US Talent Lead

Milltown Partners•New York, NY

14h•$135,000 - $160,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Milltown Partners advises technology companies, global investors, sports and entertainment giants, and influential individuals on communications and policy challenges. Their work encompasses corporate and financial communications, policy and public affairs, and leadership communications, all supported by research-driven insights. They are also pioneering AI-enhanced advisory services, using technology to analyze data at scale. This role is a hands-on recruiting position leading US hiring efforts across New York, San Francisco, and expanding into Washington, D.C. The US team consists of 60 people and is growing rapidly. The US Talent Lead will be responsible for hiring top talent in real-time and anticipating future needs. The role reports to the Global Head of Talent in London and manages the US Talent Acquisition Manager in New York. The ideal candidate is motivated by recruiting at a high standard and building a recruiting engine for quality and growth. They should be able to deeply understand business requirements and possess expertise in recruiting for corporate communications and/or corporate public relations roles. Experience using LLMs to enhance recruitment work and experimenting with AI tools and automation is highly valued, as the company is heavily invested in AI's transformation of the advisory world.

Requirements

Minimum 8 years' recruitment experience in the communications/PR/public affairs space (e.g., in-house with a consultancy, RPO, or specialist recruitment agency).
Strong track record of running end-to-end processes in a fast-paced, high-quality environment, including managing multiple live roles.
Confident stakeholder manager: able to push back, set expectations, and build credibility quickly with senior people.
Solid understanding of the US communications, public affairs, or professional services talent market.
Proficient with LinkedIn Recruiter and an ATS (Lever experience advantageous).
Experience using LLMs (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini) effectively, safely, and critically in a work setting.
Strong communication skills: able to write compelling job adverts and clear candidate-facing materials, run prioritization exercises with senior team members, and facilitate kick-off sessions.
Intellectual curiosity to develop subject matter expertise in new topics and share that knowledge with colleagues.
Collaborative instincts and a genuine commitment to contributing to an inclusive culture.

Nice To Haves

Experience experimenting with AI tools specifically designed to support people and talent functions.
Experience working in a scaling environment.

Responsibilities

Oversee end-to-end US hiring, managing a world-class candidate experience and being hands-on in all aspects of delivery.
Work with the US COO, Global Head of Talent, and People team to ensure alignment on recruitment priorities for the US team.
Manage and collaborate with the US Talent Acquisition Manager to divide and conquer live briefs and drive long-term improvements in the US talent market approach.
Manage and execute a world-class candidate experience from first contact to close.
Run a comprehensive kick-off process to align on profile and process for each role, and prepare the interview team.
Oversee and deliver sourcing strategy, from advertising to outreach to managing recruiter agency relationships.
Ensure deliberate attention is paid to diversifying the candidate pipeline.
Lead the practical execution of recruitment activity for owned roles, including candidate liaison, calendar management, and running introductory calls.
Deliver internal US interviewer training.
Take the long-term view to building a sustainable pipeline of brilliant communications and policy talent in the US.
Develop a deep understanding of Milltown's work and talent strategy.
Build and maintain an active network of candidates, market contacts, and peers across the US communications and policy advisory landscape.
Use market intelligence to inform sourcing strategy, identifying where the best talent is, what they are looking for, and how Milltown competes.
Contribute insights on compensation, talent availability, and competitor activity internally to the Global People & Talent function.
Build and maintain trusted relationships with leaders across the US business and the wider People & Talent team.
Ensure consistent, high-quality, and advisory-led communications with US leaders about recruitment activity.
Escalate risks, delays, or misalignments to relevant leadership early with a proposed solution.
Act as a close collaborator to the Head of Talent to continuously spot opportunities for improvement, refinement, and creativity across recruitment activity.
Collaborate with the wider People & Talent team to ensure seamless integration between recruitment activity and company DEI efforts, marketing activity, and employee experience.
Use data and insight to drive continuous improvement in hiring quality, tracking pipeline conversion, assessing assessment quality, and identifying patterns for better decisions.
Use AI tools and efficient workflows to improve the quality and efficiency of the Talent team's delivery.
Contribute to the development of the Talent toolkit, including team materials and templates.
Maintain clean and accurate records in Lever (or any future ATS platform) and coach interviewers to use the tool effectively.
Manage the US Talent Acquisition Manager's day-to-day work, acting as their first point of call for questions, feedback, and collaboration.
Act as the US Talent Acquisition Manager's Development Coach, providing developmental support, identifying stretch opportunities, and giving clear performance feedback.
Spot opportunities to contribute and collaborate with the wider People & Talent team, sharing responsibility for high standards and fostering a culture of exceptional advice, continuous learning, and collaboration.

Benefits

Competitive, transparent pay with open salary bands
Twice-yearly bonuses
401(k) with company match, eligible from day one
Robust healthcare options, including medical, dental, and vision coverage
Dedicated mental health support
26 days PTO
10 sick days
10 public holidays
Two-week company-wide winter break
Paid parental leave
Sabbatical leave
$100/month commuter benefit
Hybrid working model with three days in office (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday)
Structured career development with clear progression pathways and a defined career framework