✅ AVAILABILITY - Q3 2026 - AMSTERDAM / EMEA - ONSITE - HYBRID - REMOTE
I run the hiring engine that mission-driven companies need at their most critical moment of growth.
I'm Oscar Mager. I've spent my career running Talent Acquisition inside growing companies when the next round, the next site, or the next leadership team has to land. Deep tech, the energy transition, advanced digital platforms. SkyNRG after the €175M raise. Northvolt through hyper-growth into the $2.75B Series E. Bumble, Sonos, Airspace, TomTom.
01 - ABOUT
I don't just advise. I execute.
I've built modern, inclusive hiring functions from scratch, scaled hiring through hyper-growth, and led executive search across Europe and the US in a wide range of industries: sustainable aviation, battery manufacturing, AI logistics, online dating, consumer technology, fintech, legal services and rail infrastructure.
The work is to enter complex, fast-moving industries quickly, understand what truly drives the business, and earn the trust of the teams being built - while delivering the hires that prove it out.
Over twenty years of this has convinced me: organisations that own their hiring build the teams that drive real innovation and change.
Outside of work I ride long-distance gravel adventures - most recently a 5,000 km route from the Netherlands to Spain, including El Piri and Basajaun (two ultra races of roughly 800 km, 17,000 m of climbing each). The mindset needed for long-distance endurance - navigating uncertainty, staying committed, and finding strength under pressure - shapes how I approach talent strategy and support mission-driven companies in moments of growth and change.
02 - WORK WITH ME
Three ways in. Pick the one that matches the problem, not the title.
Not sure which fits? The decision aid under each name is the place to start. Or just message me - a 30-minute call usually answers it.
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Pick this if you need senior TA expertise inside your team - whether that’s leading the function or strengthening it.
I work as a senior talent specialist - a flexible addition to your team - running the hiring work directly, under your brand. The scope, pace, and working arrangement are agreed up front based on what the engagement actually needs. Ready to roll up my sleeves.Typical use: TA function build · hyper-growth hiring support · leading transformation of an existing function · cover during a TA Lead search. Fee agreed on scope.
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Pick this if you need senior strategic direction, or want to build your internal team's capability over time.
A few hours a week of experienced input can change the trajectory of a hiring function. I work with founders, heads of people, and internal recruiters to sharpen hiring strategy, improve interview quality, and build the habits that make a TA team trusted by the business. Includes coaching, training, process design, and DE&I.
Hourly · typically 3-6 months · structured to leave capability behind, not dependency · fee agreed on scope -
Pick this if it's one specific hire - executive or specialist - that's beyond what your internal team can close alone.
I take the time to understand your business before approaching a single candidate - so the shortlist is small, considered, and right. Run personally, from brief to offer.
Flat fee agreed upfront, paid in milestones. A written brief, a considered shortlist, a guarantee if it doesn't work out. No percentage of salary, no inflated candidate pool to justify the fee.
03 - SELECTED WORK
Twenty years of work, mostly done quietly from inside other teams.
Most engagements are confidential by default - fuller references and case details on request.
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Joined as the first TA Lead and built the in-house TA function from zero following a major investment round. Partnered directly with the CEO, ELT, and investors to align TA strategy with the new business roadmap - from ATS & process implementation, DE&I frameworks to closing 20+ complex roles including C-suite and senior leadership during the run-up to Final Investment Decision on their first production facility - DSL-01.
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Joined as the first dedicated TA Lead for the European operation - bringing structure, process, and trust to a hiring function that needed owning. Delivered end-to-end recruitment across Sales, Operations, and RevOps, optimised ATS workflows, and built talent pipelines to support continued growth.
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Joined the existing TA team as the dedicated Executive and Leadership recruiter - taking full ownership of senior hiring across AI, Data Science, CX and Product. Partnered with C-level stakeholders across the US, UK and Europe in one of the most competitive talent markets in the industry. Built talent pipelines that extended well beyond the engagement itself.
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Partnered with the C-suite to scale leadership hiring during the company's most intense growth phase - part of a 1,500-person ramp ahead of first cell production at the Ett Gigafactory in Skellefteå, Sweden. Closed 29 high-impact roles in six months across Production, Process Engineering, Quality, Technology Engineering, and Supply Chain.
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Hired the full 35-person GTM team for the UK market launch in a five-month sprint - kicking off a multi-year partnership across EMEA, covering GTM, Digital, Operations, Supply Chain, People, Finance, Legal, and Tech. Transitioned hiring fully in-house, reducing agency dependency to zero. Returned five years later for a second engagement focused on global leadership hiring, recruitment enablement, DEI, and building internal capability across regions - including designing the redeployment process after a major organisational shift.
04 - HOW IT WORKS
Clear scope. Easy communication. No surprises.
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We start with an introductory conversation - about what specific support you need and whether I'm the right person for it. If I'm not, I'll usually know who is.
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Within 3 days I send a one-page scope: what we'd do, on what timeline, for what fee, and what success looks like. No 40-slide proposal.
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I start. You get one operator running it, weekly updates, and a dedicated comms channel - not a status meeting culture.
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At the end of the engagement, the work product stays with your team: the playbook, the process, and where permissible, the data. The point is to leave your function stronger, not dependent.
05 - FAQs
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One person. That's the point. I own the outcome - start to finish - and you'll always know where things stand. If you ever need more scale than one person can deliver, I'll tell you, and I can bring in trusted peers when it makes sense.
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Innovation-led companies navigating scale or transformation, both national and international. I've worked in a wide range of industries and adapt quickly: deep tech, the energy transition, sustainable industry, advanced digital and product-led platforms. The common thread is organisations at an inflection point - where the next phase depends on getting hiring right, and treating it as anything less than strategic is not an option.
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No. Every engagement is retained or project-based, with a clearly scoped fee. You're paying for dedicated attention, not a CV-forwarding service.
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I’m based in the Netherlands. Most clients are in Europe, with the occasional US- or UK-headquartered team hiring in EMEA or globally. On-site, remote, hybrid - I adapt to your preferred set-up.
06 - START THE CONVERSATION