Recruiting Category Leader

Horizontal Talent•St. Louis Park, MN

5d•$100,000 - $120,000

About The Position

Position Overview The Recruiting Category Leader owns the strategy, performance, and growth of their recruiting labor category. This leader directly manages all team members within the recruiting category — including Recruiting Managers, SMEs, and Recruiters — and is accountable for delivery excellence, fill rates, margin health, recruiter performance, and scalable operations across all client portfolios. They drive consistent talent quality, operational discipline, and portfolio flexibility to meet shifting client demand. Key Responsibilities Category Strategy & Performance Set and execute the category recruiting strategy focused on quality, speed, and operational efficiency that drives client revenue growth. Strategically analyze key metrics including candidate pipelines, submission quality, time to fill, fill rates, and margin health to drive recruiter productivity and overall category KPI improvement. Partner with senior leadership on pricing strategy, profitability targets, and strategic growth opportunities. Req Allocation & Prioritization Own recruiter allocation and req prioritization across recruiting category, ensuring coverage, balance, and efficiency. Flex the category team to meet day to day and strategic client demand changes and opportunities. Team Leadership & Development Directly manage category recruiting team, driving performance and accountability through coaching, feedback, and development plans while ensuring team alignment to Horizontal’s core pillars. Identify skill gaps and upskilling opportunities to maintain a scalable, future-ready category recruiting team. Partner with Senior Leadership on headcount, hiring, and workforce planning. Cross Functional Partnership Collaborate with client and senior leadership teams to align demand, delivery strategy, and performance expectations. In partnership with client team, participate in strategic client meetings to strengthen client relationships, vet project opportunities, and qualify requirements. Serve as the primary escalation point for category recruiting challenges, quality concerns, and client-related issues, ensuring timely resolution and consistent service delivery. Quality & Delivery Oversight Uphold and reinforce search, screening, submission, selection, and post placement support expectations across the recruiting category. Review or co-approve candidate selection for complex or high-risk roles as needed.

Requirements

Brings 10+ years of recruiting experience within the IT or Creative/Marketing spaces, including 5+ years leading recruiting teams with direct responsibility for setting and managing weekly, monthly, and annual performance goals and KPIs, while delivering real-time coaching and feedback to optimize recruiting strategies and execution.
Proven track record of strategically leading recruiting capacity planning, optimizing load balancing, and allocating resources effectively.
A performance history of improving KPI’s such as time to submit, time to fill, fill rates, and margin outcomes.
Demonstrated success in partnering with clients to vet project opportunities, qualify requirements, deepen relationships, proactively resolve issues, and regularly review performance to drive continuous improvement.
Exceptional communication skills and executive presence, with a demonstrated ability to influence and align senior stakeholders across recruiting, client management, and operations functions.
Forward-thinking, tech-savvy leader with demonstrated experience leveraging AI and emerging technologies to drive operational efficiencies and enhance recruiting outcomes.

Responsibilities

Set and execute the category recruiting strategy focused on quality, speed, and operational efficiency that drives client revenue growth.
Strategically analyze key metrics including candidate pipelines, submission quality, time to fill, fill rates, and margin health to drive recruiter productivity and overall category KPI improvement.
Partner with senior leadership on pricing strategy, profitability targets, and strategic growth opportunities.
Own recruiter allocation and req prioritization across recruiting category, ensuring coverage, balance, and efficiency.
Flex the category team to meet day to day and strategic client demand changes and opportunities.
Directly manage category recruiting team, driving performance and accountability through coaching, feedback, and development plans while ensuring team alignment to Horizontal’s core pillars.
Identify skill gaps and upskilling opportunities to maintain a scalable, future-ready category recruiting team.
Partner with Senior Leadership on headcount, hiring, and workforce planning.
Collaborate with client and senior leadership teams to align demand, delivery strategy, and performance expectations.
In partnership with client team, participate in strategic client meetings to strengthen client relationships, vet project opportunities, and qualify requirements.
Serve as the primary escalation point for category recruiting challenges, quality concerns, and client-related issues, ensuring timely resolution and consistent service delivery.
Uphold and reinforce search, screening, submission, selection, and post placement support expectations across the recruiting category.
Review or co-approve candidate selection for complex or high-risk roles as needed.