At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and run OakNorth’s global early careers programme, including internships and graduate hiring.
- Company: Join OakNorth, a mission-driven company empowering businesses and communities since 2015.
- Benefits: Gain hands-on HR experience in a fast-paced, high-growth environment with real impact.
- Other info: Collaborate globally across UK, US, and India while embracing AI in hiring.
- Why this job: Be a builder, not a maintainer, and shape the future of early careers at OakNorth.
- Qualifications: 4+ years in early careers recruiting with a track record of building programmes.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 £ per year.
OakNorth is on a mission to empower ambitious businesses and the communities they serve. Since 2015, we’ve lent over $21 billion across the UK and US, helped create more than 58,000 new homes and 36,000 new jobs, and supported hundreds of thousands of personal savers — all while driving economic growth in the markets we serve.
We are looking for a Junior People Partner to join our People Team at OakNorth. This role provides hands‑on support to our Senior People Partners across UK and US employee populations across all business lines. The role is well‑suited to someone early in their HR career, keen to develop across a broad generalist remit, and comfortable working in a fast‑paced, high‑growth environment. You will get exposure to real partnering work, employee relations, performance processes, and people projects from day one.
The Opportunity
This is a builder role, not a maintainer. You will design and run OakNorth’s global early careers programme — spanning internships and graduate hiring across London, New York, Gurgaon, Bangalore, and Manchester. Embedded within the wider Talent function, you’ll connect early careers to experienced hiring, workforce planning, and long‑term talent development. There is no finished playbook. You’ll define it — building a programme that is structured, scalable, and aligned to real business demand.
What Success Looks Like (Year 1)
- A clear, scalable internship and graduate programme designed
- Internships established as the primary feeder into high‑quality hires
- Strong, engaged hiring manager base — aligned on bar and actively participating
- A forward workforce plan in place, with hiring driven by real business demand
- Measurable quality of hire: strong conversion, retention, and early performance
What You’ll Own
- Programme design & delivery
- Own a two‑track early careers programme: internships, apprenticeships, insight week and a 1‑year graduate scheme
- Define rotations, learning pathways, mentoring, and conversion frameworks
- Set clear standards and success metrics from entry through to post‑programme performance
- Build internships as the primary feeder into graduate hiring
- Own the full lifecycle: Attraction → Assessment → Offer → Onboarding → Programme → Conversion → Retention
- Track performance, conversion rates, and long‑term outcomes
- Talent & business alignment
- Translate business hiring needs into structured early careers pipelines across Debt Finance, Engineering, Product, Finance & Legal, Operations
- Partner with hiring managers to define what good looks like
- Build a forward‑looking workforce plan based on real demand
- Continuously improve pipeline quality using data and insight
- Connect Talent, People Partners, L&D, and business leadership
- Attraction & university strategy
- Build a focused university strategy across the UK, US, and India
- Prioritise depth over breadth in relationships
- Represent OakNorth on campus through events, partnerships, and societies
- Develop a compelling early careers narrative against banks, Big Tech, and startups
- Partner with Talent and Marketing to ensure consistent messaging
- Selection & assessment
- Design a rigorous, fair, and scalable selection process
- Assess for potential, not polish
- Implement high‑signal, low‑bias assessment methods
- Train hiring managers to assess consistently
- Define and track quality of hire (performance, progression, retention)
- Ensure strong outcomes beyond hiring — retention and development
- Global coordination
- Align programme structure and standards across UK, US, and India
- Partner with local teams to adapt programmes to each market
- Coordinate hiring cycles, budgets, and reporting
- Maintain a clear global view of pipeline health
- Stakeholder partnership
- Operate as part of the core Talent team
- Align early careers with experienced hiring and broader people strategy
- Influence hiring plans and talent investment decisions
- Provide clear, data‑led insights on pipeline quality and ROI
Priority Pipelines
You will build reliable, high‑quality feeder pipelines into critical junior roles across the business, including Debt Finance, Engineering, Product, Finance, legal and operations. Build a clear pathway from intern → graduate → junior role, particularly for hiring where consistency, quality, and retention are critical.
AI & the Future of Work
OakNorth is becoming an AI‑native business — and how we hire should reflect that.
- Use AI tools to improve sourcing, assessment, and programme delivery
- Apply data and insight to continuously improve hiring quality
- Build modern, high‑signal candidate experiences
- Engage with AI‑curious and high‑potential talent communities
What We’re Looking For
- Core experience
- A recruiter with 4+ years in early careers / campus recruiting
- Track record of building programmes end‑to‑end
- Experience operating within a broader Talent function
- Exposure to global hiring (UK, US, India preferred)
- Capabilities
- Strong instinct for quality over volume
- Experience measuring outcomes (performance, retention, conversion)
- Builder mindset — comfortable creating and iterating
- Able to operate at pace in a high‑growth environment
- Credible with both students and senior stakeholders
- Data‑driven and outcome‑focused
- Curious about AI and its impact on hiring
- Culture fit
- Focused on long‑term talent value, not short‑term hiring
- Holds a high bar and owns outcomes
- Connects the dots across teams
- Brings energy and authenticity
What This Role Isn’t
- A standalone campus role disconnected from Talent
- A coordination‑heavy or purely operational role
- A people‑management role (initially)
- A role with a fixed playbook
GLOBAL EARLY CAREERS CAMPUS RECRUITER employer: OakNorth Bank plc
At OakNorth, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that champions growth and innovation. Our dynamic work culture fosters collaboration and creativity, providing employees with ample opportunities for professional development and meaningful contributions to our mission of empowering businesses and communities. With a focus on building a robust early careers programme, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future talent landscape while enjoying the benefits of working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment across multiple global locations.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land GLOBAL EARLY CAREERS CAMPUS RECRUITER
✨Dive into the Talent Acquisition Community
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✨Show Off Your Expertise at Recruitment Events
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✨Leverage Your University Connections
If you’re a recent grad or still connected to your university, tap into their career services. Many universities have exclusive job boards and connections with companies eager to hire fresh talent in recruitment roles. Plus, you never know who might be able to put in a good word for you at places like OakNorth Bank plc!
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We think you need these skills to ace GLOBAL EARLY CAREERS CAMPUS RECRUITER
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Passion for Talent Acquisition:In your cover letter, let your passion for recruiting shine through! Talk about what drew you to talent acquisition. Share experiences where you helped others find their dream jobs or any times you've been involved in hiring processes – it’ll show us at OakNorth Bank plc that you're genuinely invested in the field.
Highlight Relevant Skills and Certifications:Make sure your CV includes any relevant skills or certifications related to recruiting. Mentioning your knowledge of applicant tracking systems, personality assessments, or even any HR-related qualifications can set you apart. This way, we can see straight away that you're not just any candidate but one with the necessary tools for talent acquisition.
Tailor Your CV for the Job:When applying for GLOBAL EARLY CAREERS CAMPUS RECRUITER at OakNorth Bank plc, tailor your CV to reflect the job description. Highlight previous experiences in recruitment, candidate sourcing, or employee engagement that align with what we’re after. Personalisation shows we’re not just another checkbox on your job applications!
Bring Your Unique Perspective:In your cover letter, don't hesitate to share your unique perspective on what makes a good recruiter. Whether it's building strong candidate relationships or your approach to diversity in hiring, your insights can resonate well with our team. We love a fresh take, so let it shine!
How to prepare for a job interview at OakNorth Bank plc
✨Know Your Sourcing Strategies
In the talent acquisition world, it’s all about knowing the best sourcing strategies. Be prepared to discuss specific techniques you’ve used to find and attract top talent, whether that’s through social media, networking events, or innovative outreach methods. Bring examples that showcase your capability!
✨Value of Employer Branding
Employer branding is a huge part of recruitment, so be ready to chat about how you’ve contributed to building an attractive company image. Think about how you’d pitch OakNorth Bank plc to potential candidates and maintain a consistent brand image across platforms.
✨Demonstrate Your Interviewing Skills
Since this is a full-time gig, hiring managers will want to see your interviewing prowess. Prepare for mock interview scenarios where you might need to assess candidates' cultural fit and skill set. Practise asking competency-based questions to demonstrate your systematic approach.
✨Engage with Data and Metrics
Being data-driven is key in talent acquisition! Expect to discuss how you’ve used recruiting metrics to refine your strategies. Familiarise yourself with common KPIs, like time-to-fill and candidate satisfaction scores, and be ready to back up your insights with data!
