Early Careers Talent Acquisition Specialist

About [Employer] and Your Team

At [Employer], we are on a mission to create financial happiness for every African, everywhere. From pioneering digital payments to powering millions of businesses across the continent, we build innovative, dependable products that everyday people rely on.

As part of the People Team, Talent Acquisition doesn't just fill open roles; we shape how great talent discovers, joins, and thrives at [Employer]. You'll join a collaborative, ambitious team of recruiters, sourcers, and operations specialists who care deeply about candidate experience, equity, and operational excellence.

Job Purpose

The Early Careers TA Specialist leads the operational delivery of [Employer]'s structured early-talent ecosystem, spanning university partnerships, campus hackathons, structured internships, and graduate conversions.

In this role, you'll partner closely with the Senior TA Strategy & Enablement Manager to turn strategic vision into high-impact, repeatable programmes. You'll own the day-to-day rhythm of our campus presence and early-career cohorts, ensuring every student, graduate, and intern experiences a transparent, supportive, and inspiring journey into [Employer].

Key Responsibilities

1. Campus Engagement & Community Presence

• Build and execute a clear, engaging playbook for how [Employer] connects with university students and emerging talent through hackathons, tech talks, campus career fairs, and community hubs.
• Run the annual early-careers recruiting calendar, aligning outreach windows, assessment cycles, and start dates into a predictable, well-communicated rhythm.
• Establish and nurture long-term partnerships with universities, student societies, and tech communities across Nigeria to build balanced, diverse talent pipelines year after year.

2. Internship & Graduate Programme Delivery

• Deliver a structured, end-to-end internship experience—including recruiting, pre-boarding, cohort programming, manager enablement, and conversion into full-time roles.
• Partner with hiring managers and team leads to define project scopes, secure dedicated mentors, and ensure interns work on meaningful, real-world problems.
• Manage transparent, objective conversion assessments at each stage of the cohort lifecycle using structured, skill-based criteria.

3. Recruiting Infrastructure & Candidate Experience

• Design and manage smooth application, screening, and interview workflows for high-volume cohorts within our Applicant Tracking System (ATS).
• Collaborate with assessment partners and vendors to deliver fair, accessible, and bias-free evaluation stages for all candidates.
• Coordinate with People Operations, IT, and workplace teams to ensure seamless onboarding and Day 1 readiness for every cohort.
• Provide mentorship and day-to-day guidance to junior recruiters or coordinators supporting early-talent pipelines as the function expands.

4. Insights, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Track key programme metrics, including application conversion rates, cohort diversity, candidate Net Promoter Score (NPS), and post-internship retention.
• Gather feedback from candidates, interns, and hiring managers to simplify processes and continuously improve programme quality.
• Share regular progress updates and data-driven recommendations with the wider TA leadership.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of talent acquisition experience, with proven exposure to campus recruiting, university relations, early-career programmes, or cohort hiring.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating complex projects or multi-stakeholder programmes with strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Practical experience using modern Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and candidate evaluation tools.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to connect authentically with university students and senior stakeholders alike.
• Solid understanding of the Nigerian higher education landscape and emerging talent communities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing or running student hackathons, innovation challenges, or specialized STEM recruitment initiatives.
• Experience in high-growth technology, fintech, or fast-paced corporate environments.
• Familiarity with funnel analytics, spreadsheet reporting, or presentation design for leadership reviews.

About You

• You're an empathetic communicator: You listen well, build genuine trust with students and hiring managers, and make every candidate feel valued and respected.
• You bring structure to complex projects: You enjoy taking multiple moving parts—dates, venues, mentors, candidate lists—and organizing them into clear, dependable workflows.
• You're a collaborative problem-solver: You approach challenges with curiosity, ask thoughtful questions, and work constructively with hiring managers to find solutions that benefit everyone.
• You care deeply about fairness: You believe great talent comes from diverse backgrounds, and you actively champion objective, inclusive hiring practices.
• You're human and grounded: You communicate with clarity, keep things simple, and bring positive energy and humility to your team every day.

[Employer] is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and candidates.