Talent Acquisition Specialist

Great Teams Don’t Happen by Accident Behind every ambitious company is someone who can recognise exceptional talent before everyone else does—and influence that talent to make the right career move. At Inc42, Talent Acquisition is a business-critical mandate that requires market intelligence, sound judgement, candidate influence and the ability to close high-value talent. From identifying a specialist product leader or growth marketer to engaging an experienced editor, designer or technologist, you will help build the teams shaping how India’s startup economy is reported, understood and experienced. If you know how to find talent hidden in plain sight, establish authority with accomplished candidates, influence senior stakeholders and successfully negotiate complex offers, we would like to hear from you. Why This Role Exists Inc42 is expanding across media, intelligence, products, events, communities and learning. That growth depends on hiring people who combine functional excellence with curiosity, ownership and an entrepreneurial mindset. We are looking for a Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist to own full-cycle recruitment across Product, Marketing, Growth, Technology, Design, Editorial and leadership functions. You will work closely with the Head of People Operations, Founders and Functional Leaders to translate business requirements into compelling talent mandates, build high-quality candidate pipelines and take candidates from the first conversation through assessment, negotiation, closure and onboarding. This role requires the instincts of a talent hunter, the influence of a trusted advisor and the commercial judgement of an effective closer. About Inc42 Inc42 is India’s largest media and intelligence platform focused on the startup economy—but we are not just one kind of company. We operate at the intersection of journalism, data intelligence, technology, founder learning, iconic industry experiences and high-trust communities. Our ecosystem includes: Inc42’s authoritative journalism , reporting on the companies, people and forces shaping India’s technology economy Datalabs , India’s largest free startup database, covering 75,000+ companies D2CX , our learning and community platform designed to help D2C founders build, scale and lead stronger businesses Flagship editorial IPs such as the AI Summit, D2C & Retail Summit , FAST42 and D2C Retreat Griffin , India’s most curated private founder club This breadth brings together an unusually diverse team of journalists, researchers, product builders, technologists, designers, marketers, creators, educators and business operators—all working towards one mission: to inform, enable and connect the people building India’s technology economy. For Talent Acquisition, that makes Inc42 a uniquely exciting organisation to build. Hiring here is neither repetitive nor transactional. One mandate could involve finding a deeply specialised editorial leader, the next a product or technology professional, and another a creative, growth, learning or business leader. As part of People Operations, you will help build the multidisciplinary teams behind Inc42’s next phase—shaping the organisation from the inside while influencing how India’s startup economy is understood on the outside. Primary Responsibilities Continuously collaborate with PeopleOps head and function heads to refine, implement, and execute innovative recruiting strategies Develop & evolve job descriptions & specifications Work on multiple open roles across teams and ensure that every hire is a culture fit 'A' player Source candidates using a variety of search methods to build a robust candidate pipeline Grow and foster relationships with a database of qualified active and passive talent to pull from as new positions open up Facilitate the offer process by extending the offer & negotiating employment terms Monitor & apply recruiting best practices Ensure all screening, hiring, and selection is done in accordance with employment laws & regulations. Network with potential hires through professional groups on social media Track hiring metrics such as time-to-source, time-to-hire, source of hire etc. Professional Traits Ability to conduct different types of Interviews (structured, competency based, stress etc.) Proficiency in Applicant Tracking Systems Prior experience in managing niche media hiring Exceptional communication, interpersonal, decision-making, and organizational skills Fair understanding of employment laws & regulations Deep understanding of the start-up ecosystem and media industry Ability to discover & attract passive talents. Obsessive about smashing targets out of the window Ability to work with limited direct supervision Up to date with latest trends and best practices in talent across digital media space and the startup ecosystem Qualifications and Experience Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Management or a related discipline, with a strong academic track record. 4–8 years of proven experience in Talent Acquisition, recruitment or a comparable role. Demonstrated ownership of mid-to-senior and leadership hiring mandates. Proven success in identifying, engaging, negotiating with and closing senior-level candidates. Experience handling complex compensation discussions, competing offers, counteroffers and candidate objections. Strong stakeholder-management skills, including the confidence to influence senior leaders and constructively challenge hiring requirements. Ability to establish credibility and authority with experienced, highly selective candidates. Experience conducting structured, competency-based and situational interviews. Proficiency in Applicant Tracking Systems. Advanced working knowledge of MS Office, database management and internet research. Strong communication, interpersonal, decision-making and organisational skills. Working understanding of applicable employment laws and hiring regulations. Deep understanding of the startup ecosystem and digital media industry. Experience hiring across Product, Marketing, Growth, Technology, Design, Editorial or other specialist functions. Prior experience managing niche media hiring would be highly valued. Experience in digital media, startups, technology or another fast-growth environment would be advantageous. A stable professional track record is strongly preferred, demonstrating sustained ownership, professional progression and measurable impact within organisations.