactive and autonomous mindset, balanced with the relentless curiosity to keep reinventing how we hire.
• Proficient Dutch and English speaker.
• WHAT YOU'll GET
• Social and Cultural Events, plenty of opportunities to connect with colleagues through organised activities and celebrations.
• Inspirational Talks, bringing the outside in with regular guest speakers and events.
• Learning and Development, supporting your growth with continuous opportunities to learn and advance.
• Buddy Programme: You will be paired with a 'Buddy' to help you through your first weeks' at DEPT®.
• A reputation for doing good. DEPT® has been a Certified B Corp® since 2021 and named 'Agency of the Year' at both The Lovies and The Webby Awards.
• Awesome clients. Whether big or small, local or global - at DEPT® you'll get the opportunity to work with clients of all sizes and across all industries. And we celebrate all of our successes together!

Benefits

Additional Information

DEPT® is a Growth Invention company built to help the world's most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, our 4,000+ specialists deliver growth invention services across Brand & Media, Experience, Commerce, CRM, and Technology & Data. We're 50|50 tech and marketing, partner-led, and first to move. Clients include Google, Lufthansa, Meta, eBay, and OpenAI. We have been certified B Corp and Climate Neutral since 2021. JOB PURPOSE As the Talent Acquisition Lead, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our agency by developing and implementing strategic talent acquisition initiatives for our Experience & Engineering service teams across EMEA. Our Experience & Engineering teams develop technical solutions and create beautiful designs to deliver exceptional and engaging digital experiences for our clients. You will hire the talent that creates these digital engineering solutions; think Frontend Developers, Backend Developers, Adobe Specialists, AI Engineers, Data Analysts. You will embody DEPT®'s culture as the initial ambassador for candidates, ensuring a seamless and positive experience throughout their recruitment journey. By collaborating closely with leadership teams, you will gain a deep understanding of role requirements, deliver regular updates on hiring progress, and offer valuable market insights and drive informed decision-making together with the leadership team.

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