Recruitment Lead - Programmes in Southampton

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We are using and creating technology to transform operations at sea to enable people and the planet to thrive.

We are open-minded and fearless in our approach to innovation and don't believe in boundaries. We challenge everything and have massive ambitions to drag aging industries into the tech era.

We take safety, equality and education very seriously, and our responsibilities don't stop at our front door. Our business is built on the belief that there's definitely a more environmentally responsible way to operate at sea.

We employ people who share our core values. We expect our people to be courageous, trustworthy, and conscientious, driven by a desire to do the right thing. We strive for excellence, work collaboratively, and are genuinely excited by our work.

We offer opportunities for our people to develop beyond their role and span a multitude of disciplines. These are open to all, regardless of background and experience level. Working with us means being part of a team that is harnessing technology and creativity to disrupt a traditional industry.

We are not your average workplace.

Ocean Infinity is seeking a Recruitment Lead – Programmes for a 12 month fixed term contract that will be responsible for delivering large-scale, complex hiring programmes aligned to global defence and security requirements.

Operating within a fast-paced environment, the role owns end-to-end recruitment delivery, ensuring workforce mobilisation is achieved in line with programme milestones, demand profiles and operational constraints.

Working as a key delivery partner to the HR Lead and Programme Leadership, the role ensures that recruitment pipelines, sourcing strategies and hiring execution are aligned to workforce plans, enabling timely deployment of skilled, security-compliant personnel.

The role requires experience operating in defence or security-cleared environments, including managing recruitment challenges such as talent scarcity, clearance timelines and regulatory constraints.

What you will do:

Recruitment delivery and execution

• Deliver recruitment against programme workforce plans, aligned to ramp profile and role priorities.
• Own end-to-end hiring delivery across multiple technical, operational and support disciplines.
• Ensure recruitment activity is aligned to mobilisation milestones and timelines.

Pipeline and sourcing strategy

• Develop and manage candidate pipelines to meet forecast demand at scale.
• Execute multi-channel sourcing strategies, including direct hiring, agency and contractor models.
• Build and maintain pipelines for security-cleared and specialist roles, anticipating future demand.

Risk management and delivery assurance

• Identify and mitigate recruitment risks, including:
  • Talent shortages
  • Offer declines
  • Security clearance delays
• Escalate risks impacting programme delivery in a timely manner.
• Continuously adjust recruitment approach to maintain alignment with programme demand.

Onboarding and mobilisation support

• Coordinate transition from offer to onboarding, ensuring alignment with:
  • Security clearance
  • IT access
  • Facilities readiness
• Support delivery of Day 1 workforce readiness in collaboration with HR and programme teams.

Stakeholder coordination

• Work closely with HR Lead, Programme Leadership and hiring managers to prioritise roles and manage delivery.
• Coordinate internal recruitment teams and external partners to operate at required scale and pace.
• Act as a central point of coordination for recruitment activity across the programme.

Who you are:

• Proven experience delivering high-volume, programme-aligned recruitment in complex environments, ideally within within defence, government or security-cleared environments.
• Strong capability in building and managing candidate pipelines across multiple disciplines.
• Experience executing sourcing strategies across direct hiring, agencies and contractor channels.
• Ability to manage recruitment performance, tracking delivery against targets and timelines.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to operate in fast-paced, delivery-focused environments.
• Highly organised and data-driven, with strong reporting and planning capability.

Contract Duration: 12 months - Fixed term contract

Salary for this position: Up to £65,000 per annum

Salary: The salary varies for this position as we are recruiting in multiple regional locations and job grades. The salary process is based on skills, abilities, and experience required.

What you can expect:

At Ocean Infinity, we believe in creating equal opportunities for all, celebrating each and everyone’s differences. We are driven by transforming the industry, through our technology, thoughts, behaviours and actions. Being inclusive and respectful to all is fundamental to who we are. It is the right thing to do and enables innovation and creativity to thrive.

There is more work to be done, and we know that we aren’t perfect, but our commitment to these values is unwavering. They are central to our mission and the impact we have on the industry, meaning, we cannot live without them.