Strategic Recruitment Lead – Education & Talent Growth in Manchester

We currently have an exciting opportunity for a Recruitment Lead to join our central team at Prospere Learning Trust. This is a Grade 8, permanent post working 35 hours per week, all year round, with a full‑time salary of £41,771.

Main purpose of the job

The HR team is responsible for providing strategic and operational support to the Trust through engagement with senior leaders, managing relationships with unions and providing a high‑quality HR service to all stakeholders.

The Recruitment Lead will:

• Ensure that the Trust’s recruitment strategy remains relevant, up to date and continues to meet operational needs, is consistent with Trust policies, legislation, safer recruitment and good practice requirements.
• Promote innovation in all areas of recruitment, including an enhanced use of data to support evidence‑based decision making across the Trust.
• Lead, develop and support HR administration and communication colleagues to ensure the team provides exceptional service to recruiting managers and candidates, develops and delivers effective campaigns to attract candidates to the Trust and supports positive employee engagement, building trusted relationships with key stakeholders throughout the organisation.

We’re looking for:

• A candidate with a relevant HR or business qualification, ideally accredited in job evaluation, and substantial experience in managing recruitment and selection processes and advising on HR policy in relation to recruitment.
• The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of relevant policies, procedures, employment law, and best practice within the school sector, including teachers’ and support staff terms and conditions.
• Skilled in using recruitment and HR systems to produce accurate reports that support evidence‑based decision making and continuous improvement planning.
• Ability to assess implications and articulate risk, applying a pragmatic and commercially sound approach to resolving both operational and strategic issues.
• The successful candidate will understand the importance of candidate experience in promoting the employer brand and will have experience of using media, communications and social media platforms to attract and engage candidates.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential, with the ability to engage effectively with all sectors of the school community and external stakeholders.

Benefits we offer

• Generous holiday allowance – Enjoy up to 26 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays. Increasing to 31 days after five years of local government service. Additional leave can be purchased up to two weeks during the annual leave purchase period.
• A buzzing pension – Enrolled in the UK’s largest local government pension scheme, with plenty of options to top up your benefits, including life cover of three times your salary as a lump sum.
• Enhanced parental and carers leave – Take advantage of enhanced family leave options, designed to provide ample time to bond with your newborn or support your family during critical life events.
• Brilliant perks – Access a range of discounts, from saving on the weekly shop to holidays and days out with MCR+, plus discounts on phone contracts, cycle‑to‑work scheme, free flu jabs and eye tests, and more.
• Learn and grow – Dedicated to nurturing talent and providing learning opportunities from workshops and training sessions to apprenticeships and qualifications. All this begins with a comprehensive onboarding process.
• A Good Employment Charter member – Committed to offering secure, flexible work and embedding fairness into everything we do. Pay is reviewed annually, three trade unions are recognized, and we continuously offer the best possible health and wellbeing support throughout all stages of your working life.
• Up to 3 days volunteering leave – Give back with three days pro‑rate of paid volunteering leave, in addition to existing benefits.

We are fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, younger learners and vulnerable adults. The above post will be subject to enhanced DBS checks, satisfactory references and will be exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The post also requires proof of right to work in the UK in accordance with the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 and other pre‑employment checks where applicable. We strive to create a fair and inclusive workplace that is as diverse as the communities we serve. We positively welcome applications from all candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.