Senior Talent Acquisition Manager Technology

British Council; Greater London; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

An international education organization based in London seeks a Senior Talent Acquisition Manager Technology to lead high-impact hiring initiatives for its tech function. The role focuses on attracting digital and engineering talent while ensuring a smooth hiring process. Responsibilities include managing recruitment lifecycles, developing talent strategies, and enhancing the employer brand. Candidates should possess proven experience in tech recruitment, strong stakeholder management skills, and a deep knowledge of tech talent markets. A competitive salary and fixed-term contract are offered.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in recruiting for technology roles.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Deep understanding of tech talent markets and hiring trends.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic hiring partnerships across the British Council's technology function.
• Develop and execute talent strategies for high-calibre professionals.
• Manage the full recruitment lifecycle for senior tech roles.

Skills

Data Literacy

Business Acumen

Digital Agility

People Advocacy

Execution Excellence

Education

Recruitment or HR qualification

Tools

Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

LinkedIn Recruiter

Video interviewing platforms

Job description

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding, and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity.

Working with people in over 200 countries and territories we are on the ground in more than 100 countries.

We connect. We inspire.

Role Purpose

We are looking for a strategic and experienced Senior Talent Acquisition Manager Technology to lead high‑impact hiring initiatives across the British Council’s tech function. This role is central to attracting and securing top‑tier digital and engineering talent that aligns with our evolving business needs. Acting as a trusted advisor to technology leaders, you will work closely with stakeholders to understand recruitment priorities, develop targeted sourcing strategies, and deliver a seamless data‑informed hiring process.

With deep market insight and a strong understanding of technical skillsets you will play a key role in shaping our tech employer brand and positioning the British Council as a destination for exceptional talent. As we embark on a major expansion of our technology capabilities this role will be instrumental in meeting increased hiring demand across digital engineering and data functions. You will ensure a high‑quality candidate experience while sourcing niche skillsets, managing end‑to‑end recruitment, and contributing to the development of scalable talent acquisition practices that support our transformation agenda.

Main accountabilities

In this role you will lead strategic hiring partnerships across the British Council’s technology function working closely with tech leaders to understand team structures, future workforce plans, and recruitment needs. You will develop and execute talent strategies that translate complex business requirements into targeted sourcing approaches, ensuring the attraction of high‑calibre digital and engineering professionals. Your expertise in talent assessment will enable you to lead rigorous screening and interview processes, presenting only the most qualified candidates and significantly reducing the workload for hiring managers.

You will manage the full recruitment lifecycle for senior and specialist tech roles, ensuring a seamless candidate experience through timely communication and feedback. This includes supporting relationships with third‑party non‑payroll providers to maintain continuous feedback loops and high levels of candidate satisfaction. You will uphold high standards of data quality to ensure accurate reporting, compliance, and audit readiness while championing the use of recruitment technologies to drive efficiency and consistency across processes. Your role will also involve identifying and implementing process improvements that enhance service delivery and advising hiring managers on role design, interview best practices, and selection decisions. You will facilitate training for hiring managers on inclusive and structured interviewing techniques.

Your market insight will be critical in informing hiring decisions as you leverage competitor intelligence and talent mapping to build and maintain proactive pipelines for niche and critical tech skillsets. You will represent the British Council at industry events, meetups, and networking forums, helping to shape and promote our technology employer brand. In collaboration with the Head of Attraction you will contribute to the development of a compelling tech brand that supports future digital hiring and strengthens our position in the talent market.

To ensure strategic alignment and continuous improvement you will lead quarterly business reviews that provide a comprehensive overview of talent acquisition performance. These sessions will include updates on market intelligence, sourcing analysis, and hiring data insights such as time‑to‑fill, diversity metrics, conversion rates, and hiring manager satisfaction. Your work will inform data‑led decision‑making and ensure that recruitment efforts remain agile, inclusive, and aligned with the British Council’s transformation agenda.

Role specific skills

• Data Literacy: Translates people data into actionable insights (developing / exemplary).
• Business Acumen: Understands customer needs & applies user‑centric principles (developing / exemplary).
• Digital Agility: Creates an environment ready for digital adoption (developing).
• People Advocacy: Builds the change structures and capacity to promote change and resilience (developing).
• Execution Excellence: Implements actionable and adaptive plans to achieve results (developing / exemplary).

Knowledge & Experience

Minimum / Essential

• Proven experience in recruiting for technology roles (e.g. software engineering, data product, cloud, DevOps).
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, particularly with senior leaders.
• Strong talent judgement and experience of conducting interviews within tech talent and inclusive hiring practices.
• Experience building, influencing, and maintaining relationships with stakeholders through clear and confident communication, including overcoming challenges and barriers.
• Experience of leading outsourced / 3rd‑party recruitment‑led hiring or Non‑Payroll hiring.
• Experience of delivering hiring to TA performance metrics and mechanisms using data to inform decision‑making and drive continuous improvement, including performance of attraction campaigns.
• Deep understanding of tech talent markets, sourcing channels, and hiring trends.
• Proficiency in recruitment systems and tools (e.g. ATS, LinkedIn Recruiter, video interviewing platforms).
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced transformation‑focused environment.
• Ability to create quarterly business reviews.
• Experience in talent attraction and building an employer branding strategy.

Desirable

• Relevant employment legislation.
• Pre‑employment screening.
• Knowledge of using SAP Success Factors Recruitment module or a similar Applicant Tracking System (ATS).
• Recruitment or HR qualification.

Important information

Location: London, UK

Pay‑Grade: 8 / E

Salary: £38,820 – £46,203 depending on qualifications. Plus London allowance of £3,300 if based in London.

Contract Type: Fixed term – 18 months

Requirements: Candidates must have the pre‑existing legal right to work in the UK at the time of application.

Mobility / relocation / visa sponsoring support will not be provided.

Closing date for applications: Friday 3 October 2025; 21:59 UK Summer Time

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community, as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability, and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

Safeguarding Statement

The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people, and adults who we work with. We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment, and exploitation as set out in Article 19 UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989. Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.