Head of Talent Acquisition

About Allica Bank Allica is the UK’s fastest growing company - and the fastest-growing financial technology (Fintech) firm ever. Our purpose is to help established SMEs, one of the last major underserved opportunities in Fintech. Established SMEs are the backbone of local communities - representing over a third of our economy - yet have been largely neglected both by traditional high street banks and modern fintech providers. Department People & Talent is a hands-on team helping Allica and its colleagues reach ambitious business goals. We partner across the bank to build the capability, culture and employee experience needed to support growth, while keeping our ways of working simple, practical and focused on outcomes. With a new VP of People recently joining Allica, we're putting renewed focus behind our People and Talent agenda. We're looking for a Head of Talent Acquisition who can help shape this next chapter - bringing fresh thinking, strong execution and a clear focus on building a high-performing, proactive TA function. Role Description The Head of Talent Acquisition will lead Allica’s Talent Acquisition function at an important stage of growth. You will own the recruitment strategy and operating model across the UK and India, lead a team of four with three direct reports, and partner closely with senior leaders and hiring managers across the bank. You will also provide ad hoc Talent Acquisition support for our recent expansion into Sweden. This is a hands-on leadership role: setting the strategy, improving the operating model, coaching the team, using data to drive decisions and ensuring we hire great people at pace without compromising quality, candidate experience or governance. Reporting directly to the VP of People, you will help shape how Allica attracts and secures the talent needed for the next stage of the bank’s growth. Principal Accountabilities Own the end-to-end Talent Acquisition strategy and annual hiring plan across the UK and India, translating business growth plans into clear recruitment priorities, capacity and delivery plans. Lead a team of four, with three direct reports. Set clear standards, coach and develop the team, allocate work effectively and build a high-performing, accountable recruitment function. Oversee end-to-end recruitment across the bank, ensuring strong execution from intake and market mapping through sourcing, assessment, offer and onboarding. Maintain a high bar for quality, pace, diversity and candidate experience. Move TA further towards pipeline-led recruitment, strengthening direct sourcing and talent pooling across technology, banking, risk, commercial and operational hiring. Use agencies selectively and manage external spend with discipline. Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and hiring managers, challenging constructively where required and improving capability in role definition, interviewing, calibration and decision-making. Establish clear recruitment MI and regular reporting across measures such as hiring demand, time to hire, source effectiveness, offer acceptance, funnel conversion, agency usage and recruiter productivity. Use insight to shape decisions and improve outcomes. You will be supported by the Ashby system, LinkedIn recruiter and we are upgrading our HRIS to Sage People by EoY. Own continuous improvement of recruitment processes, ATS/HR technology and supplier governance, ensuring the function operates efficiently and in line with Allica’s control environment. Identify and embed practical AI and automation opportunities that improve sourcing, screening, candidate engagement, recruiter productivity and reporting while maintaining appropriate human judgement and governance. Partner with People, Marketing and business leaders to strengthen employer brand and candidate experience, making Allica easier to discover, understand and choose for critical talent. Personal Attributes & Experience Proven experi