Talent Acquisition Specialist

Henry Blue; Sunderland; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Henry Blue is seeking a Talent Acquisition Adviser to support the hiring process within a further education college group in the North East of England. This role involves managing full-cycle recruitment, coordinating with hiring managers, negotiating with recruitment agencies, and ensuring compliance with legislative requirements. The ideal candidate will be proactive in enhancing recruitment strategies and maintaining effective relationships with external partners.

Qualifications

• Experience in full-cycle recruitment.
• Familiarity with e-recruitment systems.
• Strong negotiation and analytics skills.

Responsibilities

• Overseeing full-cycle recruitment with a focus on managing external agencies.
• Coordinating recruitment activities and monitoring costs.
• Supporting workforce planning and employer branding initiatives.
• Ensuring compliance with recruitment laws and standards.

Job description

Location: North East

Job Title: Talent Acquisition Adviser

Pay and working hours:

• Salary: £31,075- £34,962
• Working hours: Full-time

We are working with a further education college group based in the North East who are looking for a new Talent Acquisition Adviser.

OVERALL PURPOSE

To identify, attract, and support the hiring of qualified candidates to meet the organisation's current and future staffing needs. This role is crucial in ensuring the organisation has the right talent in place to drive strategic and operational goals while also managing the efficient use of external recruitment agencies to ensure value for money and cost control.

ROLE PURPOSE

The Talent Acquisition Adviser will be responsible for overseeing full-cycle recruitment, with a particular emphasis on external agency management. This includes coordinating recruitment activities across departments, monitoring and forecasting agency recruitment costs, maintaining accurate records of all agency workers, and supporting workforce planning. The postholder will negotiate agency contracts, evaluate agency effectiveness, support compliance checks, and identify opportunities to reduce agency spend where possible - ensuring recruitment activity supports broader financial and business strategies.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Coordinate with hiring managers to identify current and future staffing needs.
• Manage the e-recruitment system, including user training, process improvements, and reporting.
• Oversee and evaluate agency recruitment costs, providing strategic insights to leadership on spend vs. budget and identifying savings opportunities.
• Develop and maintain relationships with preferred recruitment agencies, ensuring performance and service standards are met.
• Evaluate agency rates and performance to inform selection decisions based on value, service, and compliance.
• Negotiate agency terms and contracts to ensure alignment with organisational objectives.
• Support employer branding initiatives through job fairs, recruitment events, and online channels.
• Analyse recruitment metrics to inform strategies and improve hiring efficiency and candidate experience.
• Ensure recruitment activities meet legislative requirements and best practice standards.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• To work at any of the organisation's sites as required on a temporary or ongoing basis.
• Undertake such duties as are reasonably allocated, appropriate to the grade of the post.
• Comply with organisational policies, procedures, and the Staff Code of Conduct.
• Take appropriate responsibility for safeguarding, including PREVENT, and promoting the welfare of children and/or vulnerable adults.
• Uphold British Values and the organisation's commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Ensure full compliance with Health & Safety policies and statutory obligations.
• Provide exam invigilation support if and when requested.