Ref Number
C14-00246
Professional Expertise
HR and Wellbeing
Department
Human Resources Division (C14)
Location
London
Working Pattern
Full time
Salary
£43,981-£52,586
Contract Type
Permanent
Working Type
Hybrid
Available for Secondment
No
Closing Date
05-Aug-2026
Help shape the future leadership of one of the world’s leading universities
University College London (UCL) is transforming the way we identify, attract, and appoint exceptional leaders and specialists. As we continue to grow our Executive Search capability, we are looking for an outstanding Executive Search Recruiter to join our team and play a key role in delivering high-profile appointments that will shape the future of the University.
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced recruiter or talent acquisition professional who thrives in a complex, fast-paced environment and wants to work on some of the most strategically important appointments at UCL.
You will join a small, expert Executive Search team responsible for attracting senior academic, professional services, and executive talent where competition is high and exceptional candidates are often internationally sought after.
Working closely with senior stakeholders across Faculties, Professional Services, and University leadership, you will support the delivery of high-quality executive recruitment campaigns, combining market insight, talent intelligence, candidate engagement, and outstanding recruitment operations.
As Executive Search Recruiter, you will play a central role in ensuring UCL’s executive recruitment activity is delivered efficiently, professionally, and strategically.
You will support the full lifecycle of executive search assignments, from developing talent maps and researching markets, through to candidate engagement, recruitment coordination, governance and reporting.
You will be responsible for providing the operational excellence that enables the Executive Search team to identify and secure exceptional talent. This includes managing recruitment processes, supporting relationships with executive search partners, maintaining accurate recruitment data, and providing insight that helps shape attraction strategies.
This role offers excellent exposure to senior leaders across UCL and the opportunity to develop expertise in executive search within one of the world’s leading universities.
Key responsibilities
You will:
- Coordinate executive and senior recruitment campaigns, ensuring appointments progress smoothly and effectively.
- Conduct market mapping and talent research to identify potential candidate pools, competitor organisations, and emerging talent trends.
- Build and maintain talent pipelines to support both current and future leadership requirements.
- Support candidate sourcing and engagement activity using a range of recruitment tools and channels.
- Manage recruitment administration, ensuring an excellent experience for candidates, stakeholders, and panel members.
- Support relationships with executive search firms and recruitment partners, monitoring performance and ensuring value for money.
- Maintain accurate records within UCL’s Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Talentlink, ensuring compliance and high-quality reporting.
- Produce recruitment reports, dashboards, and market intelligence to support decision-making.
- Coordinate interviews, assessments, and recruitment activity for senior appointments.
- Provide advice and guidance to hiring managers and stakeholders on recruitment processes and systems.
- Ensure all recruitment activity reflects UCL’s commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, and fair recruitment practices.
- Contribute to improving executive recruitment processes, systems, and ways of working.
We are looking for someone who is passionate about recruitment and understands how great talent transforms organisations.
You will bring experience of working in recruitment, resourcing, talent acquisition, or a related field, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and build strong relationships with stakeholders.
You will have experience of supporting end-to-end recruitment processes and be comfortable working with senior or specialist roles. You will enjoy researching talent markets, identifying potential candidates, and using insight to influence recruitment approaches.
You will be highly organised, detail-focused, and confident managing recruitment systems, data, reporting, and stakeholder communications.
Essential experience and skills
You will have:
- Experience in recruitment, resourcing, talent acquisition, or a related discipline (degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience).
- Experience supporting end-to-end recruitment campaigns, ideally within a complex organisation.
- Experience coordinating senior, specialist, or hard-to-fill appointments.
- Experience conducting candidate research, sourcing, or talent mapping using multiple channels.
- Knowledge of recruitment best practice, including equality, diversity and inclusion principles and data protection requirements.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office applications and systems Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) ideally (Talentlink).
- Experience producing recruitment reports, dashboards, or management information.
Desirable experience
It would be advantageous if you have:
- Experience working within higher education, research-intensive organisations, or the public sector.
- Experience supporting executive search assignments or senior leadership recruitment.
- Experience working with external recruitment partners or executive search firms.
- 41 days’ holiday (27 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays, 6 closure days)
- Option to purchase 5 additional days’ annual leave
- Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
- Cycle to work scheme, season ticket loan, and immigration loan
- Relocation support for eligible posts
- On-site nursery and gym
- Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption pay
- Staff Support Service (employee assistance programme)
- Discounted medical insurance
Full details: UCL Rewards and Benefits
For some roles UCL will consider hybrid working. This can be between 20-80% onsite working. Where this happens there is an expectation that individuals can be asked to work onsite as required up to 100% of a week.
UCL Terms and Conditions of Service:
- Research and Professional Services Staff
- Find out about the UCL Ways of Working: www.ucl.ac.uk/ways-of-working
Closing date: 30th July 2026 at 23:59 GMT (applications may close early if volumes are high, so early submission is recommended).
Interviews scheduled for: week commencing 10th August 2026
Job description and person specification available at the bottom of the advert.
Queries about the role: contact [email protected]
Queries about the process, accessibility, or reasonable adjustments: contact [email protected]
As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.
We particularly encourage applications from candidates underrepresented in UCL’s workforce, including those from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, disabled people, and – for Grade 9 and 10 roles – women.”
Read more: UCL Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
