Talent Acquisition Officer

Job Description

Talent Acquisition Officer

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Department: HR / Talent Acquisition 

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Location: Manchester

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Position Type: Permanent, Full-Time 

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

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Working Pattern: Monday to Friday 

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Reports To: HR Manager 

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

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Company Description

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

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

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

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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.

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Job Description

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

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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.

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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.

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

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Key Responsibilities

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Recruitment Delivery

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• Manage end-to-end recruitment campaigns for academic, professional services operational roles.

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• Work with hiring managers to develop role briefs, job descriptions, person specifications, selection criteria and recruitment plans.

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• Advise hiring managers on effective recruitment strategies, advertising channels, sourcing methods and assessment approaches.

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• Coordinate recruitment timelines and ensure vacancies progress in line with agreed service levels.

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• Ensure vacancies have the appropriate approvals and align with workforce planning requirements.

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• Maintain accurate recruitment records throughout the recruitment lifecycle.

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Candidate Attraction & Employer Branding

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• Create high-quality, inclusive, engaging compliant job advertisements.

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• Promote vacancies through appropriate higher education, professional, specialist and recruitment platforms.

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• Support the development and promotion of UKMC's employer brand to strengthen candidate attraction and market positioning.

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• Develop sustainable talent pipelines through proactive candidate sourcing and market mapping.

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• Support outreach and attraction initiatives that promote equality, diversity, inclusion broad participation.

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Selection & Assessment

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• Support hiring managers with objective, criteria-based shortlisting processes.

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• Advise managers on structured interviews, competency-based assessment and fair selection practices.

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• Prepare interview packs, interview questions, scoring matrices and selection documentation.

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• Participate in interviews and selection panels where required.

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• Ensure consistent and accurate candidate assessment records are maintained for audit and compliance purposes.

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• Support hiring managers in making evidence-based selection decisions.

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Regulatory, Compliance & Pre-Employment Checks

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

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·       Right to Work checks

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·       Qualification verification

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·       Employment references

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·       Background screening, where applicable

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• Maintain accurate recruitment records to support audit, inspection assurance requirements.

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• Support recruitment compliance requirements relating to sponsored workers, where applicable.

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• Ensure recruitment processes comply with relevant legislation, institutional policies, equality requirements higher education regulatory expectations.

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• Support fair access and equality of opportunity throughout recruitment and selection.

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• Contribute recruitment data and metrics required for institutional reporting and assurance activities.

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Recruitment Systems & Data

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• Use the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and HR systems to manage recruitment workflows.

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• Maintain accurate and up-to-date recruitment records and reporting dashboards.

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• Produce recruitment metrics, including time to hire, source effectiveness, diversity indicators and offer acceptance rates.

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• Analyse recruitment data to identify trends, issues and opportunities for improvement.

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• Support continuous improvement through recruitment analytics and evidence-based decision-making.

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Candidate Experience

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• Deliver a professional, inclusive positive candidate experience throughout the recruitment process.

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• Ensure candidates receive timely and appropriate communication at each stage of recruitment.

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• Coordinate interview arrangements and candidate logistics.

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• Respond to candidate queries professionally and promptly.

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• Ensure candidates are kept informed of recruitment outcomes within appropriate timescales.

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Stakeholder Support

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• Provide recruitment advice and guidance to hiring managers throughout the recruitment process.

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• Deliver recruitment process briefings and training to managers where required.

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• Work collaboratively with HR and payroll colleagues to support a smooth transition from recruitment to onboarding.

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• Build effective working relationships with academic and professional services stakeholders.

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Onboarding

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• Ensure offer letters and employment contracts are issued accurately and in a timely manner.

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• Monitor receipt of signed offer letters, employment contracts and required new starter documentation.

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• Follow up with candidates where documentation is outstanding.

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• Input accurate onboarding information into the HRIS using the employee new starter information.

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• Work with the Learning & Development Advisor, HR Manager Head of HR to ensure an effective handover for company-wide induction and departmental training.

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• Coordinate the monthly new starter list for induction and onboarding activities.

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• Ensure all relevant pre-employment requirements are completed before the employee's start date.

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Policy & Process Improvement

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• Contribute to the development and review of recruitment policies, procedures and guidance.

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• Identify opportunities to improve recruitment efficiency, candidate experience and quality.

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• Support equality, diversity and inclusion-focused recruitment initiatives and inclusive selection practices.

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• Participate in HR projects relating to workforce planning, talent strategy, employer branding and recruitment improvement.

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• Contribute to the continuous development of recruitment processes, systems and documentation.

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General Responsibilities

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• Promote UKMC's values and professional standards throughout all recruitment activity.

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• Maintain confidentiality and handle candidate information in accordance with GDPR and UK data protection requirements.

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• Support safeguarding, equality, diversity, health and safety and other institutional policies relevant to the role.

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• Undertake appropriate professional development and training.

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• Undertake other duties of a similar nature as reasonably required by the line manager, commensurate with the nature and level of the post.

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Knowledge & Experience

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• Experience working in talent acquisition, recruitment, HR, or a related field.

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• Experience managing recruitment campaigns from vacancy approval through to appointment and onboarding.

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• Experience recruiting across a range of professional, technical, academic, or operational roles.

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• Experience working with hiring managers and advising stakeholders on recruitment and selection processes.

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• Experience conducting or coordinating structured interviews and candidate assessments.

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• Experience conducting or coordinating pre-employment checks, including Right to Work and employment references.

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• Understanding of UK employment legislation and recruitment compliance requirements.

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• Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion principles within recruitment.

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• Experience using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), HRIS, or recruitment database.

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• Experience using recruitment job boards and platforms such as CV-Library and LinkedIn.

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• Experience producing and interpreting recruitment metrics and reports.

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• Experience working within a higher education environment is desirable.

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• Experience with recruitment relating to sponsored workers and UKVI requirements is desirable.

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Qualifications

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• Relevant qualification in Human Resources, Recruitment, Business Administration, or a related discipline is desirable.

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• Relevant recruitment or talent acquisition qualifications are desirable.

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• Evidence of continuing professional development in recruitment, HR, employment law, equality, diversity, or related areas.

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Skills & Competencies

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• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

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• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.

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• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple vacancies, priorities and deadlines.

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• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.

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• Strong interviewing and candidate assessment skills.

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• Ability to provide confident and professional recruitment advice to hiring managers.

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• Strong understanding of confidentiality and data protection when handling candidate information.

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• Ability to analyse recruitment data and produce meaningful reports.

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• Proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Excel and Outlook.

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• Confident using recruitment systems, ATS platforms, HRIS and online recruitment tools.

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• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively as part of an HR team.

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• Professional, approachable, solutions-focused and candidate-centred approach.

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• Commitment to fairness, equality, diversity, inclusion and ethical recruitment.

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• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment and manage competing priorities.

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Benefits

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• Company events

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• Company pension

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• Health & wellbeing programme

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• On-site parking

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• Professional development and training opportunities

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