Associate Recruitment Operations Manager (TOpS Project)

About the Team & Role

Pearson were awarded the TOpS contract in April 2024, with the first test cycle to be completed in the 2025/2026 window. The TOpS Associate Recruitment Operations Manager will be responsible for the overall management, development, and continuous improvement of processes related to the resourcing and recruitment of Associates for the TOpS project. This will also include supporting with all set-up deliverables required throughout the set-up of the TOpS project, meeting tight deadlines and ensuring that all criteria are met.

This is an onsite role in our Hellaby offices in South Yorkshire.

There will be a requirement through quiet periods to also support the Recruitment team across all subject areas across Pearson qualifications and for all temporary personnel in Hellaby, which will also incorporate the following accountabilities:

Key Accountabilities

• Lead the Recruitment team and strategies, directing workload and ensuring that overall team goals are being met.
• Ensure costs, timescales, and resources are managed effectively throughout the TOpS project.
• Effectively manage issues and risks by taking responsibility and appropriate action where these deviate from agreed tolerance, and put control measures in place to minimize risk to delivery.
• Provide project management expertise to support the successful implementation and delivery of the TOpS project.
• Play an active role in contributing to improvements of business activities in supporting the delivery of process innovations arising through corporate plans or regulatory changes.
• Drive culture and process change as needed to ensure sustainable improvements.
• Provide visibility of progress and detailed MI against key milestones, deliverables, documented SLAs, and KPIs.
• Work with internal stakeholders to prepare detailed schedules and ensure dependencies between functions are effectively planned and managed.
• Direct line management responsibility for Team Leaders across Recruitment and Relations & Development teams, including all aspects of performance management where required.
• Facilitate succession planning across both teams, coaching team members and actively supporting staff development where required.
• Work closely with key stakeholders to understand business needs for recruitment and to develop and implement a recruitment strategy for the team.
• Attract large volumes of suitably qualified candidates, building a pipeline of Associates to complete the TOpS project.
• Identify and meet retention targets and expectations.
• Oversee the management of a high volume processing operation.
• Protect the business from litigation by ensuring recruitment processes conform to all data protection and employment laws whilst meeting all deliverables provided by STA.

Key Challenges

• Ensure compliance with business calendars and relevant SLAs in all activities.
• Identify and implement enhancements to the Associate recruitment experience.
• Provide timely and accurate reporting on performance and financial metrics.
• Validate processes and systems, implementing corrective actions as needed.
• Execute operational tasks with a strategic focus on process improvement.
• Plan and adapt activities to respond effectively to changing circumstances.
• Manage complex conduct and performance issues with sensitivity.
• Prioritize workload to meet business needs under tight deadlines.
• Resolve operational problems efficiently, focusing on quality solutions.

About You

Competencies Required:

• Communicator and team builder with effective management skills.
• Influential at all levels with a focus on quality and attention to detail.
• Capable of delivering results under pressure.
• Knowledgeable about the educational landscape and relevant regulations.
• Skilled in analyzing complex information.
• Engages with and communicates organizational values.
• Diplomatic conflict management abilities.
• Innovative problem solver.
• Adaptable to changing environments and tasks.
• Flexible work hours required.

Education, Qualifications & Experience

• Degree, relevant vocational qualifications or extensive experience.
• Experience of delivering key operational activities in a highly pressurized environment.
• Experience managing a team or project and all aspects of performance management.
• Experience of taking a strategic view and implementing significant business improvement processes.
• Leading complex activities either as a manager or in cross-departmental teams.
• Experience related to the implementation of procedures and contingencies.
• Project management experience.

Technical Knowledge

• Awareness of Pearson's business and general education issues (Essential).
• IT Literacy (Essential).
• Intermediate MS Word and MS Excel (Essential).
• Use of databases (Essential).
• Familiarity with Google Documents (Desirable).

Your Rewards & Benefits

We know you'll do great work, so we give a lot back with some of the best benefits in the business. We know that one size doesn’t fit all, so our workplace programs meet the different needs of our diverse teams and their families too. There is a range of options; see some of them shared here:

• A competitive salary.
• 25 days annual leave, this increases by 1 day each year up to 30 days with the option to buy and sell up to 5 days per year on top of this.
• A fantastic pension plan, where Pearson doubles what you contribute.
• Pearson’s other benefits also include private dental care, private medical insurance, digital GP service, eye tests, cycle to work scheme, volunteering days, and much more.