Early Careers Business Partner Manager
Location: Leiston, Suffolk or Orwell Logistics Park, Ipswich, with regular travel to London
Salary: £65,000 - £70,000 depending on experience, plus 5% bonus
Benefits: 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, pension contributions up to 15% employer contribution, and the opportunity to help shape one of the UK's most significant infrastructure projects.
Help build the workforce that will deliver Britain's clean energy future
Sizewell C is one of the largest and most ambitious infrastructure projects in Europe. Over the coming years, we will create thousands of jobs, apprenticeships and career opportunities, helping to deliver secure, low-carbon energy for generations to come.
We're looking for an experienced and passionate Early Careers Manager to lead our emerging talent strategy and create life-changing opportunities for the next generation.
This is more than a recruitment role. It's an opportunity to influence careers, strengthen communities, support social mobility and help develop the future workforce that will build, operate and maintain a nationally significant project.
You'll lead the design and delivery of our early careers programmes, working with colleagues across Sizewell C and our extensive supply chain to create meaningful pathways into employment for apprentices, graduates, students, career starters and future talent.
What you'll be doing
As Early Careers Manager, you'll take ownership of our early careers strategy, ensuring we attract, develop and retain exceptional emerging talent across the organisation.
You'll:
- Lead and inspire the Early Careers team, creating a high-performing and inclusive environment
- Develop and deliver a long-term Early Careers and Emerging Talent Strategy aligned to business workforce plans
- Create and oversee apprenticeship, graduate, placement, work experience and other talent pipeline programmes
- Build strong partnerships with schools, colleges, universities, training providers and community organisations
- Champion social mobility, diversity and inclusion, ensuring opportunities are accessible to all
- Develop innovative attraction campaigns and outreach initiatives that raise awareness of careers at Sizewell C
- Ensure candidates experience a supportive, engaging and memorable recruitment journey
- Work closely with operational leaders, hiring managers and mentors to maximise development and retention
- Use data, insight and market intelligence to continuously improve programme performance and outcomes
- Partner with our supply chain to maximise opportunities and create lasting skills legacies across the region
Why this role matters
The people we attract today will become the engineers, project managers, technicians, commercial specialists and leaders of tomorrow.
You'll play a key role in:
- Building sustainable talent pipelines for a major national infrastructure programme
- Supporting local communities and creating long-term economic opportunities
- Increasing diversity across our future workforce
- Delivering meaningful social value commitments
- Creating pathways into careers that change lives
What we're looking for
We're seeking someone who combines strategic thinking with a genuine passion for developing people.
Essential experience
- Experience leading or managing early careers, talent acquisition, employability, recruitment or workforce development programmes
- Proven ability to build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners
- Knowledge of inclusive recruitment practices and talent pipeline development
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to turn data and insight into action
- Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills
- Experience managing multiple priorities and delivering successful outcomes in a complex environment
Desirable experience
- Apprenticeship, graduate or work experience programme management
- Experience working with schools, colleges, universities or employability organisations
- Knowledge of social mobility, education or community engagement initiatives
- Experience within a large-scale, regulated or project-based environment
- Relevant professional qualifications or evidence of continued professional development
About you
You'll be:
- Passionate about creating opportunities and developing future talent
- A natural relationship builder who can engage confidently with stakeholders at all levels
- Inclusive, approachable and committed to widening access to opportunity
- Organised, resilient and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment
- Commercially aware and focused on delivering measurable outcomes
- Motivated by making a lasting impact on individuals, communities and the future workforce
About Sizewell C
Sizewell C’s business is to design, finance, construct, commission, operate, maintain, and eventually decommission the nuclear power plant and related infrastructure at Sizewell C in Suffolk. Overall, whilst the Company is in the construction phase, the Boards’ principal focus is on the development and construction of Sizewell C on time, on budget and to the highest quality and safety standards. The Company is maturing to meet all these requirements.
Sizewell C is economically regulated by OFGEM under the RAB model similar to other UK electricity distribution networks and Thames Tideway.
Sizewell C construction strategy is to replicate the design of Hinkley Point C, using the majority of the same supply chain, but innovating in the way it is delivered to achieve savings in time and cost of around 20%. The CCO will need to be guided by and incorporate lessons learned from the Hinkley Point C commercial delivery to achieve Sizewell C’s ambition.
Following Financial Completion and Revenue Commencement, Sizewell C is fully funded and is owned by; The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero representing HM Government, La Caisse, Centrica, EDF and Amber Infrastructure.
If you're passionate about developing talent, creating opportunity and making a genuine difference, we'd love to hear from you.
When joining Sizewell C, you may wonder why you are contacted by colleagues with an EDF email or see the EDF logo on portals that you access and/or documentation you receive; this is because we have partnered with EDF for the provision of a number of support services whilst we complete a successful transition out of the EDF group.
At Sizewell C we encourage and embrace diversity and how it can improve our experience and performance at work. It is a requirement that those who join us have the right to work in the UK. Whilst sponsorship may be a possibility that we can explore, we are fully committed to local recruitment where possible, and those already holding the right to work in the UK.
To be appointed to this role, you will need to meet the criteria for Security Vetting, which will, ordinarily, require you to have been a resident of the UK for at least three of the past five years
