Early Talent Aquisition Associate Manager

Overview At PepsiCo, you’ll discover a place where our mission is to create smiles around the world. With a portfolio of more than 500 beloved brands including, Gatorade, Lay’s and Quaker, our work touches millions of people every day. At the heart of the company is a team of thinkers, creators, and problem-solvers who collaborate to innovate and turn ideas into action. Driven by innovation and a focus on creating joyful moments through food and drinks, our decisions are guided by consumer centricity, creating opportunities for our associates to do meaningful work and make a lasting impact in the communities we serve. Whatever your role, you’ll be part of a global community that values your ideas and empowers you to make an impact on your career and on the world around you. Lead the Early Talent strategy across MENAPAK, with a strong focus on building sustainable local talent pipelines and supporting market localization priorities. Partner with market HR, TA, TM and business leaders to deliver high-quality, locally relevant ET programs aligned with global standards. Responsibilities
• Own the MENAPAK ET strategy, annual plan and program portfolio across graduate, internship and localization programs.
• Lead end-to-end ET recruitment, from demand planning and attraction through assessment, selection, offer, pre-boarding and induction.
• Build sustainable pipelines supporting localization and national talent agendas, including Saudization.
• Define the university strategy and priority campus portfolio based on business demand, talent quality and market needs.
• Partner with Global A&E on employer branding, campus campaigns and attraction initiatives.
• Partner with HRDs/HRBPs, TA, TM and business leaders on workforce priorities, program design and hiring demand.
• Provide functional direction and governance to market recruiters/contractors supporting ET delivery.
• Drive consistent assessment standards, candidate experience and global ET guardrails across markets.
• Partner with TM on program handover and development journeys, ensuring clear ownership across the talent lifecycle.
• Track hiring, conversion, retention, pipeline health and program outcomes, using insights to continuously improve the portfolio.
• Represent MENAPAK in regional/global ET forums and bring market requirements into broader ET priorities. Qualifications
• 8–12+ years of Early Talent, Campus Recruitment or Talent Acquisition experience, ideally across MENAPAK or multiple markets.
• Strong experience managing graduate/internship programs and end-to-end ET recruitment.
• Understanding of localization and national talent agendas, particularly in Middle East markets.
• Strong university engagement, talent attraction and employer branding capability.
• Strong stakeholder management and ability to influence senior HR and business leaders.
• Experience providing functional leadership across recruiters or cross-market teams.
• Ability to navigate different market, cultural and regulatory requirements.
• Strong execution, program management, analytical and influencing skills.
• Ability to balance regional strategy with hands-on market execution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status. PepsiCo is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Female / Minority / Disability / Protected Veteran / Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity