Lead Talent Partner

Who you are

• Scale-up experience: proven track record hiring in a high-growth tech scaleup with high standards and ambiguity
• Deep Product & Design Engineering market immersion: credible, active network in the UK. Ideally you have run meetups and build communities. You know who the standout people are and what motivates them
• Exec-search level craft: evidence of closing low-volume, very high-calibre engineers via creative, non-standard routes (not just inbound + job boards or Linkedin)
• Attraction + nurture strategy: you’ve built always-on engagement motions that convert exceptional people over time (content, community, referrals, targeted events, high-touch outreach)
• CTO partnership: you’ve partnered closely with technical leadership to define quality, design assessment, and calibrate the bar
• Strong written narrative and messaging: you can translate a technical story into compelling outreach/materials (and collaborate well with marketing)
• Data-informed judgement: you use metrics as feedback loops for quality and funnel health — and can clearly explain what you track and why
• Even if you don’t meet every single requirement, or if the right role isn’t listed yet, we’d still love to hear from you

What the job involves

• Orbital is entering a major scaling chapter, and Product Engineering + Design Engineering are at the heart of it. We’re looking for an exceptional Lead Talent Partner to own how we find, attract, engage, assess and close the very best Product Engineers and Design Engineers in a fiercely competitive market
• This is a low-volume, high-calibre role. Success looks like building a market-leading attraction engine and a repeatable hiring system that consistently delivers bar-raising hires, primarily in the UK (with occasional US roles)
• You’ll be the CTO’s partner for Product & Design Engineering hiring — owning the strategy, the operating rhythm, and the market-facing plan that enables Orbital to repeatedly win top talent
• At Orbital, these roles are typically:
• Product Engineers: product-minded full‑stack engineers who ship end-to-end customer value
• Design Engineers: frontend/UI engineers operating at the intersection of design and engineering, with high craft
• You’ll work closely with the CTO, senior Product/Engineering/Design leaders, and a marketing specialist to build the narrative, content and materials that help Orbital stand out — and convert the best people over time
• 1. Own the Product & Design Engineering hiring strategy (CTO partnership)
• Build and own a forward hiring plan with the CTO/COO: forecasting, sequencing, and prioritisation
• Own the hiring plan and reporting in the ATS (e.g. Ashby): req pipeline, stage design, interviewer pools, and metrics
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders on:
• Market intelligence and compensation benchmarks
• Org design and team build sequencing
• Interview plan quality and signal
• Funnel health and quality indicators
• 2. Build a market-leading attraction engine (content + community + creative search)
• Design and run a high-touch, always-on engagement and nurture engine for top Product & Design Engineering talent (not tied only to live reqs)
• Partner with leadership and marketing to create standout content and outreach materials (positioning, sequences, technical narratives, proof points, community activity)
• Establish targets (set with the CTO) and report on pipeline health and learning loops:
• Warm pipeline size by discipline/level
• Engagement rates (reply / meeting booked)
• Nurture → active candidate → offer → accept conversion
• Competitive intel and drop-off reasons
• 3. Deliver hiring outcomes (low volume, very high calibre)
• Personally own the most senior and business-critical Product Engineering hires (e.g., Staff/Principal/Lead level and key leadership roles)
• Protect the quality bar for assessment, references, and offer calibration; step in on escalations and closing
• Set the operating rhythm: pipeline reviews, prioritisation, stakeholder alignment, and continuous improvement
• What this role is not (important):
• Not high-volume recruiting — this is low volume, bar-raising hiring
• Not a “maintain the process” job — you’ll build and continuously improve the attraction engine and operating model
• Not fully remote — hiring is UK-first and roles are hybrid

Benefits

• Matched pension contributions and equity options
• Flexible working hours and location; access to 30+ Boutique Workplace offices in the UK
• 25 days paid holiday (plus bank holidays)
• Professional equipment and a £1,000 p/a personal learning and development budget
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• All-company off-sites, Deliveroo Wednesdays and team socials
• Generous parental leave and salary sacrifice nursery fee scheme through Yellownest
• Extra day annual leave when you move house
• Generous parental leave and salary sacrifice nursery fee scheme through Yellownest
• 401(k) Plan - Match 100% of contribution up to 4% of salary
• Paid Time Off (PTO) - 20-days per year
• Sick Time off - 40 hours
• Health Insurance - Competitive medical, dental, and vision plan
• Professional Development - $1,200 stipend per year
• Commuter Benefits - Allocate pre-tax earnings to cover eligible commuting expenses
• In-Office Perks - Late night office dinner and weekly team meals
• Equity Participation - You will be granted stock options in a fast growing start-up!