Market Talent Partner/Lead Recruiter

About the role

The work we do at Markel gives people the confidence to move forward and seize opportunities, and you’ll find your fit amongst our global community of optimists and problem-solvers. We’re always pushing each other to go further because we believe that when we realize our potential, we can help others reach theirs. Join us and play your part in something special!

Job Responsibilities

• Partner with business leaders to understand current and future talent needs and develop proactive recruiting strategies aligned with business priorities.
• Serve as a market-facing talent acquisition advisor, bringing insight into competitor activity, talent trends, and market dynamics.
• Build and maintain strong external relationships across the E&S market, including industry talent, brokers, underwriters, associations, and other key market participants.
• Develop targeted sourcing strategies and talent pipelines for critical and hard-to-fill roles, with a focus on specialized talent.
• Provide market intelligence, talent mapping, and recommendations that help hiring leaders make informed talent decisions.
• Lead full-cycle recruitment for assigned roles, delivering a high-quality and efficient hiring process from intake through offer.
• Partner closely with HR Business Partners and internal stakeholders to align on hiring priorities, recruiting strategy, and candidate experience.
• Represent Markel in the external market through networking, industry events, and relationship-building activities that strengthen brand awareness and access to talent.
• Track and analyze recruiting activity, pipeline health, and market data to generate insights, measure effectiveness, and continuously improve outcomes.
• Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and company policies related to talent acquisition.
• Travel up to 30% as needed.

Education and Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Communications, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Professional training or certification in recruiting, talent acquisition, or human resources is preferred.

Work Experience and Skill Set

• 7+ years of experience in talent acquisition, executive search, underwriting, or recruiting, ideally within specialty insurance, E&S, or other specialized talent markets.
• A track record of building talent pipelines and engaging passive candidates for critical, niche, or hard-to-fill roles.
• A strong understanding of the E&S insurance market, including talent trends, competitor dynamics, and key functional roles.
• Strong relationship-building, communication, and influencing skills, with the ability to establish credibility with business leaders and external talent.
• Experience using applicant tracking systems, sourcing tools, and data to inform recruiting strategies and measure effectiveness.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple searches, stakeholders, and priorities in a dynamic environment.
• The professional presence and market credibility to represent Markel effectively externally.

US Work Authorization

US Work Authorization required.

Pay Information

The base salary offered for the successful candidate will be based on compensable factors such as job-relevant education, job-relevant experience, training, licensure, demonstrated competencies, geographic location, and other factors. Title and salary will be commensurate with skill set/experience. The national average salary for the Market Talent Partner/Lead Recruiter, Wholesale & Specialty is $97,520 - $134,090 with 25% incentive.

What's In It For You

In keeping with the values of the Markel Style, we strive to support our employees in living their lives to the fullest at home and at work. We offer competitive benefit programs that help meet our diverse and changing environment as well as support our employees’ needs at all stages of life.

Caution: Employment scams

We would like to caution you against any employment scams where scammers will impersonate recruiters by sending fake job offers to those actively seeking employment. Frequently, these "job offers" include convincing offer letters and frequently ask for confidential personal information. Therefore, for your safety, please note that all legitimate job postings with Markel will be posted on Markel.com. No other URL should be trusted for job postings. All legitimate communications with Markel recruiters will come from Markel.com email addresses. We would also ask that you please report any job employment scams related to Markel to rarecruiting@markel.com.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We do not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis of any protected characteristic. This includes race; color; sex; religion; creed; national origin or place of birth; ancestry; age; disability; affectional or sexual orientation; gender expression or identity; genetic information, sickle cell trait, or atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait; refusal to submit to genetic tests or make genetic test results available; medical condition; citizenship status; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; marital status, civil union status, domestic partnership status, familial status, or family responsibilities; military or veteran status, including unfavorable discharge from military service; personal appearance, height, or weight; matriculation or political affiliation; expunged juvenile records; arrest and court records where prohibited by applicable law; status as a victim of domestic or sexual violence; public assistance status; order of protection status; status as a smoker or nonsmoker; membership or activity in local commissions; the use or nonuse of lawful products off employer premises during non-work hours; declining to attend meetings or participate in communications about religious or political matters; or any other classification protected by applicable law.