Talent Acquisition Specialist in Croydon, Surrey

The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve. We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve. As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff. Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris.

At Harris Federation, we are proud of our 5,000-strong staff who collectively work to deliver high-quality education to children in London, Essex and the surrounding areas. Finding and securing great talent takes a creative mind, a personable approach and a keen eye for detail. We want to welcome an enthusiastic, organised and goal-driven people-person to our Talent Acquisition team as a Talent Acquisition Specialist. With opportunities for personal development, a local government pension scheme and a friendly, hybrid working environment, we offer the opportunity to join an established team in a rewarding and impactful role. This is an excellent opportunity to start your career in recruitment within a fast-paced and rewarding environment. Full training will be provided to help you succeed and progress within the team.

As a Talent Acquisition Specialist, you will have an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our academies by attracting and recruiting exceptional teachers and senior leaders. You will be developing talent pipelines, candidate pools and helping to nurture talent from entry level to senior leadership.

• Strategic Recruitment and Talent Network: Build and maintain talent pools of skilled educators and non-teaching staff, while nurturing talent pipelines to support future roles. Conduct market mapping and benchmarking research to identify competitors and passive talent. Participate in professional networking events and university careers fairs. Conduct screening calls and evaluate candidate suitability of prospective candidates, introducing them to career opportunities with Harris Federation and the wider benefits available.
• Recruitment and Selection: Support the talent team in working with academies to identify recruitment needs and develop effective recruitment plans. Identify candidates against open positions within the Federation as well as planning for future talent needs. Source and screen candidates using innovative methods, including social media, LinkedIn Recruiter and other online platforms.

We are looking for an individual who is highly motivated to want to build exceptional teams and places of work, and has an eye for finding and securing the very best people for our academies. We are looking for:

• A driven and ambitious individual with a passion for people
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• The ability to think creatively and outside the box
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment
• A proactive and resilient approach to challenges
• A desire to learn and constantly review what best practice looks like

If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, or if you have any questions, please contact us via email to arrange a conversation. Before applying please ensure you download the job pack from our careers website, this will help with completing your application. Please note that we only accept applications submitted online before the closing date. When applying, you will have the option to import your CV or use a LinkedIn profile which will auto populate the online application. A reminder to check your junk mail for our email communications and add us to your safe senders list to ensure all future email communication is received.

Our vision, from the start, has been to provide the structure and services needed for our schools to amount to more than the sum of their parts, and to free-up our teachers and leaders to focus on one thing and one thing only: the outstanding education of all their pupils. Our young people and communities are at the heart of everything we do. Our core mission has always been to close the educational gap between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. Our ambition is one where every child in London, no matter their background, has equal access to high quality education, giving them the same opportunities and potential to succeed. We know there are many challenges facing our young people and the communities we serve, and that's why we need determined people like you to help us tackle those inequalities. Whilst each of our academies has their own unique cultures and values; as a whole Federation, we have four core values which are central to successfully achieving our vision: Excellence, Collaboration, Support, and Innovation. We are proud of our values because they guide us in how we work allowing us to achieve the best possible outcomes for our young people, communities, and colleagues.

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed. The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.

The successful individual will have the opportunity to shape the future of education by securing the best talent for our academies, work in a highly supportive and collaborative environment, be creative and work in a team where ideas are valued and put into practice, and engage with a large network of educators and senior leaders. You will also have access to a variety of benefits, support programmes and initiatives including:

• Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression
• Pension scheme (Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution
• 26 days' annual leave (inclusive of our Christmas Eve closure day) plus bank holidays, rising to 27 days after 2 years' service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts
• Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare
• Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice
• Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme
• Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts
• 20% off at Tapi Carpets, exclusive to Harris employees
• Interest-free ICT and season ticket loans
• For most non-teaching staff based at our Head Office in East Croydon, we also offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with two days from home and three days on site.