Principal Recruiter, Universal Destinations & Experiences

NBCUniversal; Bedford; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading media and entertainment company in the UK is seeking a Principal Recruiter to drive the full life cycle recruitment for Creative and Corporate functions. This role will focus on developing recruitment strategies and managing high-volume hiring processes. Ideal candidates will have significant experience in recruitment and a deep understanding of UK employment law, fostering strong relationships with stakeholders. This hybrid role offers the chance to shape the future of talent acquisition for exciting projects in the UK.

Benefits

Hybrid working arrangements

Opportunity to be part of a significant project

Qualifications

• Experience in full lifecycle recruitment for creative or corporate environments.
• Track record of high-volume recruitment in high growth areas.
• Understanding of UK employment law.

Responsibilities

• Develop recruitment strategies for UK Parks project.
• Source and manage candidates through full-cycle recruitment.
• Build relationships with senior leaders and hiring managers.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Strategic sourcing

Project management

Communication skills

Tools

SmartRecruiters

LinkedIn Recruiter

Job description

Company Description

NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. We create world-class content, which we distribute across our portfolio of film, television, and streaming, and bring to life through our theme parks and consumer experiences. We own and operate leading entertainment and news brands, including NBC, NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC Sports, Telemundo, NBC Local Stations, Bravo, USA Network, and Peacock, our premium ad-supported streaming service. We produce and distribute premier filmed entertainment and programming through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and Universal Studio Group, and have world-renowned theme parks and attractions through Universal Destinations & Experiences. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

Our impact is rooted in improving the communities where our employees, customers, and audiences live and work. We have a rich tradition of giving back and ensuring our employees have the opportunity to serve their communities. We champion an inclusive culture and strive to attract and develop a talented workforce to create and deliver a wide range of content reflecting our world.

Comcast NBCUniversal has announced its intent to create a new publicly traded company ('Versant') comprised of most of NBCUniversal's cable television networks, including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel along with complementary digital assets Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine. The well-capitalized company will have significant scale as a pure-play set of assets anchored by leading news, sports and entertainment content. The spin-off is expected to be completed during 2025.

Job Description

OVERVIEW

At Universal Creative, we design, develop and deliver the most compelling entertainment experiences imaginable to drive growth for Universal Parks & Resorts worldwide. Our innovative attractions, immersive theme parks and world-class resorts fuse art and technology to create new standards in the themed entertainment industry.

As Principal Recruiter, you will be a founding member of the UK-based Talent Acquisition team responsible for leading the full lifecycle recruitment of key hires across Creative and Corporate functions.

Working closely with US and UK stakeholders, you’ll drive strategic hiring while helping to build TA operations and brand presence from the ground up. This is a fast-paced, high-velocity hiring environment requiring comfort with ambiguity, agility in execution, and a collaborative mindset. This is more than just filling roles - it’s an opportunity to shape the team that will define the future of immersive experiences in the UK. You will also support the Sr. Director, Talent Acquisition in providing oversight and guidance to other recruiter/s in the UK Parks team.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Talent Acquisition Strategy & Execution

• Develop and deliver robust recruitment strategies for Creative and Corporate functions across the UK Parks project.
• Source, attract, assess and secure high-quality candidates through proactive sourcing techniques, leveraging SmartRecruiters, LinkedIn Recruiter, and innovative tools.
• Manage full-cycle recruitment, from intake to offer, while ensuring a seamless and inclusive candidate experience.
• Develop tailored recruitment marketing campaigns and job postings aligned with our employer brand to drive visibility and engagement.
• Implement scalable processes to support efficient hiring as the team and volume of requisitions grow.

Stakeholder & Candidate Partnership

• Build strong, consultative relationships with senior business leaders and HRBP’s in both the UK and US to anticipate workforce needs and provide market insights.
• Partner with internal teams such as Early Careers, and HR Operations to ensure alignment on process, compliance and inclusivity.
• Guide and coach hiring managers on best practices, behavioural interviewing techniques and selection methodology.
• Deliver clear and consistent communication to candidates and stakeholders, ensuring expectations are set and met throughout the hiring journey.
• Partner with business leaders and learning providers to embed apprentices into hiring plans, supporting early careers talent and workforce goals.

Brand Building & Market Presence

• Act as an ambassador for Universal Destinations & Experiences in the UK talent market, both externally and internally.
• Represent the company at industry events, job fairs and networking forums to build candidate pipelines and brand awareness.
• Support development of content and collateral that promotes the park’s culture, values and vision as an employer of choice.

Process Innovation & Team Enablement

• Play a key role in building recruiting infrastructure and operations from scratch, including workflows, assessment methods and reporting dashboards.
• Support the Sr. Director, Talent Acquisition in providing oversight, prioritisation guidance and developmental feedback for the Recruiter role/s, ensuring alignment with team goals and delivery standards.
• Act as a senior point of contact for troubleshooting, coaching and ensuring high standard of hiring manager and candidate experience across requisitions or overlapping pipelines.
• Ensure reporting is maintained and up to date working closely with the Sr. Director and the TA Ops Lead.
• Leverage TA Coordinator support to ensure timely scheduling, documentation, and a seamless candidate experience, while maintaining overall accountability for the recruitment process.
• Partner with global TA colleagues to align best practices and ensure consistency with enterprise hiring standards.
• Provide mentorship, guidance and coaching to junior recruiters or project-based hiring support as required.
• Contribute to talent acquisition projects and cross-functional initiatives that enhance process excellence and candidate experience.

Qualifications

Essential

• Significant experience in full lifecycle recruitment with a focus on creative, corporate or entertainment-related industries.
• Proven track record delivering high-volume, high-quality recruitment for new business units or high growth environments.
• Strategic sourcing expertise, with comfort using platforms like LinkedIn Recruiter, SmartRecruiters or a similar ATS, and social media.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and advise at senior levels.
• Hands-on experience establishing and/or refining recruiting processes and operational models.
• Deep understanding of UK employment law related to recruitment and hiring.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, project management and organisational skills.
• Resilient, resourceful and energised by a fast-moving, evolving landscape.

Desirable

• Prior experience working in the entertainment, media, attractions, or creative industries.
• Understanding of employer branding, EVP and content-led recruitment marketing.
• Familiarity with both UK and US hiring practices in a matrixed/ global organisation.
• Experience working on or launching large-scale hiring projects or new business units.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

• This role will be hybrid working across central London and Bedford office locations with some flexibility to work from home. Travel to both sites will be required depending on business needs, events, and collaboration.
• The position offers a unique opportunity to be part of the core team launching a once-in-a-generation project for Universal Destinations & Experiences in the UK.

Additional Information

As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with an NBCUniversal employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. NBCUniversal's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to [e-mail].