Buhlebenkosi Selina Nyathi
Dubai,United Arab Emirates
Summary
Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist with 9+ years of experience delivering strategic hiring solutions across defense, engineering, and advanced manufacturing environments.
Proven expertise in scaling technical teams, managing high-volume and niche recruitment, and partnering with senior stakeholders in complex, high-security industries.
Strong track record supporting defense manufacturing operations through targeted sourcing, international recruitment, and workforce planning.
Advanced capability in market mapping, headhunting, recruitment analytics, and ATS optimisation.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
Work history
Career Break | Maternity Leave
2025.12 - 2026.04
- Actively upskilling during maternity leave with a focus on recruitment technology and talent acquisition trends. Completed courses in AI-powered sourcing, recruitment analytics, and advanced Boolean search techniques. Engaged in TA community events, webinars, and LinkedIn thought leadership. Preparing for return to a senior Talent Acquisition or Recruitment leadership role.
Talent Acquisition Manager
Elite Merit Real Estate
Dubai, Real Estate and Development
2024.05 - 2025.12
- Led full-cycle recruitment for a 50+ employee real estate firm, managing requisitions from intake to offer across agent, technical, commercial, and leadership roles. Reduced cost-per-hire by 18% through direct sourcing strategies and vendor consolidation. Built and managed a preferred supplier list of recruitment agencies. Implemented an ATS system and recruitment dashboards that improved hiring manager visibility and reduced time-to-fill by 25%. Partnered with department heads on workforce planning, headcount forecasting, and succession planning. Designed structured interview frameworks and competency-based assessments to improve quality of hire. Developed and created a whole HR system and implementation from scratch.
Talent Acquisition Manager
Kleindienst Group (Heart of Europe)
Dubai, Construction, Engineering and Hospitality
2023.01 - 2024.04
- Managed full-cycle recruitment across construction, hospitality, and luxury real estate for a flagship mega-project, filling 50+ roles annually. Led a team of 3 recruiters, setting KPIs for sourcing, screening, and offer conversion rates. Reduced time-to-hire by 20% through proactive talent pipelining and Boolean search optimization. Partnered with C-Suite executives to define role requirements, competency frameworks, and interview processes. Spearheaded employer branding campaigns on LinkedIn that increased inbound applications by 35%. Implemented ATS workflow automation and recruitment analytics dashboards to track pipeline health and candidate experience metrics.
Talent Acquisition Business Partner
GHD
Abu Dhabi, Engineering and Environment
2021.12 - 2022.12
- Served as Talent Acquisition Business Partner for engineering, environmental, and advisory divisions across the Middle East, managing 40+ requisitions per quarter. Designed and implemented a structured onboarding program that improved new hire retention by 15% within the first 90 days. Partnered with senior leaders on workforce planning, succession mapping, and talent pipeline development for critical roles. Conducted market salary benchmarking and competitor analysis to strengthen offer competitiveness. Delivered recruitment training and coaching to hiring managers on inclusive hiring practices and competency-based interviewing. Tracked recruitment KPIs and produced monthly TA performance reports for regional leadership.
Senior Recruitment Specialist
Streit Group
Ras Al Khaimah, Defense, Armored Vehicles and Marine
2021.01 - 2021.12
- Led talent acquisition for a 800+ employee defense manufacturing organization, managing executive search, bulk hiring, and international recruitment projects. Implemented an ATS system that reduced recruitment cycle time by 30% and improved candidate tracking and reporting accuracy. Successfully filled 80+ positions within tight deadlines across engineering, operations, and corporate functions. Developed sourcing strategies using LinkedIn Recruiter, job fairs, and agency partnerships. Created standardized interview guides and assessment tools to ensure consistent candidate evaluation. Managed recruitment budgets, agency contracts, and vendor performance scorecards.
Recruitment Consultant / Account Manager
First Resort Global Recruitment
Dubai, Recruitment Agency
2017.05 - 2021.01
- Delivered end-to-end recruitment services across healthcare, engineering, hospitality, and oil & gas sectors for clients in the UAE, UK, and Africa, placing 100+ candidates annually. Managed the full sourcing lifecycle: job advertising, CV screening, competency-based interviews, reference checks, and offer negotiation. Built and maintained a client portfolio as Account Manager, achieving 90% client retention and contributing to a 25% increase in annual revenue. Sourced passive candidates through LinkedIn Recruiter, Boolean search, and networking events. Coordinated onboarding logistics including visa processing, relocation, and travel arrangements for international placements.
Education
Master's - Industrial & Organizational Psychology
University of South Africa (UNISA)
South AfricaBachelor's - Psychology
University of Cambridge
South Africa 2013.01 - /2015
Skills
- Boolean Search & Sourcing Diversity Recruiting
- Interview Design Recruitment
- Analytics LinkedIn Recruiter
- Offer Management
- Workforce Planning
- Technical Recruiting
- HR Generalist
- Niche Recruitment
- Talent Acquisition and Retaining
Reference
Available Upon Request
Timeline
Career Break | Maternity Leave
2025.12 - 2026.04
Talent Acquisition Manager
Elite Merit Real Estate
2024.05 - 2025.12
Talent Acquisition Manager
Kleindienst Group (Heart of Europe)
2023.01 - 2024.04
Talent Acquisition Business Partner
GHD
2021.12 - 2022.12
Senior Recruitment Specialist
Streit Group
2021.01 - 2021.12
Recruitment Consultant / Account Manager
First Resort Global Recruitment
2017.05 - 2021.01
Bachelor's - Psychology
University of Cambridge
2013.01 - /2015
Master's - Industrial & Organizational Psychology
University of South Africa (UNISA)