Talent Acquisition Officer

Talent Acquisition Officer

Department: HR / Talent Acquisition 

Location: Manchester

Position Type: Permanent, Full-Time 

Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week/ 9am to 5pm 

Working Pattern: Monday to Friday 

Reports To: HR Manager 

Travel Required: Yes – travel to other campuses within the UKMC Group, as required

Company Description

UK Management College (UKMC) is a growing higher education provider offering a range of business-focused and professional programmes.

Our focus is on delivering practical, career-driven education that prepares students for real opportunities in industry.

We work with experienced academics, established professionals and industry partners to ensure our courses remain relevant, supportive and high quality.

UKMC values the student experience and student support, promotes inclusivity, diversity and equity, embraces innovation expects integrity-led professional behaviour. We foster a culture of respect, environmental sustainability social responsibility.

Job Description

The Talent Acquisition Officer is responsible for delivering a professional, compliant, efficient and candidate-focused recruitment and selection service across UKMC.

The role is responsible for managing recruitment campaigns for academic, professional services operational positions, working closely with hiring managers to attract, assess and appoint high-quality candidates.

The postholder will ensure that recruitment processes are fair, transparent, timely, evidence-based and aligned with UK higher education regulatory expectations, equality and diversity principles and best-practice recruitment standards.

The role will contribute to organisational growth, academic quality and the student experience by ensuring UKMC attracts and appoints suitably qualified and experienced employees.

Key Responsibilities

Recruitment Delivery

• Manage end-to-end recruitment campaigns for academic, professional services operational roles.
• Work with hiring managers to develop role briefs, job descriptions, person specifications, selection criteria and recruitment plans.
• Advise hiring managers on effective recruitment strategies, advertising channels, sourcing methods and assessment approaches.
• Coordinate recruitment timelines and ensure vacancies progress in line with agreed service levels.
• Ensure vacancies have the appropriate approvals and align with workforce planning requirements.
• Maintain accurate recruitment records throughout the recruitment lifecycle.

Candidate Attraction & Employer Branding

• Create high-quality, inclusive, engaging compliant job advertisements.
• Promote vacancies through appropriate higher education, professional, specialist and recruitment platforms.
• Support the development and promotion of UKMC's employer brand to strengthen candidate attraction and market positioning.
• Develop sustainable talent pipelines through proactive candidate sourcing and market mapping.
• Support outreach and attraction initiatives that promote equality, diversity, inclusion broad participation.

Selection & Assessment

• Support hiring managers with objective, criteria-based shortlisting processes.
• Advise managers on structured interviews, competency-based assessment and fair selection practices.
• Prepare interview packs, interview questions, scoring matrices and selection documentation.
• Participate in interviews and selection panels where required.
• Ensure consistent and accurate candidate assessment records are maintained for audit and compliance purposes.
• Support hiring managers in making evidence-based selection decisions.

Regulatory, Compliance & Pre-Employment Checks

• Conduct and verify appropriate pre-employment checks, including:

·       Right to Work checks

·       Qualification verification

·       Employment references

·       Background screening, where applicable

• Maintain accurate recruitment records to support audit, inspection assurance requirements.
• Support recruitment compliance requirements relating to sponsored workers, where applicable.
• Ensure recruitment processes comply with relevant legislation, institutional policies, equality requirements higher education regulatory expectations.
• Support fair access and equality of opportunity throughout recruitment and selection.
• Contribute recruitment data and metrics required for institutional reporting and assurance activities.

Recruitment Systems & Data

• Use the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and HR systems to manage recruitment workflows.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date recruitment records and reporting dashboards.
• Produce recruitment metrics, including time to hire, source effectiveness, diversity indicators and offer acceptance rates.
• Analyse recruitment data to identify trends, issues and opportunities for improvement.
• Support continuous improvement through recruitment analytics and evidence-based decision-making.

Candidate Experience

• Deliver a professional, inclusive positive candidate experience throughout the recruitment process.
• Ensure candidates receive timely and appropriate communication at each stage of recruitment.
• Coordinate interview arrangements and candidate logistics.
• Respond to candidate queries professionally and promptly.
• Ensure candidates are kept informed of recruitment outcomes within appropriate timescales.

Stakeholder Support

• Provide recruitment advice and guidance to hiring managers throughout the recruitment process.
• Deliver recruitment process briefings and training to managers where required.
• Work collaboratively with HR and payroll colleagues to support a smooth transition from recruitment to onboarding.
• Build effective working relationships with academic and professional services stakeholders.

Onboarding

• Ensure offer letters and employment contracts are issued accurately and in a timely manner.
• Monitor receipt of signed offer letters, employment contracts and required new starter documentation.
• Follow up with candidates where documentation is outstanding.
• Input accurate onboarding information into the HRIS using the employee new starter information.
• Work with the Learning & Development Advisor, HR Manager Head of HR to ensure an effective handover for company-wide induction and departmental training.
• Coordinate the monthly new starter list for induction and onboarding activities.
• Ensure all relevant pre-employment requirements are completed before the employee's start date.

Policy & Process Improvement

• Contribute to the development and review of recruitment policies, procedures and guidance.
• Identify opportunities to improve recruitment efficiency, candidate experience and quality.
• Support equality, diversity and inclusion-focused recruitment initiatives and inclusive selection practices.
• Participate in HR projects relating to workforce planning, talent strategy, employer branding and recruitment improvement.
• Contribute to the continuous development of recruitment processes, systems and documentation.

General Responsibilities

• Promote UKMC's values and professional standards throughout all recruitment activity.
• Maintain confidentiality and handle candidate information in accordance with GDPR and UK data protection requirements.
• Support safeguarding, equality, diversity, health and safety and other institutional policies relevant to the role.
• Undertake appropriate professional development and training.
• Undertake other duties of a similar nature as reasonably required by the line manager, commensurate with the nature and level of the post.

Knowledge & Experience

• Experience working in talent acquisition, recruitment, HR, or a related field.
• Experience managing recruitment campaigns from vacancy approval through to appointment and onboarding.
• Experience recruiting across a range of professional, technical, academic, or operational roles.
• Experience working with hiring managers and advising stakeholders on recruitment and selection processes.
• Experience conducting or coordinating structured interviews and candidate assessments.
• Experience conducting or coordinating pre-employment checks, including Right to Work and employment references.
• Understanding of UK employment legislation and recruitment compliance requirements.
• Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion principles within recruitment.
• Experience using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), HRIS, or recruitment database.
• Experience using recruitment job boards and platforms such as CV-Library and LinkedIn.
• Experience producing and interpreting recruitment metrics and reports.
• Experience working within a higher education environment is desirable.
• Experience with recruitment relating to sponsored workers and UKVI requirements is desirable.

Qualifications

• Relevant qualification in Human Resources, Recruitment, Business Administration, or a related discipline is desirable.
• Relevant recruitment or talent acquisition qualifications are desirable.
• Evidence of continuing professional development in recruitment, HR, employment law, equality, diversity, or related areas.

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple vacancies, priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong interviewing and candidate assessment skills.
• Ability to provide confident and professional recruitment advice to hiring managers.
• Strong understanding of confidentiality and data protection when handling candidate information.
• Ability to analyse recruitment data and produce meaningful reports.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Confident using recruitment systems, ATS platforms, HRIS and online recruitment tools.
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively as part of an HR team.
• Professional, approachable, solutions-focused and candidate-centred approach.
• Commitment to fairness, equality, diversity, inclusion and ethical recruitment.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment and manage competing priorities.

Benefits

• Company events
• Company pension
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On-site parking
• Professional development and training opportunities