Job summary
We're looking for an experienced and dynamic Recruitment Manager (Band 8a) to join South East Coast Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) for a 7-month maternity cover. This is a vital leadership role, responsible for delivering a high-quality, efficient, and responsive recruitment and onboarding service across the Trust. Working from our headquarters in Crawley, you'll lead a committed team supporting recruitment for a diverse range of roles, including urgent care services, specialist, corporate, and senior leadership hiring. This is an exciting opportunity to shape recruitment strategy, build strong stakeholder partnerships, and drive service improvements within a fast-paced, high-volume healthcare environment.
Main duties of the job
As Recruitment Manager, you'll oversee the operational management of the Recruitment Team, providing expert advice on recruitment practices and employment legislation. You'll lead the delivery of hiring targets, ensuring compliance with NHS standards and legal frameworks, and act as the Trust's subject matter expert in recruitment and selection. The role requires driving improvements in recruitment systems, managing budgets, and supporting international and senior-level hiring. You'll also deliver recruitment training and coaching for hiring managers and lead on initiatives to reduce agency reliance and support workforce sustainability.
About us
- Option to join NHS pension scheme
- A minimum 27 days' holiday each year, increasing after 5 years' service.
- Personal and professional development and training opportunities.
- Salary Sacrifice schemes for cars or push bikes.
- Access to occupational health and counselling services.
- Award winning wellbeing hub
- Back up buddy App
- Access to NHS discounts, offering NHS employees a range of money-saving deals.
Other than in exceptional circumstances, the starting salary for staff new to the NHS will be the bottom point of the band to which they have been appointed.
Job description
Job responsibilities
In this leadership role, you will:
-
Manage Recruitment Team Leaders and the wider recruitment service.
-
Provide expert advice on policy, legislation, and best practice in recruitment.
-
Ensure compliance with NHS Employment Standards and Right to Work requirements.
-
Lead high-volume, specialist, and executive recruitment campaigns.
-
Oversee delivery of workforce numbers in line with operational and strategic plans.
-
Maintain and develop the Trusts recruitment systems (TRAC).
-
Coach and support hiring managers, embedding inclusive, effective recruitment practices.
-
Build influential relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
-
Manage recruitment budgets and contribute to cost improvement initiatives.
-
Support international recruitment programmes and act as UKVI Level 1 user.
-
Champion equality, diversity, and inclusion in all recruitment activity.
Job description
Job responsibilities
In this leadership role, you will:
-
Manage Recruitment Team Leaders and the wider recruitment service.
-
Provide expert advice on policy, legislation, and best practice in recruitment.
-
Ensure compliance with NHS Employment Standards and Right to Work requirements.
-
Lead high-volume, specialist, and executive recruitment campaigns.
-
Oversee delivery of workforce numbers in line with operational and strategic plans.
-
Maintain and develop the Trusts recruitment systems (TRAC).
-
Coach and support hiring managers, embedding inclusive, effective recruitment practices.
-
Build influential relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
-
Manage recruitment budgets and contribute to cost improvement initiatives.
-
Support international recruitment programmes and act as UKVI Level 1 user.
-
Champion equality, diversity, and inclusion in all recruitment activity.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Recognised higher level qualification / masters (e.g. MBA, MA) / post graduate qualification in a relevant area or masters level equivalent experience.
Desirable
- Willingness to undertake further training as required to carry out the role and to support continued professional development within field
Knowledge
Essential
- Significant experience of the recruitment sector with previous experience of working at management level. Knowledge of a comprehensive range of Human Resource and recruitment processes essential for staff management and service development.
- Evidence of an in-depth knowledge of NHS priorities, processes, and operational issues
- Knowledge of recruitment legislation and employment law, managing risks
- Knowledge of full end to end recruitment process, including statutory and legal requirements.
- Knowledge of NHS Employment checking standards
Experience
Essential
- Proven experience of managing both large operational recruitment teams as well as Candidate Attraction teams within a high-volume and specialist resourcing, recruitment market ideally within healthcare.
- Interview and assessor trained and significant assessment experience ideally within an NHS environment.
- Experience in a high volume and customer facing environment
- Able to work autonomously, interpreting employment legislation and providing authoritative advice on resourcing issues
Skills
Essential
- Exceptional verbal and written communication; able to communicate clearly and effectively on a range of highly complex resourcing and employment issues.
- Exceptional analytical skills; able to assess and understand high complex management, data and service issues.
- Outstanding interpersonal skills, ability to build relations and influence at all levels with internal and external clients.
- Strong leadership qualities, ability to motivate and effectively delegate to develop teams and individuals.
Desirable
- Fully competent in the use of TRAC and or equivalent electronic job sites/ ATS and human resources management systems.
- Knowledge of TRAC/ESR NHS systems
- Presentation skills and report writing
- Power BI knowledge
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Recognised higher level qualification / masters (e.g. MBA, MA) / post graduate qualification in a relevant area or masters level equivalent experience.
Desirable
- Willingness to undertake further training as required to carry out the role and to support continued professional development within field
Knowledge
Essential
- Significant experience of the recruitment sector with previous experience of working at management level. Knowledge of a comprehensive range of Human Resource and recruitment processes essential for staff management and service development.
- Evidence of an in-depth knowledge of NHS priorities, processes, and operational issues
- Knowledge of recruitment legislation and employment law, managing risks
- Knowledge of full end to end recruitment process, including statutory and legal requirements.
- Knowledge of NHS Employment checking standards
Experience
Essential
- Proven experience of managing both large operational recruitment teams as well as Candidate Attraction teams within a high-volume and specialist resourcing, recruitment market ideally within healthcare.
- Interview and assessor trained and significant assessment experience ideally within an NHS environment.
- Experience in a high volume and customer facing environment
- Able to work autonomously, interpreting employment legislation and providing authoritative advice on resourcing issues
Skills
Essential
- Exceptional verbal and written communication; able to communicate clearly and effectively on a range of highly complex resourcing and employment issues.
- Exceptional analytical skills; able to assess and understand high complex management, data and service issues.
- Outstanding interpersonal skills, ability to build relations and influence at all levels with internal and external clients.
- Strong leadership qualities, ability to motivate and effectively delegate to develop teams and individuals.
Desirable
- Fully competent in the use of TRAC and or equivalent electronic job sites/ ATS and human resources management systems.
- Knowledge of TRAC/ESR NHS systems
- Presentation skills and report writing
- Power BI knowledge
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
