Talent Acquisition Specialist

At Harris Federation, we are proud of our 5,000-strong staff who collectively work to deliver high-quality education to children in London, Essex and the surrounding areas.

Finding and securing great talent takes a creative mind, a personable approach and a keen eye for detail. That's where you come in.

We want to welcome an exuberant, organised and ultimately goal-driven people-person to our Talent Acquisition team as a Talent Acquisition Specialist. With opportunities for personal development, a local government pension scheme and friendly, hybrid working environment, we offer the opportunity to join an established team and for you to have a rewarding and impactful role.

This is an excellent opportunity to start your career in recruitment within a fast-paced and rewarding environment. Full training will be provided to help you succeed and progress within the team.

View the Role Profile now and take the first step towards discovering your next job opportunity in education.

WORKING WITH US

The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve.

We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.

Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris.

To discover more about our culture, ethos and what it is like to work here, visit the Why Work For Us page.

MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

As a Talent Acquisition Specialist, you will have an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our academies by attracting and recruiting exceptional teachers and senior leaders. You will be developing talent pipelines, candidate pools and helping to nurture talent from entry level to senior leadership.

Talent Pool and Pipeline Development:

• Build and maintain robust talent pools of skilled educators across various subjects, phases, specialisms and regions.
• Conduct market mapping and research to identify competitors and passive candidates.
• Help to nurture talent pipelines for future leadership roles.

Proactive Sourcing

• Running sourcing campaigns to find and engage both active and passive candidates.
• Helping to develop creative sourcing strategies to develop high quality talent pipelines with a meaningful emphasis on diversity.
• Provide regular updates to the TA Coordinator on the status of open jobs.

Please download the application pack for the full job description.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for an individual who is highly motivated to want to build exceptional teams and places of work, and has an eye for finding and securing the very best people for our academies. We are looking for:

• A driven and ambitious individual with a passion for people
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• The ability to think creatively and outside the box
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment
• A proactive and resilient approach to challenges
• A desire to learn and constantly review what “best practice” looks like

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

The successful individual will

• Have the opportunity to shape the future of education by securing the best talent for our academies
• Have the opportunity to work in a highly supportive and collaborative environment
• Have the opportunity to be creative and work in a team where ideas are valued and put into practice
• Have the opportunity to work with 55 amazing academies and engage with a large network of educators and senior leaders.

You will also have access to a variety of benefits, support programmes and initiatives including:

• Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression
• Pension scheme (Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution
• 26 days' annual leave (inclusive of our Christmas Eve closure day) plus bank holidays, rising to 27 days after 2 years' service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts
• Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare
• Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice
• Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme
• Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts
• 20% off at Tapi Carpets, exclusive to Harris employees
• Interest-free ICT and season ticket loans

For most non-teaching staff based at our Head Office in East Croydon, we also offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with two days from home and three days on site.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.