Job Description
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London | Up to £70,000 + Travel Allowance | Full time 5 days a week in office
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*Please note you will have to have sector experience within construction, engineering, rail, utilities, M&E; contracting, civil engineering or a closely related environment to apply for this role*
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An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced
Talent Acquisition Manager
to join a rapidly growing, ambitious organisation operating across the UK and Europe.
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This is not a traditional TA role. You will be joining at a pivotal point in the organisation's growth, with the opportunity to
build a Talent Acquisition function from the ground up
, introduce structure and consistency, and fundamentally improve how the business attracts, selects and retains its people.
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The organisation has grown significantly and continues to expand, with further major projects and workforce requirements ahead. Recruitment has historically been heavily agency-led and reactive, creating an opportunity for someone to take ownership, establish best practice and build a much more effective direct hiring model.
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If you're someone who looks at a blank canvas and thinks
"I can fix this"
, this could be an excellent opportunity
The Opportunity n
Reporting initially into the Finance Director, and ultimately into a newly appointed Head of HR, you will take ownership of the organisation's end-to-end recruitment activity across the UK.
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The role combines
hands-on recruitment with process improvement and TA transformation
. You'll be expected to roll up your sleeves and recruit while simultaneously building the infrastructure, processes, talent pipelines and hiring capability needed to support future growth.
Build the Talent Acquisition Function n
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Develop and implement a comprehensive recruitment strategy aligned to business growth and workforce requirements.
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Build the recruitment function and processes from the ground up.
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Establish consistent hiring processes, approval routes and selection criteria across the business.
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Develop proactive talent pipelines for critical and hard-to-fill positions.
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Introduce structured interview guides, scoring matrices and consistent assessment processes.
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Establish and develop a strong internal hiring manager community.




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Own the
end-to-end recruitment lifecycle
, from job definition and sourcing through to selection, offer and onboarding.
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Significantly increase direct recruitment through networks, LinkedIn, employee referrals and proactive talent mapping.
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Build a strong personal network of candidates across relevant industry sectors.
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Develop talent pools for recurring and specialist requirements.
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Manage and optimise relationships with recruitment agencies through the existing PSL, ensuring value and appropriate use of external suppliers.
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Reduce cost-per-hire and overall agency expenditure through a stronger direct sourcing model.
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Ensure candidates have the appropriate qualifications, certifications and compliance requirements for their roles.
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Introduce greater rigour around candidate assessment and due diligence.
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Partner with hiring managers to improve interviewing and decision-making.
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Use recruitment data to understand the causes of unsuccessful hires and improve quality of hire.
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Help reduce early-stage attrition and failed probation rates by focusing on long-term cultural and role fit.
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Review, implement and optimise the organisation's Applicant Tracking System.
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Improve the use of recruitment technology and data across the hiring lifecycle.
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Establish meaningful recruitment reporting and dashboards.
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Track and report on key metrics including
time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, source of hire and quality of hire
.
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Provide recruitment insights and recommendations to senior leadership and the Board.
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Become a trusted recruitment partner to senior leaders and operational teams.
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Coach hiring managers on recruitment best practice, interviewing and candidate evaluation.
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Influence stakeholders to follow agreed recruitment processes.
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Confidently challenge ineffective hiring practices and bring structure to a fast-moving workplace.
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Advise senior stakeholders on market conditions, candidate availability and recruitment strategy.
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Adapt recruitment processes to local market and regulatory requirements.
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Oversee contractor and self-employed recruitment activity, including relevant
IR35
considerations.
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The Candidate n
We're looking for an experienced
in-house Talent Acquisition / Recruitment professional
who is comfortable operating in an environment where there is plenty to build and improve.
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This is particularly suited to someone who enjoys
creating rather than inheriting
. You'll need to be equally comfortable discussing TA strategy with senior stakeholders and getting involved in sourcing candidates yourself.
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Significant
in-house recruitment experience
– agency-only backgrounds will not be suitable.
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Strong recruitment experience within construction, engineering, rail, utilities, M&E; contracting, civil engineering or a closely related environment.
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Proven experience delivering
direct recruitment
and reducing reliance on recruitment agencies.
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Experience building or significantly improving recruitment processes.
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Strong understanding and practical experience of
ATS platforms and recruitment technology
.
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Experience recruiting across high-volume and specialist white-collar positions.
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Strong stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to influence senior leaders and challenging hiring managers.
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A well-established industry network and ability to proactively source candidates.
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Demonstrable experience improving
quality of hire and/or employee retention
.
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CIPD Level 5/7 or an equivalent HR/recruitment qualification would be advantageous
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5 days a week in office with 2 days a month working from home
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Please note:
The organisation is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position.
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If you're an experienced in-house recruiter from a construction, engineering, infrastructure or related environment and you're looking for an opportunity where you can
build, influence and make a measurable difference
, we'd be keen to hear from you.
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#J-*****-Ljbffr

📌 Talent Acquisition Manager (Victoria)
🏢 Practicus
📍 Victoria