Senior Recruiter (South Africa - Remote) [Fixed Term Contract]

Location: South Africa (Remote)  

Salary: R875,000 - R1,000,000

Contract: 12-month fixed-term contract

Cognisys is a leading cybersecurity company specialising in Penetration Testing, GRC Consulting, & Managed Services. We pride ourselves on our customer service, forward-thinking approach, and commitment to excellence. We work with some of the best-known companies in the world, covering over 30 countries worldwide.

About the Role

The Senior Recruiter will play a key role in supporting Cognisys’ growth by leading recruitment delivery for defined teams, roles and geographies. This role focuses on hands-on recruitment delivery and senior search, partnering closely with hiring managers to attract and hire high-quality talent in competitive cybersecurity, GRC, technology and GTM markets.

Operating as a senior, trusted recruiter, you will bring strong direct sourcing and headhunting capability, manage multiple roles concurrently, and ensure a high-quality, consistent recruitment experience aligned to Cognisys’ values and ways of working.

This is a delivery-led Senior Recruiter role, not a Talent Acquisition Partner or coordination position.

Key Responsibilities

Recruitment delivery & headhunting

● Own end-to-end recruitment delivery for assigned roles and teams, including senior, specialist and leadership hires.

●  Lead direct sourcing and headhunting activity, engaging passive candidates in competitive global talent markets.

●  Manage multiple live roles in parallel, maintaining momentum and quality throughout the process.

●  Deliver strong shortlists and hiring recommendations to hiring managers, able to carry out strong 1st stage culture fit/technical competence interviews.

Stakeholder partnership

●  Partner closely with hiring managers to provide consultative recruitment support, from role scoping through to successful hire.

● Support managers to clarify role requirements and hiring priorities, challenging where needed.

●  Maintain clear communication on progress, risks and timelines.

Attraction & candidate experience

●  Advertise roles and proactively source talent using LinkedIn Recruiter and other channels.

● Apply creativity and judgement to attract top-tier candidates within defined markets.

●  Champion a positive, inclusive and professional candidate experience at every stage.

● Support building out our employer brand in defined geographies as part of a joined-up global approach.

Process, systems & ways of working

●  Work within Cognisys’ recruitment frameworks while contributing to continuous improvement.

●  Ensure effective use of the ATS (TeamTailor) and recruitment tools for assigned roles.

●  Support consistent, scalable recruitment practices across the People & Culture team.

Data, insight & reporting

●  Track recruitment activity and outcomes for assigned roles and geographies.

●  Provide clear updates on pipeline health, time-to-hire and delivery risks in line with our weekly reporting requirements.

●  Use data and insight to improve sourcing approaches and hiring outcomes.

Key Skills & Experience

Essential

●  Proven experience as a Senior Recruiter in a high-growth, tech-led or scale-up environment.

● Strong track record delivering multiple roles simultaneously, including senior and specialist hires.

●  Demonstrable experience recruiting within cybersecurity, IT, GRC, technology or GTM roles.

●  Strong direct sourcing and headhunting capability.

●  Experience using ATS systems (Teamtailor preferred) and LinkedIn Recruiter.

●  Confident and credible when partnering with senior stakeholders.

Desirable

●  Experience recruiting across multiple geographies and time zones.

●  Exposure to consulting, professional services or regulated environments.

●  Background in agency or search-led recruitment roles.

Personal Attributes

● Delivery-focused, proactive and highly organised.

● Comfortable working at pace with competing priorities.

● Strong communicator with sound judgement.

● Commercial, pragmatic and solutions-oriented.

● Able to work autonomously within a defined remit.

● Team player, able to actively contribute to team deliverables.

If you think you can deliver but don't match the criteria above, please don't be put off. We are very open-minded and focus on ability and attitude above skills.

Success Measures

●  Delivery of high-quality hires across assigned teams and geographies.

●  Recruitment SLAs met for owned roles (e.g. time-to-hire, shortlist quality).

●  Positive feedback from hiring managers and candidates.

●  Strong pipelines built for critical roles within defined areas.

●  Evidence of improved sourcing effectiveness and recruitment efficiency.

Development Opportunities

●  Opportunity to take ownership of additional teams or geographies as Cognisys scales.

●  Increased involvement in workforce planning for assigned areas.

●  Potential progression into a permanent role or a broader senior recruitment or specialist search role.

Working Environment

● Remote role based in South Africa, supporting global teams.

●  Collaborative People & Culture function with clear ownership boundaries.

●  Fast-paced, growth-focused environment with high visibility and impact.

●  Close partnership with senior leaders and hiring managers.

What We Offer

● Annual Leave: 25 days per year, plus UK bank holidays.

● Additional Leave: 1 day of paid leave on your Birthday!

● Heath & Wellbeing: Access to Westfield Health Care Cash Plan and our Employee Mental Health and Wellbeing platform.

● Professional Development: £2,000 annual training budget to support your continued learning and career growth.

● A dynamic and supportive work environment where customer care and innovation drive everything we do.

● Refer a friend bonus scheme, up to £2,000!

Why Join Us?

Cognisys is one of the fastest-growing cybersecurity companies globally. With employees in 9 countries, including an established remote team in South Africa. Here, you will be part of a collaborative and innovative team that values your input and shares support. You'll have the opportunity to work on challenging projects that make a real impact on our clients. We'd love to hear from you if you want to challenge, lead and innovate!

We're not just about the work; we're about the people. Join a team where innovation is celebrated and your contributions are valued. We foster a collaborative environment where fresh ideas thrive and professional growth is encouraged.

Applications

Please feel free to reach out to Dom, our Head of Talent Acquisition, if you would like any further information, to discuss accessibility requirements, or if you require this information provided in an alternative format – hiring@cognisys.group

We welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds and can make various reasonable adjustments to accommodate individual needs.

NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES, PLEASE