Talent Acquisition Specialist (Freelance)

⌘ Role OverviewThe Talent Acquisition Specialist (Freelance) will report directly to the Chief of Staff and play a foundational role in building Timeleft's recruitment engine from the ground up.You'll own the full recruitment cycle — from sourcing strategy to offer closure — across ~10 strategic hires in the next 6 months, while simultaneously building the recruitment infrastructure that will support our growth from 100 to 125+ people.This is not a "recruiter" role. This is a builder role. You will architect and implement Timeleft's entire talent acquisition machine: processes, tools (ATS selection & deployment), sourcing frameworks, hiring manager enablement, and candidate experience standards.You'll work in a hyper-growth, international, remote-first environment with 35+ nationalities across 60 cities, where English is the working language and speed matters as much as quality.Your mission: turn talent acquisition from reactive to proactive, from chaotic to systematic, and make Timeleft a talent magnet in every market we operate.👉🏼 No RPO or Agency⌘ Key Responsibilities1. Build the Recruitment InfrastructureDesign and implement Timeleft's end-to-end recruitment process from scratch (sourcing → screening → interviewing → closing).Select, deploy, and optimize our ATS (ATS currently under review).Improve the full recruitment stack: job boards, sourcing tools, assessment platforms, and integrations.Improve templates, playbooks, and frameworks for hiring managers to run efficient, unbiased hiring processes.Establish hiring metrics and dashboards.2. Own Strategic Recruitment (10 Key Hires)Lead active headhunting campaigns for 10 hard-to-fill roles (senior engineers, product leads, growth specialists, data scientists, etc.).Build target lists, reach out proactively, and close senior profiles through relationship-driven, consultative recruiting.Partner with leadership to define role profiles, comp benchmarks, and hiring criteria for strategic positions.Lead the candidate experience end-to-end: from first outreach to offer negotiation and acceptance.3. Scale Volume Recruitment (10 Accessible Hires)Manage inbound pipeline optimization (Timeleft receives high volumes of spontaneous applications).Ensure speed and quality in screening, interviewing, and moving candidates through the funnel supporting hiring managers.Leverage organic reach, referrals, and cost-effective sourcing channels to reduce cost-per-hire.4. International & Remote-First SourcingBuild location-specific sourcing strategies: Paris hub (3-day office), full remote Europe, rest-of-the-world.Navigate multi-country hiring complexity: EOR setups, local labor laws, compensation benchmarking across 35+ nationalities with our HR Ops Manager.Source globally, hire locally: leverage Timeleft's distributed model to access top talent wherever they are.5. Hiring Manager Enablement & TrainingTrain and coach Hiring Managers on how to interview, assess, and close candidates.Create structured interview guides and scorecards to reduce bias and improve hiring decisions.Run debrief sessions and calibration meetings to align hiring standards across leaders.Act as a trusted advisor to hiring managers: push back when needed, influence decisions, and ensure bar-raising.6. Cross-Functional CollaborationPartner with HR Ops Manager to ensure contract compliance, EOR management, and onboarding readiness.Work closely with Finance to manage recruitment budgets, forecast hiring costs, and optimize spend.Align with Department Heads to anticipate hiring needs, prioritize roles, and adjust strategies.Report to leadership on recruitment health, pipeline status, and risks in weekly syncs.⌘ Skills & CompetenciesHard SkillsFull-cycle recruitment (sourcing, screening, interviewing, closing, negotiation)Active headhunting & Boolean search masteryATS selection, implementation, and optimizationInternational hiring & CDI and EOR knowledgeData-driven recruiting (metrics, dashboards, pipeline management)Compensation benchmarking across marketsSoft SkillsBuilder mindset: you thrive in 0→1 environmentsHighly organized and process-orientedExcellent stakeholder management & influencing skillsStrong written and verbal communication (English fluent)Adaptable and comfortable with ambiguityEmpathetic candidate advocate with high-bar standardsProactive, resourceful, and solutions-driven⌘ Required experienceMust Have:5-8 years in talent acquisition, with at least 3 years in high-growth startups or scale-ups (50-200 people growth phase).Proven track record of building recruitment processes from scratch (not just executing existing ones).Experience selecting and implementing an ATS and building recruitment tech stacks.Active sourcing/headhunting expertise: you know how to find and close passive candidates.Experience hiring internationally and remotely (multi-country, CDI, EOR, distributed teams).Strong understanding of startup roles: engineering, product, growth, data, ops, creative.Fluent English (written and spoken). French is a plus but not required.Hands-on experience with LinkedIn Recruiter, job boards, and sourcing tools.Nice to Have:Previous experience in People Ops or HR generalist roles (compensation, onboarding, etc.).Passion for community-driven products and mission-driven companies.