Talent Engagement Specialist

Opencast, incorporated; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

7% employer pension contribution

Share options

Discretionary bonus

25 days holiday

Life happens days

Job summary

Opencast is hiring a Talent Engagement Specialist to own the end-to-end hiring journey, building diverse pipelines and engaging with candidates across the UK. You’ll source proactively, assess effectively, and partner with hiring managers to meet workforce plans.

You’ll also support onboarding for new starters and contractors, contribute to employer branding, and collaborate with marketing on job content, while ensuring a fair and inclusive candidate experience.

Qualifications

• Experience in talent acquisition or people operations, ideally in technology or high-growth organisations.
• Confidence using applicant tracking systems and sourcing platforms to build diverse talent pipelines.
• Clear, thoughtful communicator with the ability to build lasting relationships with candidates.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain Opencast's talent network and diverse pipelines across the UK.
• Support end-to-end recruitment delivery across permanent and contingent hires.
• Apply knowledge of IR35 to carry out determinations and oversee timesheet processes.
• Implement robust assessment processes and manage the full candidate journey.
• Collaborate with Marketing to create job adverts and candidate content.

Skills

Talent engagement

Direct sourcing

Relationship building

End-to-end recruitment

IR35 knowledge

Stakeholder management

Tools

Applicant tracking systems

Sourcing platforms

Job description

Hybrid - Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, London

Commitment:

Permanent - Employee

Ready for a new challenge?

Are you looking for work that makes a difference? Do you want to work with people who learn and grow together?

If so, Opencast could be the place for you. Opencast is a purpose-driven digital and technology consultancy, making life better through the power of people and technology. We're ambitious, inclusive, and growing fast. We're proud of our collaborative culture and our mission to deliver better work for our clients, making a bigger impact on society. We value trust, empowerment, and doing the right thing for our people and clients.

The role

As a Talent Engagement Specialist, you'll ensure every candidate - whether a future permanent employee, partner or contractor associate - has the best possible experience, owning and elevating the end-to-end hiring journey to make it smooth and inclusive. Through creative direct sourcing, talent pooling and relationship building, you'll attract new talent, develop diverse pipelines and build strong networks, while authentically telling the Opencast story across our job families and translating workforce plans into practical hiring strategies that align with the needs of our growing business.

Beyond recruitment, your goal is to make life at Opencast the best it can be for our new starters and contractors alike - getting to know your talent community well, guiding people through the recruitment process and onboarding, and supporting them as they settle into and progress through their journey with us.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain Opencast's talent network and diverse pipelines - including our contingent workforce - proactively identifying talent across the UK through direct outreach, networking, referrals and events, in line with our hiring strategy

Support end-to-end recruitment delivery across permanent and contingent hiring, partnering with Talent Engagement Partners, our Contingent Workforce Manager and hiring managers to plan and deliver against forecast and workforce plans

Apply knowledge of IR35 to carry out accurate determinations, manage contractual arrangements and oversee timesheet processes for contingent engagements

Implement robust, values-led assessment processes - reviewing applications, conducting interviews and managing the full candidate journey to ensure clear communication, timely feedback, accurate system records and the proactive removal of bottlenecks

Build our direct hiring capability, creating job adverts and candidate content with our Marketing team

Build and manage relationships with recruitment agencies and partners, ensuring smooth, compliant submissions and strong performance

Maintain deep knowledge of the external market through events, networking and representing Opencast at meet‑ups and open days, staying current with recruitment legislation

Support new starters and contractors through onboarding, ensuring a smooth, positive transition into Opencast

Previous experience in talent acquisition, recruitment or people operations, ideally within technology or high-growth organisations

Confidence using applicant tracking systems and sourcing platforms to build, nurture and maintain diverse talent pipelines

Clear, thoughtful communicator with the ability to build positive, lasting relationships with candidates, delivering an inclusive, high-quality candidate experience and contributing to employer brand activity

Good understanding of competency-based interviewing, fair hiring practices and recruitment compliance

Comfortable using recruitment data and metrics to improve engagement, time to hire and quality of hire

Strong organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple roles, engagement types and priorities effectively

Collaborative and resilient team player who works well with hiring managers, contributes positively to the wider team, and brings an open mindset to feedback and continuous learning

Experience or understanding of contractor hiring practices, including IR35 and agency management, is desirable

This role will be suitable if you

Love working with people, build rapport quickly, and are a great listener

Are curious, solutions-focused and persistent in finding answers

Can handle sensitive information and challenging conversations with empathy

Value a positive, inclusive culture with flexibility and autonomy

Are looking for a chance to make a real impact - for our clients, our business and society

What we offer

A competitive package including a 7% employer pension contribution, share options, and a discretionary bonus. You’ll also benefit from 25 days’ holiday and access to 3 annual “life happens” days to support unexpected situations.

We provide wellbeing support, ongoing professional development, volunteering opportunities, and the chance to be part of a genuinely supportive team.

Where you’ll work

This role requires regular on-site attendance at our HQ, hub offices and other business locations, alongside the flexibility to work from home. Travel may be required as part of the role and applicants should be able to travel when needed to support business activities and team collaboration.

We include you

We welcome candidates from all identities, attributes, ways of thinking and backgrounds to thrive in a career at Opencast. Our aim is for the diversity of our people to be reflected in the solutions we deliver, to help create a fairer society for all.

Interview

Interviews will be conducted via Microsoft Teams. We’re happy to make adjustments to support your needs.

Hear from our people: Opencast in 3 words

Our people share the three words that best describe life at Opencast. Watch now to get a glimpse of our culture, values, and what it’s like to work here.