Talent Acquisition Project Manager

Are you an experienced leader in recruitment and onboarding who thrives on shaping services for the future? Join the University of Oxford as the Talent Acquisition Project Manager, and take a pivotal role in transforming how we attract and onboard talent across one of the world’s leading universities. This is your opportunity to influence and design a user-centred, technology-enabled recruitment experience that will have a lasting impact across our global institution.

About Us

Spanning the historic streets of the “city of dreaming spires”, the University of Oxford has been ranked the world’s leading university for nine consecutive years. A place where centuries of tradition meet world-changing innovation, we offer you the chance to shape the future while working in an inspiring environment that promotes excellence. Here, you’ll contribute to ground-breaking research that tackles global challenges – from advancing sustainability to pioneering healthcare solutions – and join a diverse, inclusive community that champions your wellbeing, development, and aspirations.

The People Department plays a critical role in enabling the University to deliver its mission by attracting, developing and supporting our diverse community of academics, researchers and professional services staff. Within this, the People and Finance Service Transformation (PFST) Programme is driving significant change, and talent acquisition is at the heart of that transformation.

About the Role

As the Talent Acquisition Project Manager, you will be at the forefront of designing and delivering the University’s future recruitment and onboarding service for all our professional services, academic and research positions. This is a high-profile role where you will:

• Lead a comprehensive review and redesign of talent acquisition processes, ensuring they are streamlined, inclusive and aligned with our future People Service Model.
• Act as product owner, shaping a recruitment service that is enabled by digital solutions, including AI and automation, to deliver a seamless experience for candidates and hiring managers.
• Engage widely with stakeholders across the University to understand challenges, build trust, and co-create a service that reflects our world-class ambition.
• Define and embed clear measures of success, ensuring the new service delivers efficiency, effectiveness and excellent user experiences.

This is an exciting opportunity to influence large-scale change at one of the world’s most respected institutions, leaving a legacy of modern, user-centred talent acquisition that underpins our academic and professional excellence.

About You

We are looking for an experienced professional with the following skills and expertise:

• Strong understanding of contemporary recruitment and onboarding processes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead service reviews and redesign activities with multiple stakeholder groups.
• Strong planning, facilitation and problem-solving skills with the ability to adapt to ambiguity and evolving priorities.
• Familiarity with Talent Acquisition good practice and common metrics (e.g. cost-per-hire, time-to-hire) and approaches to service measurement.
• Understanding of AI or automation opportunities in recruitment, such as CV screening tools, chatbots or workflow automation, along with knowledge/experience of industry standard HR technologies.
• Experience supporting high quality change programmes with a focus on user-centred solutions.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills, along with a collaborative mindset and a willingness to listen/engage widely across diverse teams.
• Resilient, adaptable, and capable of working under pressure in a dynamic programme environment.
• Educated to degree or equivalent relevant experience.

Application Process

To apply, please upload:

• A covering letter/supporting statement
• Your CV
• The details of two referees

Interviews will take place week commencing 27 October and will be face-to-face.

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