Talent Acquisition Partner (Support Centre)

Location: Aldgate, London (Hybrid working, 3 days a week in the office)Reporting to: Group Talent Acquisition Manager

About the role

At WHSmith, our people are central to our success. As a Talent Acquisition Partner, you will play a pivotal role in helping us grow by hiring exceptional talent across our Support Centres and wider business. Partnering closely with senior leaders and the People Team, you will deliver a best-in-class, end-to-end recruitment experience, with a primary focus on mid- to senior-level hires across our Travel, In Motion, and Group business areas. You will also provide support for junior-level recruitment across Support Centres and Stores when required. This is a high-impact, highly visible role where you’ll combine strategic thinking, strong stakeholder partnerships, and hands-on delivery to ensure we attract, engage, and retain the right talent to support our continued growth.

What you’ll be doing

• Develop and deliver recruitment strategies aligned to business objectives, ensuring we attract high-quality candidates who thrive in the WHSmith environment.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with stakeholders, particularly senior leaders, providing tailored and consultative recruitment solutions.
• Manage market-leading, end-to-end recruitment processes for mid- to senior-level roles, from requisition through to offer negotiation and onboarding.
• Design creative and cost-effective sourcing strategies in a competitive talent market, using direct sourcing, networks, defined channels, and social media aligned to our employer brand.
• Build and maintain robust talent pipelines, engaging passive candidates for in-demand skillsets and proactively presenting talent to Senior Leaders.
• Use external talent data, market insights, and competitor intelligence to influence hiring decisions and shape future workforce plans.
• Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion across the recruitment lifecycle, ensuring fair, inclusive, and unbiased hiring practices.
• Continuously review and improve recruitment processes and the hiring experience, identifying opportunities to upskill and embed best practice.
• Provide regular reporting and insight to senior leaders on recruitment performance, trends, and market conditions.
• Always ensure compliance with employment legislation and recruitment best practice.
• Act as a brand ambassador for WHSmith, strengthening and protecting our employer brand and contributing to the delivery of the Talent Acquisition strategy and projects.
• Stay curious and informed about emerging recruitment trends, attending TA events and sharing insight to support future hiring plans.

About you

You’ll be a confident, credible Talent Partner who enjoys working at pace and thrives in a collaborative, commercial environment. You’ll bring:

• Proven end-to-end talent acquisition experience, ideally within retail or hospitality.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with a high-touch, collaborative approach and the confidence to constructively challenge where needed.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to think both logically and creatively.
• A proactive mindset and the ability to prioritise effectively in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Experience managing multiple vacancies and competing priorities across different business areas.
• High energy, self-motivation, and a strong sense of curiosity, with a passion for continuous improvement.
• The ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a Talent Acquisition team, flexibly supporting where needed.
• Excellent organisation, attention to detail, follow-up, and time management skills.
• Strong experience using LinkedIn and social media to source talent and enhance employer brand.
• Experience developing recruitment tools and improving ATS systems (desirable).

Our People Team

From employee relations and learning & development to reward, payroll, and recruitment, our People Team sits at the heart of WHSmith. We move fast, think commercially, and focus on delivering practical, innovative solutions that make a real difference to our people and our business.

Our values

At WHSmith, how we work matters just as much as what we deliver:

• Customer focus: We keep the customer at the heart of everything we do.
• Drive for results: We deliver ambitious outcomes with pace and determination.
• Value our people: We create an honest, open environment where people feel respected and supported.
• Accountability: We take ownership and deliver on our commitments.

What we offer

• Flexible working from our Aldgate Office in London
• Competitive holiday allowance, with the option to buy more.
• Pension and Bonus Scheme.