Early Careers Lead - EIMEA in Newcastle upon Tyne

Arup’s purpose, shared values and collaborative approach has set us apart for over 75 years, guiding how we shape a better world. Arup is the creative force at the heart of many of the world’s most prominent projects in the built and natural environment. Working in more than 140 countries, the firm’s designers, engineers, architects, planners, consultants, and technical specialists work with our clients on innovative projects of the highest quality and impact.

The Early Careers Lead is responsible for regional delivery of the global Early Careers framework, embedding consistent standards, coordinating campaign activity, coaching recruiters, and supporting continuous improvement. The role ensures the Early Careers strategy and programmes are embedded into local contexts while remaining consistent with global objectives and standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Global Strategy Implementation: Embed and operationalize Arup’s global early careers strategy within the region, ensure consistent application of global standards while adapting for local regulations, cultural expectations, and market dynamics. Play a leading role in Early Careers workstreams to develop and evolve the global framework including but not limited to; technology, demand, assessment and programmatic approaches. Work with People Partnering teams and business leaders to forecast demand to ensure timely delivery of talent pipelines.
• Team Management: Lead, coach, and develop a team of early careers recruiters, fostering a high-performance and collaborative culture. Allocate work, set priorities, and ensure consistent delivery standards across all recruitment activity. Establish ways of working that support collaboration, continuous improvement, and a positive team culture. Alongside Global Early Careers Operations Leader, work with the RPO to ensure a strong relationship with the RPO team and ensure smooth delivery of key campaigns.
• Future‑Focused Candidate Attraction: Drive innovative sourcing strategies leveraging technology, social media, and data analytics. Build strong relationships with universities, professional organizations, and diversity partners to expand talent pools. Represent Arup at campus and in‑office events, conferences, virtual fairs, and industry forums to strengthen our employer brand. Build and maintain early career talent pipelines to ensure a strong and consistent pool of candidates. Partner with EDI teams to embed and uphold inclusive practices to source diverse early careers talent.
• Recruitment Operations & Delivery Excellence: Own demand fulfilment by overseeing the full‑cycle recruitment for early careers programs, ensuring compliance with local regulations and global standards, ensure an exceptional candidate journey from application through onboarding. Implement relevant process improvements to reduce time‑to‑offer and enhance efficiency. Oversee the summer intern program and intern conversion process within the region, ensuring this return on investment, building a key graduate talent pipeline.
• Data & Insights: Monitor recruitment metrics through regular reporting and end of season reviews to regional and global leadership to understand effectiveness of processes, refine strategies and improve outcomes. Stay up to date with market trends, competitor activity and innovations, bringing in external thought leadership.

Measures of Success

• Delivery of overall regional campaign aligned to core KPIs including: Candidate Experience – time to offer, time in process and feedback
• Fulfilment – delivery against forecasted demand
• Harmonisation – successful embedding of global processes and ways of working
• Return on Investment – demonstrating value in attraction activities, cost per hire and intern conversions

At Arup, you belong to an extraordinary collective – in which we encourage individuality to thrive. Our strength comes from how we respect, share and connect our diverse experiences, perspectives and ideas. You will have the opportunity to do socially useful work that has meaning – to Arup, to your career, to our members and to the clients and communities we serve.

Is this role right for you?

The ideal candidate will have experience in delivery of early careers recruitment seasons, with a future focussed mindset. They will demonstrate passion and energy to embed a new early careers model, within their respective region, while also being globally aligned; Strategic thinker with a passion for innovation in recruitment. Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills, particularly focused on change management and embedding new ways of working. Team leadership and experience of building and developing a team of recruiters. Expertise with using ATS’ and digital sourcing tools (Taleo and/or Oracle a plus). Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to translate global plans into defined regional actions for stakeholders. Ability to manage multiple priorities across regions in a fast‑paced environment. Experience of operating in a global or matrixed organisations and/or the Engineering & Consulting industry. Understanding of regional trends in early careers hiring and future skills. It would be preferred if the candidate has familiarity with technical roles and disciplines and associated college/university student trends.

What We Offer You

At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together. Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognises the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do. We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts.

Different people, shared values. Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence. Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross‑cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference.

We are committed to making our recruitment process and workplaces accessible to all candidates. Please contact lia.wiltsher@arup.com to let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments throughout your application or interview process, and/or to perform the essential functions of the role. We will do everything we can to support you.

Our Application Process

To understand what to expect next, please visit https://www.arup.com/careers/recruitment-process/. Stay safe online – Arup will never ask for your bank details as part of our recruitment process. Recruitment Agencies – We have a Preferred Supplier List of trusted partners to assist us when required and do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions from agencies not on the list.