Talent Acquisition Partner – WHSmith Travel Stores

Location: Aldgate, London (with travel as required)

Contract: Full-time, Permenant

Are you a passionate and proactive recruiter ready to make a big impact in a fast-paced retail environment? At WHSmith, we’re on a journey of transformation and growth and we’re looking for a Talent Acquisition Partner to help us hire the best talent to drive that success forward.

What’s the role about?

As a Talent Acquisition Partner, you’ll play a vital role in delivering a best-in-class, end-to-end recruitment experience for our WHSmith Travel business. You’ll be accountable for sourcing, attracting, and onboarding exceptional and diverse Managers across multiple disciplines — while also supporting Store Managers with all non-management hiring needs. You’ll partner closely with stakeholders across the business, using your recruitment expertise, market knowledge, and creative sourcing strategies to ensure we attract the right people at the right time.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead all management recruitment for our Travel stores across the UK
• Coach and support Store Management with non-management recruitment and ATS training
• Manage high-volume recruitment campaigns (40+ roles at a time)
• Support new store openings, building local partnerships with job centres, colleges and job boards
• Develop talent pipelines and proactively engage with passive candidates
• Provide market insights and data to influence hiring strategies
• Collaborate across HR, including L&D, HR Business Partners and Shared Services
• Champion our employer brand and support wider TA and HR projects

What we’re looking for:

• Proven experience recruiting for retail or hospitality roles at scale
• Confidence managing multiple roles in a high-pressure, fast-moving environment
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and influencing skills
• Experience using sourcing tools, social media, and job boards to build pipelines
• Strong attention to detail, time management and organisational skills
• A proactive, collaborative and solutions-focused mindset
• Passion for diversity and inclusion in the hiring process

What we offer:

• Competitive salary + annual bonus based on company and personal performance
• Hybrid working model – 3 days in the office, 2 days from home
• 24 days holiday, your Birthday off, and all Bank Holidays — with the option to buy more
• 4pm Friday finishes to start your weekend early
• The chance to make your mark in a future-focused, innovative team
• Access to training, development, and progression opportunities in a global retail business

Why join us?

At WHSmith, our People Team is at the heart of everything we do — driving innovation, commercial thinking, and real change. You’ll be part of a collaborative and supportive TA team where your ideas and efforts really matter.

Join WHSmith and help shape the future of one of the UK’s most iconic retail brands. If you’re passionate about recruitment and ready for your next challenge, we’d love to hear from you.