Recruitment and Talent Manager | NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board in Warrington

The postholder is responsible for developing, implementing and managing an in‑house recruitment service, transitioning from an external provider while ensuring minimal disruption to business as usual. They operate at both strategic and operational levels, providing specialist expertise in recruitment, resourcing and talent management across the Integrated Care Board.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the transition and ongoing management of the in‑house recruitment service, designing, implementing and continuously improving recruitment processes, systems and governance arrangements.
• Oversee day‑to‑day operational delivery, ensuring activities meet agreed service standards and comply with relevant legislation, NHS employment check requirements, and organisational policies.
• Line‑manage the Recruitment Officer, ensuring a consistently high‑quality, customer‑focused service.
• Lead executive and senior recruitment, ensuring robust governance, transparent and timely processes, and overseeing the Fit and Proper Person Test (FPPT).
• Ensure recruitment processes are fair, equitable, and accessible, promoting equality of opportunity and supporting reasonable adjustments for candidates where required.
• Support managers in delivering inclusive recruitment practices and maintaining compliance with equality and diversity legislation.
• Design and deliver recruitment training and development programmes for managers, raising awareness of best practice, unconscious bias, inclusive approaches and effective decision making.
• Collaborate with HR Business Partners and senior leaders to develop a talent management approach aligned to the workforce strategy and future operating model.
• Analyse recruitment and workforce data to monitor performance, identify trends, risks and opportunities, and implement improvements to enhance service effectiveness, efficiency and candidate experience.
• Provide assurance reporting and workforce insight to senior stakeholders as required.
• Lead and contribute to projects and workstreams relating to recruitment and talent management, delivering within agreed timescales and aligning with organisational priorities, especially during periods of change and transformation.
• Ensure recruitment, onboarding and exit processes support the overall employee journey, contributing to retention, workforce stability and organisational effectiveness.

Key Working Relationships

• Internal stakeholders: HR Business Partners and wider People function, Learning and Development colleagues, Chief People Officer, Deputy Director of Workforce and senior leaders, Recruiting managers across all directorates, Workforce Information, ESR and HR systems colleagues, Finance Business Partners (in relation to recruitment activity and workforce planning).
• External stakeholders: External recruitment providers and system suppliers (e.g., TRAC or equivalent), NHS England / regulatory bodies (e.g., FPPT governance), Trade union and staff‑side representatives, Other NHS organisations and system partners across the Integrated Care System.

Organisation Context

Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) is a highly complex organisation serving over 2.7 million people across nine localities, 16 NHS provider organisations, 51 Primary Care Networks and the North West Ambulance Service, as well as third‑sector and voluntary organisations. It is the third largest Integrated Care System in the country and faces significant demographic challenges, with 33% of its population living in the most deprived 20% of neighbourhoods. The ICB also deals with some of the poorest health outcomes in England.

Job Review

This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements, in discussion with the post holder, and will be amended as necessary. It will be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder on an annual basis.