Head of Talent Acquisition at Hugo

United Kingdom

ABOUT HUGO Hugo is a next-generation BPO built for today’s work. With a global team of over 4,500 people, we focus on high-complexity, judgment-led workflows where nuance matters and traditional outsourcing models fall short. Our teams support demanding digital operations, including AI and model evaluation, trust and safety, crisis and escalation workflows, and advanced customer experience programs. Our workforce is designed to operate in ambiguity. University-trained teams work within AI-enabled workflows, combining analytical rigor with a strong culture of accuracy and ownership. Since 2023, we’ve scaled rapidly while maintaining strong retention and consistent execution quality. We are enterprise-ready, but operate differently. Hugo meets the compliance, security, and operational standards of large global BPOs while maintaining the speed and adaptability of a modern, analytics-driven organization. Our teams think like consultants—pairing structured execution with thoughtful problem-solving—delivering enterprise-grade reliability to large organizations and sophisticated operational capability to smaller, underserved companies. Our mission drives everything we do. Outsourcing creates significant global value, yet little of it reaches African communities. Hugo is changing that by channeling opportunity into Africa, building meaningful careers, and proving that African talent can help power the future of the digital economy. THE ROLE The Head of Talent Acquisition will build and own Hugo’s end-to-end recruitment function. This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for designing and scaling a modern, data-driven and increasingly automated hiring system. You will lead execution across high-volume, multi-market hiring while partnering with leadership to translate business growth into workforce plans and reliable delivery capacity. WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING Talent Acquisition Strategy & Leadership Own Hugo's end-to-end talent acquisition strategy and align hiring plans with business growth objectives Build a scalable, high-performing recruitment function capable of supporting multi-market hiring demand Hiring Delivery & Operations Lead recruitment delivery across the organization, ensuring hiring targets are met with speed, quality, and efficiency Continuously improve sourcing strategies, recruitment processes, and hiring outcomes Team & Stakeholder Management Build, lead, and develop a lean, high-performing talent acquisition team Partner closely with business leaders to forecast hiring needs and drive workforce planning Process, Systems & Analytics Build a data-driven, AI-enabled talent acquisition function leveraging automation, technology, and standardized processes Establish clear hiring metrics, reporting, and operating rhythms to improve visibility, accountability, and decision-making Employer Brand & Talent Pipeline Development Strengthen Hugo's employer brand and develop sustainable talent pipelines across key markets Ensure an exceptional candidate experience throughout the recruitment lifecycle KEY REQUIREMENTS 10+ years of experience in Talent Acquisition with experience leading hiring teams and programs at scale Proven track record of building, scaling, or transforming talent acquisition functions in high-growth or complex operating environments Strong experience driving niche recruitment while maintaining hiring quality, speed, and efficiency Demonstrated ability to build recruiting processes, metrics, and operating systems that improve performance and predictability Experience leveraging ATS, automation, AI tools, and recruiting technologies to enhance hiring outcomes Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence across functions and levels Analytical and data-driven, with experience using recruiting metrics to drive decisions and continuous improvement Experience hiring across multiple international markets (US, UK, Europe, Africa or comparable multi-region environments) Experience within growth-stage companies or people-intensive environments is preferred but not required WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE: FIRST 120 DAYS A clearly understood and improved TA function with measurable gains in speed, quality, and hiring efficiency Established processes, metrics, and operating discipline across the recruitment lifecycle Strengthened sourcing channels, pipeline quality, and recruiting team performance A scalable talent acquisition function that can reliably support the company's growth objectives EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT Diversity, equity and inclusion are part of our DNA. Promoting and, where possible, improving diversity, equity and inclusion are a value-based and commercial necessity. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of race, sex, gender identify, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, disability, or any other legally protected status