Job Purpose We are seeking an emerging talent and development specialist to lead the design, delivery, and evolution of our early careers and apprenticeship programme. The role will have a significant focus on legal and insurance apprenticeships from level 3 to level 6 and is pivotal in shaping the future talent pipeline for our legal and insurance divisions, ensuring we attract, develop, and retain talent aligned with our firm’s values and long-term goals. This is a thought leader role with a fantastic opportunity to shape and evolve alongside the needs of the business. This role will be instrumental in designing and delivering learning and development initiatives, supporting talent pipelines, and embedding a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth. Key Responsibilities • Implement and develop our emerging talent strategy across legal, insurance and central services functions. • Lead and manage a school engagement programme that compliments the apprenticeship scheme ranging from level 3 to level 6 across the entirety of the business. • Partner with HR and business leaders to identify talent needs and align development initiatives with strategic workforce planning. • Lead the roll-out of learning pathways tailored to legal and insurance professionals. • Act as the subject matter expert on apprenticeship standards, funding rules, and compliance requirements. • Lead end-to-end recruitment campaigns for early careers and support the Talent team with lateral recruitment where required, including ATS management, liaising with agents, university engagement, assessment centres, and onboarding. • Build strong relationships with universities, law schools, and industry bodies to enhance employer brand visibility. • Ensure inclusive hiring practices that support diversity and social mobility. • Coordinate and deliver lunch and learn sessions, workshops, and e-learning modules. • Evaluate learning effectiveness and report on ROI and engagement metrics. • Provide coaching and guidance to line managers on development planning. • Champion inclusive learning practices and ensure development opportunities are accessible to all employees. • Develop and drive DEI initiatives and sit on the DEI and Charity group. • Ensure all development activities comply with industry regulations (e.g. FCA, SRA) and internal policies. • Maintain accurate records of training and certifications for audit purposes. • Stay abreast of market trends and regulatory changes affecting early careers in legal and insurance sectors. • Represent Carpenters Group at external events, careers fairs, and forums. • Assist the wider People team on any projects/campaigns where needed. • The role will require regular travel to all of the Carpenters Group offices, in particular our Glasgow office. Experience & Knowledge • Proven experience in early careers or talent development within legal, insurance, or professional services. • Demonstrable understanding of legal training pathways to include CILEx, UK graduate recruitment cycles, apprenticeship frameworks are all essential. • Understanding of apprenticeship funding, compliance, and Ofsted expectations. • Demonstrable experience working with external training providers and regulatory bodies and building partnerships specifically CILEx and the SRA. • A sound knowledge and experience of recruitment and selection processes and inclusive hiring practices • Ability to prioritise and manage own workload • Ability to generate ideas and educate others with your knowledge • Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills. • CIPD qualification or equivalent is desirable. Here at Carpenters group diversity and inclusion matters, it is integral to our culture and we welcome applications from everyone. We celebrate difference and believe in equal opportunities for all. About us Here at Carpenters Group, we’ve been providing legal and insurance services across the UK for over 30 years. We’ve grown from a small law firm into a 1500 people strong team made up of insurance professionals, legal experts and best in class corporate services, working across seven office locations. We work in partnership with household name insurers to deliver a variety of fully outsourced claim solutions. We also represent individuals who need expert legal support. As a great place to work our core values underpin how we behave. Our working environment is positive and informal, and we encourage people to work together to perform at their best. We understand that our success as a business depends on the success of our people, which is why we invest in your training, development and social projects, helping everyone to connect and grow. No matter what stage of your career, at Carpenters Group there is a place for you to achieve your potential. Benefits 25 days' holiday per annum Holiday buy and sell scheme Hybrid working model - 3 days in the office per week 2 x Volunteering days to support charitable initiatives Matched Giving – up to £250 matched for personal charity fundraising for a registered charity Medicash cash plan – claim back dental / physio / optical appointments My Medicash App – including access to rapid digital physiotherapy and skin cancer screening assessments plus fitness videos and wellbeing tools Discounts and cash back on travel and shopping through Medicash extras Life Assurance Scheme (4 x salary) Pension scheme Active network of Wellbeing Champions – providing mental health support Training and development opportunities Funded social events to connect with your colleagues Dress for your day policy