Design jobs in United Kingdom

The Barbour story began in 1894 in South Shields in the North East of England. Founder John Barbour began supplying oilskins and other garments to protect the growing community of sailors, fishermen and dockers. Still family owned and now fifth generation, Barbour HQ remains in South Shields. Under the leadership of Chairman Dame Margaret Barbour, Barbour has grown into a lifestyle brand sold in over 55 countries worldwide including Europe, the US and Asia offering a wardrobe of stylish functional clothing, footwear and accessories inspired by the unique values of the British countryside. The iconic Barbour Bedale and Barbour Beaufort wax jackets continue to be made by hand in the factory in South Shields. In 2020, Barbour launched Wax for Life, an overarching name for all of Barbour’s wax services designed to encourage customers to extend the life of their wax garments. Wax for Life includes re-waxing and repairs (first introduced in 1921) and Barbour Re-Loved an upcycling circularity initiative. Each year over 70,000 wax garments are sent back to Barbour globally to be repaired, rewaxed or altered.

We are currently recruiting for a Global Talent Acquisition Manager to join our HR team on a temporary Maternity Cover basis, based at Barbour House, South Shields. This role is responsible for attracting, identifying, and hiring the right people to meet Barbour’s both current and future business needs. It focuses on managing an efficient, strategic, and effective recruitment process that secures top talent aligned with Barbour’s goals, values, and culture.

Acting as the leading recruitment specialist within the HR team, you will champion and drive best-practice recruitment processes, partnering closely with line managers across the business. You will take ownership of end-to-end recruitment, ensuring the attraction and selection of high‑calibre candidates with strong potential for future growth and success within the company.

This role involves a high volume of headhunting and hands‑on recruitment, with a primary focus on mid‑ to senior‑level and director‑level roles across Barbour’s central functions, including Sales, Marketing, Design, Development, Supply Chain, Finance, and IT. It also oversees the management of the Talent Acquisition Specialist, who is responsible for recruiting entry‑to‑mid‑level roles, as well as retail, factory, warehouse, and student recruitment.

• Support and guide hiring managers, providing advice on market insights, talent trends, and lead on recruitment best practices to ensure consistency.
• Partner with senior leaders and hiring managers to understand current and future talent requirements.

• Oversee the full recruitment lifecycle, managing the hands‑on recruiting from role briefing, advertising, and sourcing, through to selection, offer, and onboarding.
• Directly manage a LinkedIn Recruiter seat and continue to build strong talent pools across all functions.
• Ensure all recruitment activity reflects Barbour’s brand, culture, and values.
• Drive a high‑quality candidate experience at every stage of the process.

• Continue to enhance Barbour’s employer brand and presence on LinkedIn and through corporate partnerships.
• Champion Barbour as an employer of choice and be a brand ambassador, promoting our values and opportunities both internally and externally.
• Maintain established partnerships with universities to secure future talent.

• Manage recruitment systems (ATS) and data to ensure accuracy, compliance, and continuous improvement.
• Track, report, and analyse recruitment metrics to measure effectiveness and monitor if any areas for improvement.
• Drive inclusive hiring practices and ensure diverse candidate pipelines across all functions.
• Work closely with the wider HR team to deliver a seamless and positive employee journey.
• Support and coach hiring managers to strengthen recruitment capability across the business.
• Manage and support a Talent Acquisition specialist and Student Intern.

• Proven experience in a Talent Acquisition or Recruitment Consultant role within a multi‑functional, fast‑paced environment.
• Extensive hands‑on recruitment experience across multiple functions and role types, with a proven track record in senior‑level hiring. You will act as the team’s recruitment expert, bringing deep knowledge and best practices. Experience may come from internal talent acquisition or agency environments. Ideally, you have worked with consumer brands or within FMCG sectors, and international recruitment exposure would be a strong advantage.
• Hands on and detailed to be involved in all aspects of recruitment.
• Self‑starting, high initiative
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with senior stakeholders and influence hiring decisions.
• Excellent understanding of modern recruitment tools, sourcing techniques, and employer branding strategies.
• Strong communication, organisation, and project management skills.
• Passion for delivering an exceptional candidate and hiring manager experience.
• Familiarity with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and recruitment analytics.
• A CIPD qualification or equivalent HR/recruitment accreditation.
• Discretionary Company bonus scheme
• Staff shop
• 25 days holiday as standard increasing with length of service plus bank holidays
• Free onsite parking
• Subsidised canteen

Note: In the event that a sufficient volume of suitable applications are received, the post may close prior to the specified closing date. Please apply as soon as possible if interested.