Early Talent Acquisition Specialist

Job Description:

Segment: Mars Global Services

Location: Veghel

Contract type: full-time, one-year contract

Help Shape the Future of Mars

At Mars, we believe our future starts with the talent we attract today. As an Early Talent Acquisition Specialist, you will play a key role in identifying, engaging and developing the next generation of Mars Associates.

From internships and graduate programs to campus events and employer branding initiatives, you will help position Mars as an employer of choice for students and early career professionals. You will work closely with Hiring Managers, Talent Acquisition colleagues and senior stakeholders to deliver an outstanding candidate experience while building a strong pipeline of future talent.

If you are passionate about recruitment, employer branding and developing emerging talent, this could be the perfect next step in your career.

What are your key responsibilities?

As an Early Talent Acquisition Specialist, you will lead the attraction, recruitment and development of interns and graduate talent across the Netherlands, while also supporting broader initiatives across Europe when needed.

Early Talent Recruitment

• Own and manage the end-to-end recruitment process for internships and graduate programs.
• Partner closely with Hiring Managers and provide guidance throughout the recruitment journey.
• Build diverse and high-quality talent pipelines through proactive sourcing strategies.
• Conduct candidate screenings, video interviews and pre-selection activities.
• Present strong candidate shortlists and act as a guardian of Mars' recruitment process, culture and values.
• Facilitate assessment centres and support senior leaders in making informed hiring decisions.
• Deliver an exceptional candidate experience throughout the recruitment process.

Employer Branding & Campus Recruitment

• Collaborate with the Employer Reputation Team to deliver engaging digital and social media campaigns.
• Increase awareness of Mars' internship and graduate opportunities among students and graduates.
• Organise and participate in career fairs, campus events and in-house days.
• Represent Mars at universities and higher education institutions across the Netherlands.
• Build strong relationships with educational institutions and student networks.

Internship Experience Programme Management

• Create an outstanding experience for our intern population.
• Coordinate onboarding and development programmes for interns.
• Gather and analyze feedback to continuously improve the intern experience.
• Develop learning and development initiatives that strengthen our future talent pipeline.
• Support the successful conversion of interns into graduate programmes and entry-level roles.

Continuous Improvement & Projects

• Drive improvements in recruitment processes, tools and ways of working.
• Maintain and optimize process and policy documentation.
• Support capability building and knowledge sharing within the Talent Acquisition team.
• Contribute to regional projects focused on improving intern conversion rates and strengthening the Mars employer brand.
• Provide recruitment support to other European markets during periods of high demand.

What are we looking for?

• A background in Human Resources, Recruitment or a related field.
• Experience in Early Talent, Campus Recruitment and/or Volume Recruitment.
• A strong understanding of the Dutch educational landscape.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• A proactive mindset and the ability to learn quickly.
• A collaborative team player who enjoys working across functions and geographies.
• Good proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Fluent in both Dutch and English.

What can you expect from Mars?

• Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
• Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
• A strong focus on learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
• An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.