Talent Acquisition Specialist (1 year contract)

About the Role

We are looking for a results-driven Recruiter to join our talent acquisition team on a 1-year direct contract based in Malaysia. This role is ideal for a recruitment professional who has worked on both sides of the table — in-house talent acquisition and agency/RPO recruitment — and who is comfortable managing high-volume hiring across both IT (technical) and BPO (non-technical/voice and non-voice) roles. Beyond local hiring, this role carries regional exposure: you will support recruitment across ASEAN markets, giving you the opportunity to work with cross-border stakeholders, understand multiple talent markets, and grow your career with regional scope rather than a single-country remit. You will own the end-to-end recruitment cycle for multiple concurrent requisitions, partner closely with hiring managers and business stakeholders across the region, and help scale our workforce efficiently without compromising on quality of hire.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage full-cycle recruitment for both IT and BPO roles, from intake briefing with hiring managers through offer and onboarding handover.
• Drive high-volume / bulk hiring campaigns for BPO roles (e.g., customer service, technical support, back-office operations) while maintaining candidate quality and speed-to-fill targets.
• Source, screen, and manage pipelines for IT roles across software development, infrastructure, QA, data, AI and other technical disciplines.
• Source candidates through multiple channels — job boards, LinkedIn, employee referrals, agency partners, campus/walk-in drives, and social media — and build proactive talent pipelines.
• Support recruitment across ASEAN markets (e.g., Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia) as needed, coordinating with regional hiring managers and adapting sourcing strategy to local market conditions.
• Manage relationships with external recruitment agencies and vendors where required, including negotiating terms, tracking SLAs, and ensuring quality submissions
• Conduct structured interviews and competency-based screening to assess technical fit, cultural fit, and role suitability.
• Partner with hiring managers to define role requirements, set realistic hiring timelines, and advise on market talent availability and compensation benchmarks.
• Manage the offer process, including salary negotiation, within approved budgets and internal equity guidelines.
• Track and report recruitment metrics (time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, offer-acceptance rate, source effectiveness) and provide regular pipeline updates to stakeholders.
• Ensure a positive candidate experience throughout the hiring journey, from first contact to onboarding.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and ensure compliance with local labor laws and company hiring policies.
• Support employer branding initiatives, job fairs, and recruitment marketing efforts as needed.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 4 years of progressive recruitment experience, with demonstrated exposure to both in-house (corporate/internal TA) and agency/RPO recruitment environments.
• Proven experience recruiting for IT/technical roles (e.g., developers, engineers, IT support, infrastructure, QA) as well as BPO/volume roles (e.g., call center, customer support, operations).
• Solid track record managing high-volume recruitment drives with tight timelines and multiple open requisitions simultaneously.
• Strong sourcing skills across job portals, LinkedIn Recruiter, referrals, and other creative sourcing channels.
• Hands-on experience using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and recruitment reporting tools.
• Good understanding of Malaysian labor market practices and employment regulations relevant to hiring.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and thrive in a fast-paced, target-driven environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, or a related field (or equivalent working experience).

Preferred / Nice-to-Have

• Prior experience recruiting within a shared services, GBS, or outsourcing environment.
• Prior exposure to regional or cross-border recruitment within ASEAN, with an understanding of hiring nuances across different countries in the region.
• Familiarity with recruitment for niche or emerging technical skill sets (e.g., cloud, data engineering, cybersecurity).
• Experience with employer branding, campus recruitment, or recruitment marketing campaigns.
• Certification in recruitment or HR (e.g., LinkedIn Certified Professional Recruiter, CIPD, or equivalent).
• Bilingual proficiency (English and Bahasa Malaysia, with an added advantage for Mandarin or other regional languages).

What We Offer

• Competitive contract remuneration, commensurate with experience.
• Exposure to a dynamic, high-volume hiring environment across both IT and BPO functions.
• Regional exposure through recruitment work spanning multiple ASEAN countries — broadening your market knowledge and cross-border stakeholder experience.
• Opportunity to work closely with senior stakeholders and build a strong end-to-end recruitment track record.
• Potential for contract renewal or conversion based on performance and business needs.

About Cognizant: 
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is an AI Builder and technology services provider, bridging the gap between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for our clients. Our deep industry, process and engineering expertise enables us to build an organization’s unique context into technology systems that amplify human potential, drive tangible outcomes and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world. See how at cognizant.ai or @cognizant.

Additional employment information
Compensation information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.

Applicants may be required to attend interviews in person or by video conference. In addition, candidates may be required to present their current state or government issued ID during each interview.

Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. Your application and candidacy will not be considered based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.