Job Description
People Assistant | 6-9 Month FTC | £35,000 per annum (pro rata)
Job Title: People Assistant - Recruitment Operations Location: Bolton (hybrid working) Type: 6-9 Month FTC - Full-time, Mon-Fri Function: People / Talent Acquisition Operations Reporting to: HRIS ManagerAbout the RoleWe’re looking for a People Assistant - Recruitment Operations to take ownership of the operational backbone of recruitment across the organisation.This is not a purely administrative role. You’ll sit at the centre of recruitment operations - working closely with Talent Acquisition, Finance, HR systems and the wider People team to ensure recruitment activity runs efficiently, compliantly, and consistently.You’ll manage recruitment spend tracking, agency governance, reporting, systems audits, and continuous improvement activity, helping the recruitment function operate at pace and with quality.Key ResponsibilitiesRecruitment Budget & Cost Control
* Track recruitment-related costs including agency spend, referrals, and events
* Raise and manage purchase orders in line with finance processes
* Reconcile monthly recruitment spend and produce clear summaries
* Highlight risks, variances, and trends for budget owners
* Act as the operational point of contact with Finance for recruitment spend
Recruitment Events & Attraction Support
* Coordinate recruitment events, careers fairs, and attraction activity
* Liaise with suppliers, organisers, and internal stakeholders
* Manage logistics, attendance, materials, and merchandise
* Track event outcomes and support evaluation of attraction ROI
Agency & PSL Governance
* Maintain the Preferred Supplier List (PSL)
* Ensure agreed terms and conditions are applied consistently
* Act as first point of contact for agency queries
* Monitor agency usage and spend, escalating issues where needed
* Support agency performance reviews
KPIs, Reporting & Insights
* Assist in producing and maintaining recruitment KPIs
* Track performance across hiring, candidate experience, and ED&I data
* Support insight generation to drive recruitment improvement
* Produce quarterly recruiter bonus statistics for approval
Compliance, Audit & Quality Assurance
* Own recruitment compliance and audit processes
* Conduct regular ATS audits to ensure data quality and adherence to process
* Support recruiters with improvements in system usage
* Manage quality checks linked to recruiter incentives
Continuous Improvement
* Drive operational improvements across recruitment processes
* Own and improve question banks, assessment tools, and templates
* Standardise recruitment documentation to improve consistency
* Share system knowledge and best practice with users
Recruitment Systems (Operational Ownership)
* Act as a key operational user of the ATS (SmartRecruiter)
* Support reporting improvements, automation, and new functionality
* Manage operational relationships with onboarding and screening providers
* Collaborate with system SMEs (this is not a sole ATS owner role)
Please note: This role does not lead recruitment strategy, workforce planning, or own end-to-end recruitment delivery.About YouEssential Experience
* Experience in recruitment operations, TA coordination, or HR operations
* Strong understanding of recruitment processes, budgets, agencies, and systems
* Comfortable working with recruitment data, audits, and compliance
* Highly organised with strong attention to detail
* Confident working across multiple stakeholders
Skills & Competencies
* Strong organisational and time-management skills
* Ability to explain processes clearly and simply
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills
* Confident working with data, reports, and metrics
* Proactive, solutions-focused, and improvement-driven
* Collaborative, professional, and reliable
Systems & Tools
* Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel essential)
* Experience with ATS / HR systems (SmartRecruiter highly desirable)
* Comfortable using reporting and dashboard tools
Additional Information
* Visa sponsorship: Not available
* Security clearance: BPSS (baseline)
* Health surveillance / PPE: Not required
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