Senior Talent Acquisition Adviser


Location 

Edinburgh

Employment Hours 

New Jobs

Employment Type 

Permanent

Salary 

£40,013 - £42,031 a year

Job Highlights
  • Lead complex recruitment campaigns to attract diverse talent for a key national organisation, influencing how they engage with candidates.
  • The ideal candidate will have a strong background in talent acquisition, with skills in data-driven decision-making and stakeholder management.
  • Offers hybrid working (minimum 2 days in office), a salary of £40,013 - £42,031, and a generous Civil Service pension plan.
Job Requirements/Description

Details

Reference number

461617

Salary

£40,013 - £42,031
Working from home allowance
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP

Job grade

Other

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

TEC - Human Resources - The Electoral Commission is the UK?s independent body overseeing elections and regulating political finance. Everything we do supports trust, transparency and confidence in democracy. As we deliver our ambitious Corporate Plan and prepare for future org

Type of role

Human Resources

Working pattern

Full-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

  • Location
  • About the job
  • Benefits
  • Things you need to know
  • Apply and further information

Location

Cardiff or Edinburgh office, (Hybrid ? min. 2 days in office) or Remote (UK)

About the job

Job summary

Talent acquisition at the Electoral Commission is evolving - this is your opportunity to help shape its future.

We are looking for an experienced and forward-thinking Talent Acquisition professional to join our growing People & Culture team at an exciting point in our organisational journey. As we deliver our ambitious Corporate Plan and prepare for future workforce growth, we are investing in a more strategic, insight-led and modern approach to recruitment and workforce planning.

In this role, you will lead complex and high-impact recruitment campaigns across the organisation, partnering with senior leaders and hiring managers to attract diverse, high-performing talent into a nationally important organisation. Alongside delivering specialist and business-critical recruitment, you will contribute to wider priorities including workforce planning, employer branding, recruitment transformation and improving candidate experience.

This is more than a recruitment delivery role. You will play a key role in shaping how the Commission attracts and engages talent, using data and insight to influence decisions and drive continuous improvement across the Talent Acquisition function. You will also deputise for the Talent Acquisition Manager when required, providing leadership support and helping to shape the future direction of the team.

We are looking for someone who combines strong recruitment expertise with curiosity, sound judgement and a proactive, improvement-focused mindset. You will be comfortable building relationships with senior stakeholders, managing competing priorities and balancing operational delivery with strategic contribution.

In return, you will have the opportunity to influence meaningful change within a collaborative and supportive organisation that plays an important role in supporting democracy across the UK. We offer flexible and hybrid working, excellent benefits and genuine opportunities for professional growth and development.

If you are passionate about modern, inclusive and impactful Talent Acquisition and want to help build the workforce of the future, we would love to hear from you.

Job description

Talent acquisition at the Electoral Commission is evolving.

We are building a more strategic, insight-led and modern approach to recruitment and workforce planning, and this role will play an important part in shaping that future.

As Senior Talent Acquisition Adviser, you will lead complex and high-impact recruitment campaigns across the organisation, partnering closely with senior leaders, hiring managers and People & Culture colleagues to attract diverse, high-performing talent and deliver an excellent candidate experience.

This role combines hands-on recruitment delivery with strategic influence. Alongside leading specialist and business-critical recruitment activity, you will contribute to wider organisational priorities including workforce planning, employer branding, recruitment transformation and future workforce planning.

You will also act as deputy to the Talent Acquisition Manager, providing leadership support, maintaining continuity across the function and representing the team in management discussions and decision-making when required.

You will help shape how the Commission presents itself as an employer, strengthening our ability to attract people who are motivated by meaningful work, public service and the opportunity to make a genuine impact.

Key responsibilities will include:

  • Leading end-to-end recruitment campaigns for specialist, senior and businesscritical roles
  • Advising managers and senior stakeholders on recruitment strategy, workforce planning and hiring approaches
  • Supporting organisational workforce planning and future workforce growth initiatives
  • Helping shape employer branding and attraction strategies
  • Identifying opportunities to improve recruitment processes, systems and candidate experience
  • Using recruitment data and insight to support decision-making and continuous improvement
  • Supporting and mentoring colleagues within the Talent Acquisition team
  • Deputising for the Talent Acquisition Manager where required, supporting leadership oversight and continuity across the Talent Acquisition function
  • Exploring how technology and AI can support more effective and efficient recruitment delivery

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys balancing operational delivery with strategic improvement work and wants to help shape the future of Talent Acquisition within a nationally important organisation.


The Talent Acquisition team plays a central role in helping the Commission attract and recruit talented people who support the integrity and effectiveness of democracy across the UK.

We are a collaborative, supportive and forward-thinking team with a strong focus on continuous improvement, inclusive recruitment and delivering an excellent experience for candidates and hiring managers alike.

The team is evolving beyond traditional recruitment delivery to play a greater role in workforce planning, talent strategy, employer branding and recruitment transformation. This means you will have the opportunity to contribute ideas, influence change and help shape how Talent Acquisition develops across the organisation.

You will work closely with colleagues across People & Culture, senior leaders and hiring managers throughout the Commission, building strong relationships and acting as a trusted adviser.

Person specification

We are looking for an experienced Talent Acquisition professional who combines strong recruitment expertise with a proactive and improvement-focused mindset.

You will be confident managing complex recruitment activity while building strong stakeholder relationships and influencing hiring approaches across the organisation.

This role would suit someone who enjoys working in a changing environment, is motivated by meaningful work and is interested in helping shape modern, inclusive and evidence-led recruitment practices.

You will bring experience of:

  • Managing end-to-end recruitment across a range of professional or specialist roles
  • Partnering with senior stakeholders and providing credible recruitment advice
  • Workforce planning, talent attraction or recruitment improvement activity
  • Using data and insight to inform recruitment decisions
  • Improving recruitment processes, systems or candidate experience
  • Supporting inclusive recruitment practices and diverse hiring outcomes

You will also bring excellent communication skills, attention to detail, sound judgement and the ability to balance competing priorities while maintaining a high-quality service.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,013, The Electoral Commission contributes £11,591 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

This is an opportunity to help shape the future of Talent Acquisition within an organisation that plays an important role in supporting democracy across the UK.

You will have genuine opportunity to influence how recruitment evolves across the Commission, working on strategic initiatives alongside day-to-day recruitment delivery. The role also offers valuable exposure to operational leadership and strategic decisionmaking within a growing Talent Acquisition function.

In return, we offer a supportive and flexible working environment, opportunities for professional development and the chance to contribute to meaningful work with national impact.

We offer a strong total reward package, including:

  • Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
  • Civil Service Pension Scheme
  • Generous annual leave entitlement
  • Learning and development opportunities
  • Employee wellbeing support
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Working from home allowance
  • Employee recognition and reward scheme
  • A collaborative and values-driven working culture

We are committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds and communities.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment. To help reduce unconscious bias and ensure all applicants are assessed solely on their skills, knowledge and experience, we use an anonymous recruitment process.

When applying, please provide an anonymised CV which omits your protected characteristics and any personally identifiable information:

Do not include:

  • Your name, address, phone number, email or other contact details
  • Your date of birth or age
  • Gender, ethnicity, nationality or other personal identifiers
  • A photo of yourself
  • Remove educational dates as these are a clear indication of your age
  • There is no requirement to include your primary education details.

Do include:

  • Your employment history including employers and dates of employment
  • Explanation for gaps in your history
  • Your duties, responsibilities and achievements

If your CV contains personal details (such as your name or contact information), we will be unable to consider your application. Please double-check your documents before submitting, including the file name you use to save and upload your CV.


Supporting disabled applicants

The Electoral Commission is proud to be a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. As part of this commitment, we aim to prioritise interviews for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria listed in the job description.

There may, however, be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. For example, during periods of exceptionally high application volumes or seasonal recruitment activity, the Commission may need to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both disabled and nondisabled applicants.

If you have a disability and would like to be considered under this commitment, please indicate this when you apply. We also welcome requests for reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process or within the workplace.

  • Application deadline: 26th May 2026 (23:59)
  • Interviews (1st stage): 9th & 10th June 2026
  • Interviews (2nd stage): 19th June 2026
  • Anticipated start date: 3rd August 2026

Applicants should expect a two stage interview process which may include an assessment centre and / or a written exercise or presentation.


Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

  • UK nationals
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
  • Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

  • Name : Talent Acquisition Team
  • Email : recruitment@electoralcommission.org.uk

Recruitment team

  • Email : recruitment@electoralcommission.org.uk

Further information

Raising a Concern About the Recruitment Process

At the Electoral Commission, we are committed to delivering fair, inclusive, and transparent recruitment. Our recruitment practices are guided by Civil Service values and comply with the Equality Act 2010 and other relevant legislation.

If you have concerns about the way a recruitment process has been conducted, we encourage you to raise them with us.

How to Make a Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our recruitment process, you can contact us directly by email:

recruitment@electoralcommission.org.uk

Please include the following information:

The job title or reference number

A clear explanation of your concern

Any relevant supporting information

Your preferred contact details

We aim to respond to all complaints within two working days.

Our Commitment

All complaints are treated seriously and in confidence. They are handled in line with our Recruitment Policy and the relevant provisions of the Equality Act 2010, Employment Rights Act 1996, and the Data Protection Act 2018.

If you require this information in an alternative format, or need additional support, please contact us at recruitment@electoralcommission.org.uk.

Follow link to apply

amspsr.avature.net/careersmarketplace/ShareJob?jobId=8866&source=RPO+Client+Careers+page
Location 

Edinburgh

Employment Hours 

New Jobs

Employment Type 

Permanent

Salary 

£40,013 - £42,031 a year

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