Talent Acquisition Specialist ( Independent Contractor)

Keywords Studios, established in Dublin in 1998, now has 70+ studios across Europe, North and South America and Asia with 13,000 employee strength located across 5 continents and 26 countries. The company provides a complete outsourced game art, engineering, testing, audio and localization service for all Console, PC, Handheld and Mobile content, to many of the biggest names in games and interactive entertainment, working on thousands of titles including many of the best-selling titles of the past few years.

Keywords Studios is comprised of many individual brands, all with something unique to offer our clients. The studios are integrated into the Group by Service Line and use the operating systems and tools deployed by those services lines to ensure people and projects can operate across studios and across geographies.

Role Overview:

We are looking for an experienced Talent Acquisition professional to join our People & Culture team and manage end-to-end recruitment across multiple functions and studios. The role will partner closely with hiring managers and business stakeholders to understand workforce requirements, develop effective sourcing strategies, and attract and hire high-quality talent within defined timelines.

The ideal candidate should have strong experience in end-to-end recruitment, stakeholder management, candidate engagement, sourcing, and recruitment analytics, with the ability to manage multiple positions in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the end-to-end recruitment lifecycle, from requirement understanding and sourcing to offer management and onboarding.
• Partner with hiring managers and stakeholders to understand current and future hiring requirements.
• Develop and execute effective sourcing strategies using job portals, LinkedIn, employee referrals, internal databases, social media, and other sourcing channels.
• Screen and evaluate candidates based on skills, experience, role requirements, and organizational fit.
• Coordinate and manage interviews, assessments, feedback, and selection processes.
• Ensure timely follow-up with candidates and hiring stakeholders throughout the recruitment lifecycle.
• Manage offer discussions, negotiations, and offer closures while ensuring a positive candidate experience.
• Track and monitor recruitment metrics including open positions, pipeline, interviews, offers, closures, joining ratios, and time-to-hire.
• Prepare and share daily, weekly, and monthly recruitment reports with relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate and updated candidate and recruitment data in the ATS/HRIS.
• Build and maintain a strong talent pipeline for current and future business requirements.
• Drive employee referral initiatives and support recruitment campaigns, hiring drives, and campus/internship hiring programs.
• Partner with the People & Culture team to ensure a smooth transition from offer acceptance to onboarding.
• Identify recruitment challenges and recommend solutions to improve hiring efficiency and quality.
• Build strong relationships with candidates and maintain a positive employer brand throughout the hiring process.
• Support continuous improvement of recruitment processes, policies, and workflows.
• Handle multiple hiring requirements simultaneously and ensure positions are closed within agreed timelines.
• Perform any other Talent Acquisition responsibilities assigned by management.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from a reputed university/institution.
• 5+ years of experience in Talent Acquisition/Recruitment, preferably within the gaming, IT, technology, animation, or creative industry.
• Strong experience in end-to-end recruitment and stakeholder management.
• Proven experience in hiring across multiple functions and levels.
• Hands-on experience with ATS/HRIS and recruitment platforms such as Workable, LinkedIn, Naukri, etc.
• Strong sourcing and candidate assessment skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong negotiation and candidate management skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management and interpersonal skills.
• Strong understanding of recruitment metrics and reporting.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets and recruitment reporting.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively under tight deadlines.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Proactive, adaptable, and collaborative approach.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

Preferred Experience

Experience in hiring for Gaming, Art, Animation, VFX, Technology, Production, QA, and Project Management roles will be an added advantage.

Key Competencies

• End-to-End Recruitment
• Stakeholder Management
• Candidate Engagement
• Sourcing & Talent Mapping
• Offer Management & Negotiation
• Recruitment Analytics
• Employer Branding
• Employee Referral Programs
• Hiring Drives & Campus Recruitment
• Candidate Experience