Talent Acquisition Specialist (12-month Contract)

St. Gemma's Hospice; Leeds; On-site; GBP 30,000; Part time

Job summary

A charitable healthcare organization in Leeds is seeking a part-time Talent Acquisition Specialist for a 12-month fixed-term contract. This new role involves developing attraction strategies, enhancing employer branding, and overseeing inclusive hiring practices. The Specialist will guide recruitment from job specifications to onboarding while collaborating with various teams to promote effective and equitable recruitment processes. Ideal candidates will possess a strategic mindset and experience in talent acquisition within a similar charitable environment.

Benefits

28 days annual leave plus Bank holidays

Free parking

Generous pension scheme

Qualifications

• Strategic mindset to develop talent acquisition strategies.
• Ability to collaborate with leadership and HR partners effectively.
• Experience with data-driven recruitment processes.

Responsibilities

• Develop attraction strategies aligned with organizational goals.
• Review and improve current hiring practices.
• Provide end-to-end recruitment support to hiring managers.

Skills

Talent acquisition strategy

Employer branding

Inclusive hiring practices

Data analysis

Job description

Talent Acquisition Specialist

• 12 month Fixed-Term Contract
• Part-time working pattern of 4 days per week (0.8 FTE)
• Reports to: Head of Talent Development
• Salary: £30,388 (part-time equivalent of £37,985)

We are seeking a strategically-minded Talent Acquisition Specialist to join our forward-thinking HR team in this newly created, fixed-term role.

Initially a 12-month fixed-term contract with part-time working hours (4-day week), the role will suit someone who is keen to work for a purpose-driven organisation where they can drive positive results and further develop their experience of leading in the areas of attraction strategy, employer brand awareness, inclusive hiring practices, and initiatives that support the organisation’s ambitions for greater ED&I.

The role will be responsible for supporting managers with the end-to-end process for recruitment, however, with fewer than 10 live vacancies at any one time, a significant portion of time will be spent on reviewing our organisation’s approach to Talent Acquisition in its broadest sense, with a view to making strategic and process improvements.

The role will report to the Head of Talent Development, which is also a newly created role, and will also work closely with the Chief People Officer to ensure alignment with the organisation’s overall People Strategy.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO WORK AT ST GEMMA’S?

St Gemma’s Hospice is an independent Leeds-based charity and one of the leading hospices in the UK. We provide expert care and support for local people with life-limiting and terminal illnesses, their families and their carers in the Hospice’s In-Patient Unit, through the St Gemma’s community team, and at our Out-Patients. We are also proud to provide clinical research, training and education in palliative care to healthcare professionals on a national scale.

We have around 300 employees and approximately 800 volunteers based across the main Hospice site in Moortown, our Retail Hub in Bramley, a large chain of charity shops, and out in the community.

Our values at St Gemma’s are Caring, Aspiring, and Professional, and these are the veritable essence of our culture. Step into any one of our locations, be that our hospice, our Retail hub or one of our shops, and you will be met with smiling, friendly, warm-hearted people who take immense pride in the work they do.

We are innovative, always considering how we can make improvements or how we might evolve to ensure our patients, their families, and our supporters have the best possible experience with us. This has led to some impressive achievements, from producing our own aromatherapy oils within our Therapy team, to keeping pace with the benefits of AI in a healthcare setting, to the development of our Inclusion Service which improves end‑life care for individuals who are homeless or vulnerably housed, not to mention our ‘Outstanding’ rating from the CQC to name just a few examples.

St Gemma’s is committed to equal opportunities and strives to be diverse and inclusive, a place which reflects the communities we serve. We offer a competitive range of benefits, including a full-time equivalent allowance of 28 days’ annual leave (plus Bank holidays), free parking, a generous pension scheme, and much more.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Attraction Strategies

• Partner closely with the Leadership Team, providing expert guidance on attraction and hiring plans, using data, market insights, and best practices to inform your approach.
• Considering the varied range of functions within the organisation, from Clinical to Retail to Fundraising to Facilities to name a few, develop targeted attraction strategies that respond to each area’s requirements and challenges.
• Strengthen St Gemma’s employer brand and market presence, representing the business externally to attract high‑calibre and mission‑aligned candidates.
• Collaborate with HR Partners to anticipate and respond to workforce planning needs.
• Working closely with the Head of Talent, contribute to the possible introduction and design of strategic talent programmes if appropriate, e.g. in the areas of future talent, apprenticeships, returnships.
• Provide strategic support to the Volunteering Services team in their goals to maintain the required levels of volunteers.

Hiring Practices

• Review current hiring practices to identify improvements to our frameworks, systems, tools and processes that will ensure both seamless efficiency and effectiveness, and ensure we are at the forefront of new and best practice thinking.
• Working with the Head of Talent, support the development of hiring managers to ensure a consistent and established approach to effective interviewing and decision‑making, and challenge unconscious bias to ensure fair and inclusive practices.
• Develop and implement policies and practices that are aligned with and support the company’s diversity and inclusion ambitions.
• Research and provide insights on market conditions, industry trends, the talent landscape and competitor practices, along with pragmatic recommendations for how these might impact or apply to our own approach and practices.

End‑to‑End Recruitment

• Provide a consultative approach to guide the recruitment process from advert to onboarding, partnering with hiring managers and stakeholders to deliver a seamless end‑to‑end recruitment process, including requirement gathering, job specification updates, candidate sourcing, shortlisting and screening, interview coordination, and candidate communication.
• Coach and support hiring managers through all stages of the recruitment process, ensuring a fair, inclusive, and legally compliant approach.
• Proactively source talent and maintain talent pipelines through headhunting, market mapping, and leveraging targeted sourcing strategies and channels to engage relevant talent pools.
• Manage the offer process, securing necessary approvals, presenting offer recommendations, and issuing offer letters and contracts.
• Collaborate with HR Partners on seamless onboarding and orientation processes.
• Act as an ambassador for St Gemma’s through the candidate experience you provide, at the events you attend, and across the social channels we utilise.