Role: Talent Acquisition Manager - 12-month contract

Reporting to: Head of People

Department: People

About the team

The people team is a team of six. We pride ourselves on: building strong working relationships, both within the people team and with our stakeholders; delivering a first-class service; and working collaboratively.

We operate across the full employee lifecycle including attraction, recruitment, retention, payroll and reward, talent development and offboarding.

We provide a supportive and efficient service to all Downing employees, whilst working in partnership with ExCo, Partners and Heads of Department to provide effective and commercial support and advice.

Role and responsibilities

As Talent Acquisition Manager at Downing, you will lead the strategic and operational delivery of recruitment across the business and all our office locations. Your objective is to reduce recruitment costs through increased direct hiring, enhance the efficiency of recruitment campaigns, and elevate the experience for both candidates and hiring managers. This role is pivotal in shaping Downing’s employer brand and ensuring we attract top-tier talent aligned with our values and growth ambitions.

Key goals:

• Reduce recruitment costs by increasing direct sourcing and minimising reliance on external agencies
• Streamline and improve the efficiency of all recruitment campaigns across Downing
• Enhance the recruitment experience for candidates and hiring managers through consistent, high-quality processes

Recruitment Strategy & Execution

• Lead and manage the full recruitment lifecycle: sourcing, screening and assessment, interviewing, and offer negotiation
• Develop and implement direct sourcing strategies to reduce agency spend
• Monitor and optimise job postings across platforms to ensure visibility and performance

Stakeholder Partnership

• Provide expert guidance and support to hiring managers throughout the recruitment process
• Manage the recruitment approval workflow to ensure timely and compliant hiring decisions
• Coordinate and facilitate the use of assessment tools to support objective candidate evaluation

Process & Operational Excellence

• Maintain and update recruitment materials, templates, and collateral to ensure consistency and professionalism
• Leverage data and analytics to improve time-to-fill, quality-of-hire, and candidate experience
• Oversee relationships with external recruitment partners, job boards, and sourcing platforms

Employer Branding & Candidate Experience

• Lead initiatives to position Downing as an employer of choice within financial services
• Champion a positive, inclusive, and engaging candidate journey from application to onboarding
• Collaborate with marketing to align recruitment messaging with brand values

Compliance & Technology

• Ensure all recruitment activities comply with employment legislation and internal policies
• Implement and optimise appropriate systems to streamline recruitment operations and reporting

To act as an ambassador for Downing’s values, and to always behave in a respectful and professional manner.

‍Education, experience and skills

The ideal candidate will have the following:

• Experience of successful direct hiring, using multi platforms
• Experience of managing end to end recruitment process and supporting hiring managers throughout the process
• Experience of implementation and evaluation of new processes, systems and materials to support the recruitment process
• Experience of supporting recruitment up to senior level
• Experience of in-house recruitment is preferred

‍Personal characteristics

• Adaptability: The ability to adjust to new conditions and challenges.
• Initiative: Taking proactive steps to address issues and improve processes.
• Creativity: Thinking outside the box to find innovative solutions.
• Time Management: Effectively managing your time to meet deadlines.
• Patience: Staying calm and composed under pressure.
• Decisiveness: Making decisions confidently and effectively.
• Collaboration: Working well with others to achieve common goals.
• Communication: Clearly conveying information and ideas effectively, both verbally and in writing.

Further information

Downing’s values - Be bold and ambitious | Be straightforward | Support each other

Our values serve as a guide that shapes every aspect of Downing. They extend far beyond the conduct of our employees and encompass our products, services, and relationships with our investors and their advisers. By upholding these values, we firmly believe that we can navigate challenges and seize opportunities. Our commitment to these values ensures that we make a positive impact in everything we do, leaving a lasting and meaningful imprint on the world around us.

Hybrid working

Downing operates a hybrid working policy whereby employees are expected to work from the office for a minimum of 3 days each week. If specific days are required in the office, this will be communicated during the interview process.

Diversity and inclusion

At Downing, we work hard to create a safe space for everyone: an environment for people to be themselves, and to be straightforward, honest and candid. Diversity is important to us, and we are passionate about creating an inclusive culture that supports and celebrates this.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly throughout our recruitment process and every aspect of employment, irrespective of background, disability or any other protected characteristic.

Reasonable adjustments

We will make reasonable adjustments within our recruitment process (and throughout employment) where needed. If you need any adjustments at any stage of our recruitment process, please do not hesitate to speak to the hiring manager or Downing’s People Team (people@downing.co.uk).

Privacy

To understand what information we collect about you, how we will use it and for what purpose, please read our privacy notice.

We appreciate all interest in Downing and applications received, however please note we will only be able to contact the most suitable applicants.‍