Talent Manager in Derby

At East Midlands Railway, we’re proud to serve over 30 million passengers every year – and none of it would be possible without our people. Our HR team plays a key role in making EMR a great place to work, helping us attract, develop, and retain the best talent. We’re now looking for a Talent Manager to join us in Derby and lead our recruitment and resourcing activity. At EMR we want to proactively embrace diversity across our workforce and recognise that we are under-represented in terms of females and ethnic minority groups. We’re therefore taking positive steps to promote a positive and inclusive culture; we welcome applications from those that identify with these groups to better represent our communities.

The Opportunity

As Talent Manager, you’ll shape the way we attract and hire colleagues across the business. From managing the end-to-end recruitment process to ensuring we embed inclusive hiring practices, you’ll make sure our approach is professional, cost-effective, and focused on finding the great people for EMR.

You’ll also act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, providing insights on market trends, competitor intelligence, and recruitment best practice. Working closely with Directors, Heads of Department and managers, you’ll play a vital role in supporting business needs and future workforce planning.

This is a hands-on leadership role, where you’ll manage and develop a team of recruitment specialists, empowering them to deliver a first-class service to both candidates and the wider business.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop EMR’s recruitment and resourcing activity, ensuring we attract skilled, capable and diverse talent using the latest techniques
• Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders to understand business needs and deliver effective HR planning
• Monitor and report on recruitment metrics, using insights to shape future strategies
• Drive inclusive recruitment practices, embedding diversity and equality principles into every stage of hiring
• Manage relationships with external providers, such as ATS, testing platforms and video interview systems
• Coach and influence hiring managers to deliver fair and effective recruitment practices

About You

We’re looking for someone with:

• Degree level education or equivalent experience
• Significant experience in recruitment
• Significant experience in the use of social media to target and engage appropriate candidate pools
• Hay evaluation training (Preferred)
• Level A and B Testing Qualification (Preferred)
• Experience of leading a team and people management skills
• Excellent communication, presentation and reporting ability
• Up-to-date knowledge of employment law, recruitment and diversity best practice
• The ability to coach, influence and develop managers at all levels

What We Offer

As well as a competitive salary, we’ll also offer you:

• Support and full funding for gaining HR / CIPD Accreditations where desired
• An excellent defined benefit pension scheme
• 32 days’ holiday per year; increasing to 34 days after 2 years
• Free First-Class duty travel on the EMR network
• Free standard leisure travel on the EMR network and Train Operating Companies under Transport UK & LNER
• 75% discount on national leisure travel (inc partner and dependants)
• Friends and Family discounted tickets on the EMR network
• Employee benefits portal with access to generous discounts, Cycle 2 Work Scheme …and many more!

To apply please complete the online application form and upload your CV, as we operate blind screening please remove personal details, including your name, from your CV.

We promise to treat you fairly, consistently and with respect throughout the application, assessment and selection process.