Naj Saif - Head of Talent Acquisition

Led the global talent acquisition strategy for a globally recognized executive search firm specializing in Finance, IT, Sales, and Operations. Partnered with tech startups and scale-ups to build high-performing teams from the ground up, reporting directly to the CEO.

• Built & Led a top-tier recruitment team aligned to the UK market, ensuring seamless hiring execution across Tech, Sales, and Operations.

• Full-Spectrum Hiring Expertise, delivering best-in-class talent across Engineering (Python, Java, C#, Full Stack, Data Science, Cybersecurity, DevOps, Web Development), Sales (BDRs, AEs, Sales Leaders), and Operations (Project Managers, Analysts, Tech Support, Finance, Customer Success, HR, and more).

• Strategic Workforce Planning, collaborating with C-suite and founders to align hiring strategies with business goals, market trends, and scaling roadmaps.

• Data-Driven Talent Strategy, developing and presenting recruitment metrics, dashboards, and competitive market intelligence to stakeholders.

• Elite Sourcing & Networking, leveraging industry relationships, direct sourcing, and advanced headhunting techniques to land A+ talent.

• End-to-End Recruitment Leadership, overseeing the entire hiring lifecycle—from sourcing and screening to offer negotiations and seamless onboarding.

• Employer Branding & Talent Attraction, positioning Miranti and its partners as top destinations for elite professionals through targeted outreach and branding initiatives.

• Cost-Effective Hiring Solutions, optimizing recruitment spend while reducing time-to-hire and increasing retention.

Hired as the go-to tech recruitment expert for Optum UK (EMIS), a leading international health tech software company. Led full-cycle recruitment efforts to attract and secure top-tier engineering and technology talent, ensuring the company remained at the forefront of healthcare innovation.

• Owned the End-to-End Hiring Process, executing 360° recruitment across Software Engineering, DevOps, Cloud, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure, and IT Support roles.

• Built Strong Hiring Partnerships, collaborating closely with engineering and product leaders to define talent needs and deliver strategic hiring solutions.

• Sourced & Engaged Elite Tech Talent, leveraging LinkedIn Recruiter, social media, networking events, and niche tech communities to build high-quality pipelines.

• Conducted In-Depth Technical Assessments, ensuring candidates met both technical and cultural benchmarks.

• Managed the Offer & Negotiation Process, securing top candidates with competitive compensation packages and strong employer value propositions.

• Implemented Data-Driven Hiring Strategies, tracking recruitment metrics to optimize time-to-hire and improve sourcing effectiveness.

• Kept Pulse on the Market, staying ahead of tech hiring trends, emerging skills, and industry best practices to continuously refine recruitment strategies.

Retained by high-growth Finance, SaaS, Tech, FinTech, and Recruitment startups, as well as corporate powerhouses like Carwow, What3Words, Tide, Babylon, ING Bank, UBS, United Health, Wipro, European Commission, and EY, to strategically scale their teams during periods of rapid expansion.

• Led Full-Cycle Hiring across Tech, Sales, Product, and Front Office, ensuring companies met aggressive growth targets while maintaining quality, cost-efficiency, and speed.

• Specialized in Building Elite Teams, hiring across Software Engineering (Python, Java, C#, Full Stack), Data Science, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure, Web Development, DevOps, Tech Support, and Business Analysis—alongside Sales (BDRs, AEs, Sales Directors), Product (Product Owners, Product Managers, UX/UI Designers), and Front Office (Client Services, Risk & Compliance, Operations, and Finance).

• Strategic Talent Partner, collaborating with C-suite and leadership teams to define hiring roadmaps, refine workforce planning, and train hiring managers on talent assessment and interview best practices.

• Data-Driven Hiring Decisions, delivering market intelligence, competitive insights, and talent trend analysis to support leadership in making informed hiring decisions.

• Optimized Candidate Experience, ensuring a seamless recruitment process from sourcing to onboarding, in partnership with HR on offer management, employment agreements, and retention strategies.

• Compliance & Diversity Advocate, ensuring recruitment processes adhered to employment law and DEI best practices, fostering inclusive hiring.

Juggle is venture backed Saas Start-up. Reporting to the CEO I Spearheaded the end-to-end recruitment strategy. scaling teams with top-tier talent to drive innovation and market dominance.

• Built & Led the talent acquisition function from the ground up, crafting recruitment processes that attracted A+ players across engineering, product, and business functions.

• Strategic Partner to leadership, aligning hiring goals with company vision, workforce planning, and hypergrowth needs.

• Employer Branding Champion, positioning the company as a top destination for elite talent through compelling storytelling and engagement.

• Data-Driven Decision Maker, leveraging analytics and market insights to optimize hiring efficiency and predict talent needs.

• Culture Architect, ensuring every hire reinforced a high-performance, mission-driven company ethos.

• Elite Networker, tapping into deep industry connections, cutting-edge sourcing tools, and creative outreach strategies to land the best and brightest.

• Operational Excellence, implementing ATS systems, recruitment automation, and seamless candidate experiences to scale hiring without sacrificing quality.

VC backed Tech Start up . Reporting to the COO I was headhunted to build their talent function from the ground up, driving rapid headcount growth. Designed and executed a high-impact hiring strategy to attract world-class talent across sales, tech, product, and operations.

• Built the Talent Function from scratch, implementing scalable hiring processes, ATS systems, and best-in-class recruitment strategies.

• Hired Top Talent Across All Functions, from engineers to sales leaders, fueling business expansion and innovation.

• Strategic Partner to Leadership, aligning talent strategy with aggressive growth goals and future workforce planning.

• Employer Brand Builder, positioning Talmix as a go-to destination for top-tier talent through compelling storytelling and outreach.

• Data-Driven Recruiting, leveraging metrics, market insights, and innovative sourcing techniques to optimize hiring efficiency.

• Culture Advocate, ensuring every hire reinforced a high-performance, mission-driven team.

Led global internal recruitment strategy for a specialist headhunting firm in Financial IT, Digital Media, and Oil & Gas, reporting directly to the CEO.

• Built & Led High-Performance Hiring strategies, creating robust talent pipelines to minimize turnaround time.

• Owned End-to-End Talent Acquisition, conducting deep candidate assessments and advising hiring managers on capability, fit, and potential.

• Employer Branding & Talent Attraction, launching high-impact recruitment marketing campaigns to engage niche talent communities.

• Optimized Sourcing Strategy, leveraging head-hunting, networking, social media, job boards, and direct outreach.

• Drove Retention & Succession Planning, implementing a long-term talent development strategy that increased yearly retention by 50%.

• People & Culture Leadership, shaping strategies around compensation, benefits, and internal mobility to strengthen company culture.

• Market Intelligence, analyzing competitor hiring trends to keep Cititec ahead in the war for talent.

Reporting to the CEO I led the internal recruitment of Montash- a talent firm specialising in Finance & IT servicing clients like JP Morgan, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Morgan Stanley.

• Owned Global Talent Acquisition, hiring across Sales, Tech, Customer Success, Operations, and Marketing to fuel rapid international expansion.

• Designed & Delivered High-Impact Hiring Plans, ensuring a best-in-class recruitment process with hiring managers.

• Full-Cycle Recruitment Leadership, managing sourcing, CV screening, competency-based interviews, and assessment centers for graduate intakes.

• Optimized Recruitment Budget, ensuring strong employer branding and high ROI on talent acquisition investments.

• Talent Development & Training, designing and delivering a recruiter training program and conducting performance appraisals.

• Consultative Leadership, providing strategic hiring guidance to business leaders while executing tech-driven recruitment process improvements.