Ref Number
C14-00242
Professional Expertise
HR and Wellbeing
Department
Human Resources Division (C14)
Location
London
Working Pattern
Full time
Salary
£68,284-£76,244
Contract Type
Permanent
Working Type
Hybrid
Available for Secondment
No
Closing Date
21-Jul-2026
University College London (UCL) is one of the world's leading universities, consistently ranked among the top institutions globally. With more than 50,000 students and 16,000 staff from over 150 countries, we are a diverse, ambitious and values-driven organisation committed to delivering world-class education, research and innovation. Our recruitment function plays a critical role in attracting the talented people who enable UCL to achieve its strategic ambitions. We are transforming recruitment from a traditional transactional service into a proactive, data-informed talent acquisition function that delivers outstanding outcomes for hiring managers, candidates and the institution. The central recruitment team overseas the recuritment of over 7,000 resources annually across contingent labour and employee roles. Our VP Office recruitment team forms part of the recuritment team and is repsonsible for delivering 1,000 professional services hires annually. As UCL continues to evolve and simplify services, we are focused on ensuring our recruitment service delivers excellence, efficiency and demonstrable value.
We are looking for an experienced Recruitment Manager to lead our Professional Services recruitment team and drive the next phase of our service transformation. This is a leadership role with accountability for the operational performance, productivity and capability of the recruitment team. You will lead a team of recruiters delivering high-volume recruitment activity across a diverse portfolio of functions, ensuring the service meets agreed KPIs, service standards and organisational priorities. Success in this role will be measured not only by recruitment delivery, but by your ability to improve team performance, develop recruiter capability, enhance stakeholder experience and drive operational improvements through data, insight and effective leadership. You will create a culture of accountability and continuous improvement, ensuring recruiters are equipped to proactively source talent, manage stakeholder relationships effectively and deliver excellent hiring outcomes. Working closely with senior leaders across UCL, you will use recruitment insight and market intelligence to influence hiring approaches, support workforce planning and ensure recruitment activity delivers value for money and organisational impact. This is an exciting opportunity for a recruitment leader who enjoys building high-performing teams, improving operational performance and leading through change.
Please note: this role has significant responsibility for team leadership, performance management, capability development and operational delivery. Applicants should be able to demonstrate previous experience of leading and improving recruitment team performance - not be a stand alone recruiter.
You will be an experienced recruitment leader with a strong track record of managing high-volume recruitment operations and delivering measurable improvements in team performance and service delivery. You will have substantial experience of leading, coaching and developing recruitment professionals, creating high-performance cultures and managing performance effectively. You will be comfortable holding people accountable, supporting performance and supporting individuals to develop their skills and capability. You will bring strong recruitment market knowledge and a good understanding of sourcing strategies, routes to market and talent attraction methodologies. You will use data and insight confidently to identify opportunities, solve problems and drive continuous improvement. We are particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:
Experience leading and improving performance in recruitment teams in a complex environment.
A track record of improving productivity, capability and operational performance. Strong analytical skills and the ability to use data to inform decision making.
Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
Experience driving service improvement and implementing operational change.
Strong commercial awareness and a focus on value for money.
Resilience, credibility and the ability to lead through complexity and ambiguity.
Most importantly, you will be a leader who enjoys developing people, improving services and delivering results through others.
- 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.
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.
Applicants should also familiarise themselves with UCL’s policies on: Prevention of Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy and Personal Relationships Policy
