Talent Acquisition Specialist

Reporting to the GSSC Talent Acquisition Lead, with an operational link to the UK&I Talent Acquisition team, the Talent Sourcing Partner will provide dedicated sourcing, headhunting, market mapping and candidate identification support across UK&I recruitment activity.

The role is designed to support all UK&I business lines, flexing across different markets depending on recruitment demand and business priority. This may include Transport, O&M, Water, Nuclear, Defence, Architecture, PMCM, Commercial, Engineering, Aviation, Buildings, Early Careers and Ireland. While the role is generalist in coverage, it may develop specialist knowledge in priority markets where demand, scarcity or growth requires deeper sourcing focus.

This role is part of the proposed UK&I hybrid Talent Acquisition operating model. The Talent Sourcing Partner will operate from GSSC India and support in-country Talent Acquisition Partners and Senior Talent Acquisition Partners by building candidate pipelines, identifying passive talent, creating market maps, maintaining talent communities and supporting hard-to-fill recruitment campaigns.

The Talent Sourcing Partner will help move UK&I Talent Acquisition away from reactive requisition-by-requisition recruitment towards proactive talent supply, supporting growth, future capability and delivery resilience.

Key Accountabilities

• Support sourcing activity across all UK&I business lines, flexing between markets based on recruitment demand and business priority
• Build specialist market knowledge in priority areas where required, such as Nuclear, Water, Transport, O&M, Architecture, PMCM, Ireland or Early Careers
• Partner with UK&I Talent Acquisition Partners and Senior Talent Acquisition Partners to understand role requirements, target skills, locations, salary ranges, competitor markets and sourcing priorities
• Build candidate longlists for live vacancies and future pipeline requirements across specialist, operational, technical, commercial and project-led roles • Conduct market mapping to identify target companies, competitor organisations, project teams, skill clusters and passive candidate pools
• Support direct sourcing and headhunting activity, including candidate identification, initial outreach, follow-up messaging and early engagement where agreed
• Search SmartRecruiters for previous applicants, silver medallists and candidates who may be suitable for future opportunities
• Produce structured sourcing summaries for TA Partners, including candidate availability, location, salary indicators, notice periods, key skills and suitability notes where available
• Rank candidates against agreed criteria and flag high-priority candidates to the relevant TA Partner
• Track candidate engagement, response rates, source effectiveness and market intelligence to support recruitment planning and reporting
• Support proactive pipeline building for future demand, bids, project mobilisation and recurring skill gaps
• Maintain talent communities for priority markets, including but not limited to Transport, O&M, Water, Nuclear, Defence, Architecture, PMCM, Commercial, Engineering Design, Digital / BIM, Aviation, Buildings, Early Careers and Ireland
• Provide market insight to UK&I TA Partners, including competitor hiring trends, candidate availability, location challenges and salary pressure where identified through sourcing activity Support sourcing activity across all UK&I business lines, flexing between markets based on recruitment demand and business priority
• Build specialist market knowledge in priority areas where required, such as Nuclear, Water, Transport, O&M, Architecture, PMCM, Ireland or Early Careers
• Partner with UK&I Talent Acquisition Partners and Senior Talent Acquisition Partners to understand role requirements, target skills, locations, salary ranges, competitor markets and sourcing priorities
• Build candidate longlists for live vacancies and future pipeline requirements across specialist, operational, technical, commercial and project-led roles
• Conduct market mapping to identify target companies, competitor organisations, project teams, skill clusters and passive candidate pools
• Support direct sourcing and headhunting activity, including candidate identification, initial outreach, follow-up messaging and early engagement where agreed
• Search SmartRecruiters for previous applicants, silver medallists and candidates who may be suitable for future opportunities
• Produce structured sourcing summaries for TA Partners, including candidate availability, location, salary indicators, notice periods, key skills and suitability notes where available
• Rank candidates against agreed criteria and flag high-priority candidates to the relevant TA Partner
• Track candidate engagement, response rates, source effectiveness and market intelligence to support recruitment planning and reporting
• Support proactive pipeline building for future demand, bids, project mobilisation and recurring skill gaps
• Maintain talent communities for priority markets, including but not limited to Transport, O&M, Water, Nuclear, Defence, Architecture, PMCM, Commercial, Engineering Design, Digital / BIM, Aviation, Buildings, Early Careers and Ireland
• Provide market insight to UK&I TA Partners, including competitor hiring trends, candidate availability, location challenges and salary pressure where identified through sourcing activity
• Support recruitment campaigns by building targeted talent pools and identifying relevant candidate communities ahead of live hiring demand
• Work closely with GSSC coordination and reporting colleagues to ensure smooth handoffs, accurate data and consistent candidate tracking
• Support inclusive sourcing practices by identifying diverse routes to market, broadening candidate pools and reducing over-reliance on the same sources
• Use AI-enabled tools, search techniques and sourcing technology responsibly to improve search quality, speed and candidate identification
• Maintain high standards of candidate confidentiality, data accuracy and professional conduct at all times

Skills & Expertise

• Strong talent sourcing, research, headhunting or recruitment experience, ideally gained within engineering, infrastructure, construction, consulting, operations, energy, utilities, architecture, project management or similar technical markets
• Ability to flex across different business lines and role types while developing deeper market expertise in priority skill areas
• Ability to understand technical role requirements and translate them into effective search strategies
• Experience building candidate longlists, market maps, talent pools and sourcing reports
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to create professional candidate outreach messages
• Good understanding of passive candidate engagement and early-stage candidate qualification
• Strong data discipline, with experience maintaining accurate candidate records and sourcing activity
• Ability to work with stakeholders across different countries, time zones and business areas
• Good understanding of candidate experience and the importance of timely, professional communication
• Comfortable using recruitment systems, spreadsheets, dashboards and sourcing tools
• Ability to manage multiple sourcing campaigns at the same time while maintaining quality and accuracy

Behavioural Competencies

• Curious and research-led, with a strong interest in understanding talent markets and candidate behaviour
• Proactive and persistent, able to identify candidates beyond active applicants
• Strong attention to detail, particularly when managing candidate information, search criteria and market data 
• Collaborative, working closely with UK&I TA Partners, Senior TA Partners, GSSC colleagues and wider HR teams
• Commercially aware, understanding that recruitment supports project delivery, mobilisation and business growth
• Candidate-focused, with a professional and respectful approach to outreach and engagement
• Organised and able to prioritise across multiple searches, deadlines and business areas
• Confident communicator, able to provide clear sourcing updates and market insight
• Adaptable and resilient, comfortable working in a fast-paced and changing environment
• Acts with discretion, confidentiality and professionalism at all times

Essential

• Proven experience in a Talent Sourcing Partner, Researcher, Recruiter, Recruitment Resourcer, Talent Acquisition Specialist or similar sourcing-focused role
• Experience using Boolean search techniques and building targeted candidate searches
• Experience creating candidate longlists, talent pools or market maps
• Strong written and verbal English communication skills
• Strong system discipline and attention to detail
• Ability to work in partnership with recruiters or Talent Acquisition Partners in another country or region
• Ability to support multiple business areas and adapt sourcing approach based on role type, market and priority

Desirable

• Experience sourcing for UK or Ireland markets
• Experience recruiting or sourcing in engineering, infrastructure, construction, transport, O&M, water, nuclear, defence, architecture, commercial or project management markets
• SmartRecruiters experience
• Experience using AI sourcing tools, candidate matching tools or recruitment automation
• Experience supporting talent communities or proactive pipeline building
• Experience producing sourcing insight, competitor maps or market intelligence reports

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

We are an Equal Opportunities employer and we strive to build a workforce that truly reflects the communities we represent. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and any other protected characteristic. If you decide to apply for an opportunity with us, your application will be assessed based purely on your experience, the essential and desirable criteria, and your suitability for the role. We value each and every one’s contribution as this builds our culture and means that if you work with us, you will be included, listened to, and respected.