Talent Acquisition Partner

Oxford University Press; Dadri; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Oxford University Press is seeking a Talent Acquisition Partner to act as a trusted advisor to hiring managers and business leaders, shaping workforce decisions with market insight and recruitment expertise.

You will build talent pipelines, partner with HR colleagues, suppliers, and candidates, and deliver a high-quality recruitment experience across the full lifecycle, including sourcing strategy, employer branding, and process improvements.

Qualifications

• Experience in agency and/or in-house recruitment.
• Experience managing high-volume end-to-end recruitment processes.
• Direct sourcing of candidates through multiple channels.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience using multiple sourcing, screening, and assessment tools.
• Strong organisational skills with ability to prioritise and handle varied workload.
• Experience collaborating within teams.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to analyse market data to inform decisions.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and consulting skills.
• Commitment to delivering an outstanding candidate experience.
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion in hiring practices.

Responsibilities

• Partner with hiring managers and HR to source and attract talent per organisational design and rewards principles.
• Develop recruitment plans using data, market intelligence, sourcing insights, and cost considerations.
• Build long-term relationships with stakeholders to understand current and future workforce needs.
• Create and implement attraction strategies and pipelines to support business objectives.
• Proactively seek market intelligence and candidate insights to build high-quality pools.
• Engage with candidates via direct sourcing, networking, events, social media, and talent communities.
• Drive towards direct hiring and reduce agency dependence where possible.
• Coach hiring managers through end-to-end recruitment processes.
• Advise on assessment and selection methods to identify best-fit candidates.
• Champion diversity and inclusive hiring throughout the process.
• Promote awareness of unconscious bias and inclusive practices.
• Keep abreast of recruitment legislation and update stakeholders accordingly.
• Deliver recruitment policy guidance and training to managers and teams.
• Ensure recruitment operations align with OUP policies and onboarding processes.
• Manage supplier relationships and ensure compliant, effective agency usage.
• Collaborate with HR Operations to improve processes and systems.
• Drive continuous improvement through training and knowledge sharing.

Skills

Agency/in-house recruitment

High-volume recruitment

Sourcing candidates

Stakeholder management

Sourcing tools

Organisational skills

Team collaboration

MS Office

Data-driven decisions

Communication/consulting

Diversity & inclusion

Education

MBA or PGDM in HR

Industry-recognised recruitment qualification

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Job TitleAbout the RoleTenure - 4 month contractual roleIntroduction

Oxford University Press is looking for a Talent Acquisition Partner to act as a trusted advisor to hiring managers and business leaders, helping to shape workforce decisions through market insight, recruitment expertise, and a deep understanding of the organisation's talent needs. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced recruitment professional who enjoys influencing stakeholders, building talent strategies, and delivering exceptional candidate experiences.

As part of the Group HR function, you will play a critical role in attracting and securing high-quality talent that supports OUP's mission of advancing knowledge and learning. You will build strong partnerships across the business, proactively develop talent pipelines, and create innovative attraction strategies that support both immediate and long-term hiring requirements.

This role provides broad exposure across all aspects of talent acquisition, including sourcing strategy, stakeholder partnering, recruitment operations, employer branding, diversity and inclusion, recruitment process improvement, and market intelligence. It offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on organisational growth while working in a collaborative and globally connected HR environment.

Opportunity

As a Talent Acquisition Partner, you will be responsible for managing the full recruitment lifecycle while partnering closely with hiring managers, HR colleagues, suppliers, and candidates to deliver a high-quality recruitment experience.

Key responsibilities include:

• Partnering with hiring managers and HR business partners to source and attract outstanding talent in line with organisational design and reward principles.
• Developing recruitment plans for hiring managers using data, market intelligence, sourcing insights, and cost considerations to support informed hiring decisions.
• Building long-term relationships with business stakeholders to understand immediate and future workforce requirements.
• Creating and implementing attraction strategies and talent pipelines to support business objectives and workforce planning.
• Proactively seeking market intelligence and candidate insights to build high-quality talent pools.
• Engaging with potential candidates through direct sourcing, networking, recruitment events, social media platforms, and talent communities.
• Working towards direct hiring objectives and reducing dependency on external agencies wherever appropriate.
• Coaching hiring managers through every stage of the end-to-end recruitment process.
• Advising managers on effective assessment and selection methods to identify the best candidates.
• Championing diversity and inclusion throughout the recruitment process and supporting diverse shortlists.
• Promoting awareness of unconscious bias and inclusive hiring practices among hiring managers.
• Keeping up to date with recruitment legislation and communicating relevant updates to hiring managers and HR stakeholders.
• Delivering coaching sessions, briefings, and guidance on recruitment policies, legal requirements, and best practices.
• Managing recruitment operations to ensure candidates are assessed, selected, offered, vetted, and onboarded in accordance with OUP policies and procedures.
• Managing preferred supplier relationships and ensuring agencies remain compliant, effective, and aligned with OUP's values and requirements.
• Collaborating with HR Operations and wider HR teams to ensure recruitment processes and systems are efficient and effective.
• Driving continuous improvement within recruitment processes through training, feedback, process enhancement, and knowledge sharing initiatives.
• Delivering recruitment system and process training to hiring managers and stakeholders.
• Ensuring Information Security and Data Privacy requirements are maintained throughout the recruitment lifecycle.
• Implementing appropriate controls to mitigate data privacy risks and ensure responsible handling of candidate information.
• Working cross-functionally with colleagues across HR services, operations, projects, and change initiatives to support business objectives and organisational alignment.
• Supporting additional projects and duties that contribute to OUP's wider mission and operational goals.

Impact

This role is central to OUP's ability to attract, engage, and retain outstanding talent. By providing expert recruitment guidance, building strong talent pipelines, supporting inclusive hiring practices, and delivering an excellent candidate experience, you will directly contribute to the organisation's success and future growth. Your work will strengthen workforce capability, support business performance, and enhance OUP's reputation as an employer of choice.

About You Essential Criteria

• Previous agency and/or in-house recruitment experience.
• Experience managing high-volume end-to-end recruitment processes.
• Proven ability to directly source candidates through a variety of channels.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience using multiple sourcing, screening, and assessment tools.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise effectively and manage a varied workload.
• Experience working collaboratively within team environments.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to analyse market information and use data to inform recruitment decisions.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and consulting skills.
• Commitment to delivering an outstanding candidate experience.
• Strong understanding of diversity and inclusion principles within hiring practices.

Desirable Criteria

• Industry-recognised recruitment qualification.
• MBA or PGDM in Human Resources.
• Advanced social media recruiting skills.
• Experience leading selection interviews.
• Experience designing and delivering recruitment training programmes.
• Knowledge of recruitment legislation and compliance requirements.

Queries

Please contact [e-mail] with any queries relating to this role.

We are committed to supporting diversity in our workforce, and ensuring an inclusive environment where all individuals can thrive. We seek to employ a workforce representative of the markets that we serve and encourage applications from all.