We’re looking for a Talent Acquisition Specialist...
Location – London, Hybrid (2+ days per week in the office)
Contract – 6–9 Month Fixed Term Contract
At LEYF, our mission to change the world one child at a time starts with the people we bring into our organisation. Our Central Office teams spanning Finance, Marketing, Technology, HR, Operations and more – play a critical role in enabling our nurseries to thrive and our organisation to grow sustainably.
As a Talent Acquisition Specialist, you’ll be at the heart of this mission, owning recruitment across our Central Office functions and partnering closely with internal stakeholders to attract high‑quality talent from Entry to Senior Manager level.
This is a hands‑on, consultative role for an experienced in‑house recruiter who thrives in a fast‑paced, evolving environment. You’ll combine strong delivery with commercial insight, excellent stakeholder management and a proactive, inclusive approach to talent attraction, all while ensuring an engaging and professional candidate experience.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than building a central team that directly supports 43 nursery locations and the children who attend them. The work we do here has real, visible, life‑changing impact every single day.”
– Senior Recruitment Manager
What you’ll be doing
Partnering for high‑quality hiring
1. Own the full end‑to‑end recruitment lifecycle for Central Office vacancies, from role scoping and approval through to offer and handover
2. Partner closely with senior stakeholders, providing expert advice, market insight and constructive challenge
3. Build strong credibility as a trusted recruitment advisor, adapting hiring strategies to changing business needs
4. Recruit across a diverse range of corporate disciplines including Finance, Marketing, HR, Technology and Operations
5. Confidently manage multiple roles simultaneously, often with varying urgency and complexity
Attracting and sourcing exceptional talent
6. Design and deliver targeted sourcing strategies, including direct search, LinkedIn, referrals and talent mapping
7. Write compelling, inclusive job adverts that reflect LEYF’s mission, values and social purpose
8. Build and maintain strong talent pipelines for priority and future‑critical roles
9. Use market intelligence to advise on talent availability, salary expectations and potential hiring risks
Delivering a standout candidate experience
10. Provide a professional, engaging and inclusive candidate experience from first contact through to offer
11. Screen, shortlist and interview candidates, supporting fair, evidence‑based selection decisions
12. Facilitate interview panels and coach hiring managers on best‑practice assessment
13. Ensure timely, thoughtful and constructive communication at every stage of the process
Operational excellence and continuous improvement
14. Manage vacancies accurately within the applicant tracking system, ensuring data integrity and compliance
15. Deliver against agreed hiring timelines while maintaining a strong focus on quality of hire
16. Monitor recruitment metrics and share insights to continually improve process, technology and experience
17. Stay up to date with market trends and organisational priorities to proactively shape recruitment delivery
We’re looking for someone who…
Has the right experience and expertise
18. Proven in‑house recruitment experience across corporate or Central Office roles (essential)
19. Experience hiring roles from entry level through to Senior Manager (essential)
20. Strong stakeholder management skills with the confidence to influence and challenge (essential)
21. Demonstrated expertise in direct sourcing and proactive talent mapping (essential)
22. Experience recruiting across multiple corporate disciplines (desirable)
Brings the behaviours that make this role shine
23. Commercially minded, balancing pace with quality and long‑term impact
24. A clear, confident communicator who adapts their approach to different audiences
25. Highly organised and resilient, able to manage competing priorities effectively
26. A collaborative team player who contributes positively to team culture
27. Committed to inclusive hiring and fair, consistent recruitment practices
28. Motivated by purpose and aligned with LEYF’s values and social impact goals
What’s in it for You?
29. Be part of something impactful: Join a team with a strong sense of purpose, dedicated to making a real difference in Early Years education
30. Enjoy the perks: Competitive salary and great range of benefits including a market-leading 7% employer pension contribution
31. Save on childcare: 70% discount at our nurseries if you have children or grandchildren
32. Time to recharge: 26 days off a year (pro rata), including Christmas closure, your birthday off, and bank holidays
33. Feel valued: Access to a wellbeing app, shopping discounts, team events, and more
We welcome you exactly as you are
A diverse team makes us stronger. Whatever your background, if you care about people, quality and social impact — and want to do recruitment work that truly matters — we’d love to hear from you.
Apply online and tell us why this role matters to you.
We’re reviewing applications as they come in, so early applications are encouraged.