Role Purpose
The Talent Acquisition Officer is responsible for delivering a professional, compliant, and candidate-focused recruitment and selection service across the institution. The role supports the attraction, assessment, and appointment of high-quality academic and professional services staff in line with higher education regulatory expectations, equality and diversity principles, and best-practice recruitment standards.
The postholder will ensure recruitment processes are fair, transparent, timely, and evidence-based, supporting organisational growth, student experience, and academic quality outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
Recruitment Delivery
* Manage end-to-end recruitment campaigns for academic, professional, and operational roles.
* Partner with hiring managers to develop role briefs, job descriptions, person specifications, and selection criteria.
* Advise managers on appropriate recruitment strategies, advertising channels, and assessment methods.
* Coordinate and monitor recruitment timelines and service level standards.
* Ensure all vacancies are authorised and aligned with workforce planning requirements.
Candidate Attraction & Employer Branding
* Draft engaging, inclusive, and compliant job adverts.
* Promote vacancies through appropriate higher education, professional, and specialist platforms.
* Support employer branding initiatives to strengthen candidate attraction.
* Contribute to talent pipeline development and proactive sourcing approaches.
* Support outreach initiatives aligned with widening participation and EDI objectives.
Selection & Assessment
* Support shortlisting processes to ensure objective, criteria-based decisions.
* Guide managers on structured interviews and fair assessment methods.
* Prepare interview packs, scoring matrices, and selection documentation.
* Participate in interviews where required.
* Ensure consistent candidate assessment records are maintained for audit and compliance purposes.
Compliance & Pre-Employment Checks
* Conduct and verify pre-employment checks including Right to work, Qualification verification, Employment references and Background screening (where applicable).
* Ensure recruitment processes meet legal and regulatory requirements.
* Maintain accurate recruitment records for audit and inspection purposes.
* Support compliance requirements related to sponsored workers where applicable.
Higher Education & Regulatory Alignment
* Ensure recruitment practices support institutional quality, governance, and regulatory expectations.
* Maintain recruitment documentation suitable for audit, inspection, and assurance reviews.
* Support fair access and equality of opportunity in recruitment processes.
* Contribute recruitment data and metrics for institutional reporting and assurance submissions.
Recruitment Systems & Data
* Use the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and HR systems to manage recruitment workflows.
* Maintain accurate recruitment data and reporting dashboards.
* Produce recruitment metrics including Time to hire, Source effectiveness, Diversity indicators, and Offer acceptance rates.
* Support continuous improvement through recruitment analytics.
Candidate Experience
* Deliver a professional and positive candidate journey.
* Ensure timely communication with candidates at all stages.
* Manage interview logistics and candidate coordination.
* Respond to candidate queries professionally and promptly.
Stakeholder Support
* Provide recruitment advice and guidance to hiring managers.
* Deliver recruitment process briefings and training to managers where required.
* Work collaboratively with HR colleagues on onboarding transitions.
* Liaise with payroll, compliance, and onboarding teams to ensure smooth hires.
Policy & Process Improvement
* Contribute to recruitment policy and procedure development.
* Identify opportunities to improve recruitment efficiency and quality.
* Support EDI-focused recruitment initiatives and inclusive selection practices.
* Participate in HR projects related to workforce planning and talent strategy.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Essential: CIPD Level 3, Educated to degree level (HRM) or equivalent experience.
* Desirable: CIPD Level 5.
Knowledge & Experience
* Essential:
o At least 2 years experience of in-house recruitment or talent acquisition.
o Experience supporting recruitment campaigns end-to-end.
o Knowledge of fair and inclusive recruitment practices.
o Understanding of employment law basics relating to recruitment.
o Experience using recruitment or ATS systems.
o Experience working with multiple stakeholders and hiring managers.
o Knowledge of sponsorship/right-to-work compliance requirements.
o Experience producing recruitment metrics and reports.
* Desirable:
o At least 5 years experience of in-house recruitment or talent acquisition.
o Experience recruiting within higher education or regulated sectors.
o Experience recruiting academic or specialist roles.
o Exposure to EDI recruitment frameworks.
Skills & Competencies
* Strong stakeholder engagement skills.
* Excellent written and verbal communication.
* Structured and process-driven approach.
* High attention to detail and compliance awareness.
* Ability to manage multiple recruitment campaigns simultaneously.
* Good data handling and reporting capability.
Professional judgement and discretion
* Candidate-focused service mindset.
* Values & Behaviours.
* Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.
* Integrity and confidentiality.
* Fair and evidence-based decision-making.
* Continuous improvement mindset.
* Collaborative working style.
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