Talent Specialist

Role Summary We are looking for a proactive Talent Specialist to join our UK Talent team. You’ll support the recruitment of high-quality Early Years professionals across our UK early years settings. You’ll be responsible for delivering end‑to‑end recruitment for a range of Early Years roles, building candidate pipelines, reducing reliance on recruitment agencies and ensuring an excellent candidate experience throughout the hiring process. This is a hands‑on recruitment role, ideal for someone who enjoys sourcing talent in a competitive market and building strong relationships with hiring managers. The ideal candidate may already have recruitment experience within early years or education, or could come from an operational background, such as a Nursery Manager who has been responsible for hiring and building successful teams. We also welcome applications from individuals with high‑volume recruitment experience in sectors such as healthcare, retail or hospitality, who are looking to apply their talent acquisition expertise in a purpose‑driven education environment. This is a hybrid role, with 2‑3 days from our London Mayfair office. Key Responsibilities Talent Acquisition * Work closely with Nursery Managers to understand recruitment requirements and support the end‑to‑end hiring process. * Coordinate recruitment for Early Years roles including Level 3 Practitioners, Room Leaders, Deputy Managers and Nursery Managers. * Manage recruitment campaigns from advertising through to offer, ensuring vacancies are filled efficiently. * Proactively build and maintain talent pipelines for current and future recruitment needs. * Screen applications, conduct initial telephone interviews and coordinate interviews with hiring managers. * Manage candidate communications to ensure an excellent candidate experience. * Coordinate visa sponsorship activity where required, working closely with HR and external partners to support international recruitment and ensure compliance with UK immigration requirements. * Work closely with HR and safeguarding colleagues to ensure all onboarding requirements are completed efficiently. Candidate Attraction * Advertise vacancies across appropriate recruitment channels including job boards, social media and employee referral schemes. * Proactively source candidates using online platforms and networking. * Support the delivery and continuous development of the Early Years Employer Value Proposition (EVP), ensuring consistent messaging across recruitment campaigns. * Build relationships with local colleges, universities, apprenticeship providers and training organisations to create sustainable talent pipelines. * Manage the recruitment and onboarding of Early Years apprentices, working with training providers and internal stakeholders to support apprenticeship programmes. * Attend recruitment fairs, careers events and local networking opportunities. * Promote Inspired as an employer of choice within the Early Years sector. The Ideal Candidate Will Have * Previous recruitment experience in either an in‑house recruitment or agency environment. * Professional, approachable and confident in building relationships with a range of stakeholders. * Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. * Organised with the ability to manage multiple recruitment campaigns simultaneously. * Proactive and able to work independently. * Resilient and adaptable in a fast‑paced recruitment environment. * Strong attention to detail and commitment to delivering a positive candidate experience. * Collaborative, solutions‑focused and customer‑oriented. * Experience recruiting within Early Years, Education, Healthcare, Retail or another high‑volume operational environment would be advantageous. * Strong sourcing skills using job boards, LinkedIn and other recruitment channels. * Understanding of safer recruitment or compliance‑led recruitment processes would be beneficial. * Experience building candidate pipelines and reducing agency reliance would be advantageous. Safeguarding Statement Inspired Education Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, volunteers and other third parties to share this commitment. Safer recruitment practices and pre‑employment background checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. J-18808-Ljbffr