Head of People & Talent (Fractional)

About Simply Social

Simply Social is a fast-growing social-focused agency operating in Ireland and the UK, partnering with notable brands to produce content that drives business success. The agency integrates strategy, creativity, production, and social expertise to help brands excel in capturing audience attention.

With presences in Dublin and London and ambitious plans for global growth, Simply Social is expanding its team and culture while enhancing systems to support this evolution.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Fractional Head of People & Talent to lead recruitment and people strategies across both Ireland and the UK. This role involves working closely with the CEO, senior leadership, and department heads to attract, develop, and retain outstanding talent as the company scales.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end recruitment in Ireland and the UK, including building proactive talent pipelines for creative, strategy, client service, and production roles.
• Oversee recruitment processes from briefing through to offer stage, enhancing interview procedures with structured scorecards.
• Build employer branding across LinkedIn and other recruitment channels, and develop graduate and university hiring programs.
• Lead onboarding efforts to provide an exceptional experience for new hires.
• Create and implement career progression frameworks and quarterly performance review processes.
• Support managers with coaching and employee performance conversations.
• Drive employee engagement initiatives and foster a high-performance culture while preserving the entrepreneurial spirit.
• Identify opportunities for learning and development throughout the company.
• Ensure HR policy compliance in Ireland and the UK, advise leadership on employee relations, support compensation reviews and salary benchmarking.
• Assist with succession planning across leadership, and collaborate with Operations to optimize organizational structure amid growth.
• Partner with senior leadership on workforce planning, organizational design, hiring forecasts, headcount planning, leadership development, and international expansion strategies.

Candidate Profile

• Minimum of 7 years' experience in Talent, People, or HR leadership roles.
• Proven expertise in recruiting creative and commercial professionals.
• Strong relationship-building abilities combined with a commercial mindset emphasizing the impact of people strategy on business outcomes.
• Capable of working independently within a fast-paced environment.
• Familiarity with employment practices in both Ireland and the UK is advantageous.

Ideal Traits

• Passion for identifying exceptional talent early.
• Skilled in designing systems that improve business functions.
• Balanced approach of empathy coupled with maintaining high standards.
• Organized yet pragmatic mentality.
• Strategic thinker who remains hands-on.

Working Arrangement

• Approximately two days per week commitment with flexible scheduling to suit business demands.
• Hybrid work environment based mainly in Dublin, with monthly travel to the London office.
• Flexible hours and autonomy in schedule management.

Success Metrics in First Year

• Establish a scalable recruitment framework for Ireland and the UK.
• Reduce time-to-hire across roles.
• Create strong talent pipelines for all key disciplines.
• Implement structured performance review and career development frameworks.
• Enhance onboarding and the overall employee experience.
• Support senior leadership in driving business growth while nurturing a robust organizational culture.

Why Work with Simply Social?

This opportunity allows direct collaboration with the leadership team during an exciting growth phase, influencing how the agency recruits, develops, and retains top talent across multiple markets.