Talent Manager

About VarDev

VarDev S.A. is a Romanian mining development company focused on the safe, responsible and sustainable development of mineral assets in Romania. The Company’s main administrative office is in Deva.

VarDev combines international mining expertise, North American and European investments, leading industry practices and Romanian identity. We are a team of Romanian and international professionals experienced in developing and operating safe, responsible and high-performing mining businesses around the world.

Our immediate focus is the development of the Certej project, located in Certeju de Sus, Hunedoara County, and other mineral opportunities in Romania, encompassing design, permitting, stakeholder engagement and construction. We see responsible mineral development as an opportunity to create lasting value for Romania — through investment, employment and skills development, local economic opportunities, government revenues and the responsible development of resources important to Romania and Europe.

VarDev S.A. is owned 80.5% by Varvara Development Group (“VDG”) and 19.25% by MinVest S.A., a state-owned company. Varvara Development Group Ltd. is a private mine development company headquartered in British Columbia, Canada, dedicated to the safe and sustainable development of mineral assets. The Group has offices in Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Romania, and is backed by some of the most successful mine developers and institutional investors in the international mining industry. VDG acquired the Company in October 2025 to bring international best practices and new capital to Romania’s mining industry.

At VarDev, safety, environmental stewardship, integrity, respect for our people and communities, and high standards of performance are fundamental to the way we work. We are building not only a mining project, but a team and an organization capable of delivering it responsibly and sustainably.

The Certej Project

Certej mine has a history dating back to the 18th century. Certej open pit operated until its closure in 2006. Following privatization, over USD 200 million has been invested in evaluating its mineral potential and continuing its development. The project has recently been redesigned to reflect input from local communities, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders.

The new Certej project is designed in accordance with strict European Union standards for engineering, environmental management, construction, operations and closure. The project does not use cyanide and incorporates the best available technologies, including filtered processing tailings and a “progressive rehabilitation” approach. One of the Certej project’s key objectives is also to remediate environmental damage caused by previous state-run mining activities in the area. The revised project is currently at the permitting stage.

The Role

The Talent Manager is responsible for leading the Company's recruitment, talent acquisition, onboarding and learning & development activities, ensuring that the organization has the people, skills and capabilities required to deliver its business objectives.

Working closely with the VP HR and business leaders, the Talent Manager will develop and execute workforce recruitment and capability-building plans aligned with the Company's project development and future mining operations. The role will establish effective, practical and scalable talent processes suitable for a mining company progressing from development into construction and operations.

A particular focus will be placed on building local talent, developing critical technical capabilities, establishing training pathways and ensuring operational readiness.

Key Responsibilities

1. Talent Acquisition & Recruitment

• Execute recruitment plans aligned with the approved workforce plan.
• Manage the end-to-end recruitment process, from candidate requirements and sourcing through selection, offer, pre-employment requirements and onboarding.
• Partner with functional leaders to define job requirements, competencies and selection criteria.
• Develop effective sourcing strategies for technical, operational, professional and leadership positions.
• Build and maintain talent pipelines via professional networks applicable in Romania and internationally.
• Develop relationships with recruitment agencies, universities, technical schools and local employment networks as appropriate.
• Monitor recruitment performance, including time-to-fill, cost of hire, quality of hire and recruitment pipeline.
• Coordinate and oversee the onboarding of new employees, ensuring a smooth and consistent transition into their roles and the organization.
• Ensure recruitment practices support the Company's local employment objectives and applicable legal requirements.
• Support optimal workforce utilization and internal mobility by identifying internal candidates and career transition, reskilling and development opportunities.

2. Learning & Development

• Develop and implement the Company's learning and development framework in partnership with the VP HR and functional leaders.
• Conduct training needs analyses based on organizational requirements, role competencies, performance gaps and the Company's transition toward construction and operations.
• Develop training plans aligned with workforce requirements.
• Identify, source and manage training providers, working closely with them to tailor training content, delivery methods and materials to the specific technical, operational and capability requirements.
• Coordinate technical, professional, mandatory and leadership training programs.
• Support the development and implementation of apprenticeships, graduate programs, internships, career transition and other talent initiatives where appropriate.
• Identify opportunities to build local capabilities.
• Maintain training records and monitor completion, effectiveness and compliance.
• Evaluate training providers and manage external training relationships and budgets.
• Support managers in developing employees through coaching, feedback and on-the-job development.

3. Organizational & Operational Readiness

• Work with functional leaders to identify critical roles, scarce skills and capability gaps.
• Develop talent pipelines for positions required during construction, commissioning and future operations.
• Support workforce readiness assessments and identify training requirements ahead of construction and later operational ramp-up.
• Maintain visibility of recruitment and training milestones against the Company's overall project schedule.

4. Talent Management & Succession

• Support identification of high-potential employees, critical talent and any emerging capability risks.
• Develop succession plans for key positions in collaboration with functional leaders.
• Support career development and internal progression frameworks.

5. HR Processes, Systems & Reporting

• Ensure accurate and timely maintenance of recruitment and employee development data within HR systems.
• Regularly report on recruitment, vacancies, training, workforce capability and talent risks.
• Track recruitment and training budgets and ensure appropriate cost control.

6. Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with the VP HR, senior management and department heads on recruitment and workforce capability priorities.
• Establish constructive relationships with local communities, educational institutions and other talent sources where relevant.
• Collaborate with other HR functions.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, Education or a related discipline.
• Professional HR or talent management qualification is desirable.
• 7–10+ years of relevant experience in recruitment, talent management and/or learning & development , preferably including experience in a mining, industrial, engineering, construction or other operational environment.
• Demonstrated experience recruiting technical and operational employees, preferably within the mining or resources sector.
• Experience developing and implementing training and competency programs.
• Experience working with senior managers and operational leaders.
• Strong understanding of recruitment practices, assessment methodologies and employment market dynamics.
• Experience with HRIS and applicant tracking systems.
• Strong communication and project management skills.

Personal Attributes

• Business-oriented and pragmatic
• Highly organized and execution-focused
• Strong relationship builder
• Proactive and able to work independently
• Comfortable working in a developing organization and building processes from the ground up
• Strong integrity, judgement and confidentiality