AWE is seeking a dynamic and results-oriented Early Careers Operations Lead to oversee the seamless execution of our high volume, early careers candidate pipeline into AWE.

Please note, this is a 12-month fixed term contract, ideally starting in July 2025.

Location: RG7 4PR, located between Reading and Basingstoke, with free onsite parking. Plan to relocate to Green Park from October 2025.

Package: £37,300 to £47,000 (depending on your suitability, qualifications, and level of experience).

Working pattern: AWE operates a 9-day working fortnight. We will consider flexible working requests so that your work may fit in with your lifestyle. Just let us know your preferred working pattern on your application.

Let us introduce the role

As the Early Careers Operations Lead, you will play a critical role, responsible for management of AWE's entire candidate funnel for 4 early careers programmes to achieve high quality diverse applicants into the into 9 business functions.

You'll play a pivotal role in shaping the journey of future talent within our organisation, ensuring that every stage of the process reflects our values and commitment to excellence.

Key Responsibilities:

Assessment and selection campaign management: Plan, execute, and monitor and land for 4 main recruitment programmes - Graduate, Year in Industry, Apprentice and the Nuclear Defence STEM Undergraduate (DSUS) scholarship programme, through the movement of high quality diverse candidates into the key selection stages of application, testing, assessment centre, managing the full offer process to offer and monitoring acceptance. Your role will partner at offer with our onboarding team to ensure full national security clearance is monitored and achieved.

Operational Oversight: Manage high volumes application to offer lifecycle, ensuring processes are efficient and compliant and including delivery of candidate experience programme.

Reporting and Analytics: Track key metrics, generate reports, and provide daily live insights to optimise recruitment strategies and measure success providing timely reports to the programme recruitment leads, internal stakeholder audience as necessary and to our external attraction/assessment and schools' partners.

Task Management of 2 senior early careers coordinators: to ensure they effectively delegate responsibilities across their assessment teams and ensure the early careers co-ordinators of 6 are on track with delivery of the 4 recruitment programmes.

Assessment Centres: Working with our external partners to coordinate and execute final stage virtual and face to face mix of assessment centres, including the setup of logistics, virtual delivery platforms, assessor scheduling.

Candidate Experience: Develop and implement initiatives to enhance candidate communication and experience, ensuring all touchpoints reflect a positive and inclusive employer brand and one that drives continual improvement in reduction of reneges post offer.

Stakeholder Collaboration: Work closely with internal teams, hiring managers, and external partners to deliver consistent and high-quality outcomes. Carry out operations preparation timeline and hold stakeholders to account for deliverables and requirements during campaign set up.

Process Improvement and Innovation: Continuously identify opportunities to streamline processes, leveraging new technology and innovation to improve efficiency. Collaborating with wider teams across HR to problem solve and provide sufficient training or updates to the Early Careers team ahead of or during campaign periods.

Post Campaign Review: Conduct and oversee post campaign review sessions internally and with external partners.

Who are we looking for?

We are seeking a Early Careers Operations Lead with the following skills and qualifications:

Proven experience in high volume recruitment up to 13,000 applications and familiarity with trends in early careers hiring to achieve business demand in apprenticeships, graduate schemes, or internships.

Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in high pressured environments.

Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with a high focus on candidate engagement and brand excellence

Proficiency, (intermediate in excel and data analysis is a must) and reporting tools to track and present performance metrics and aid data driven decision making to deliver campaign progress against recruitment and diversity objectives.

Familiarity with Workday Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and other recruitment technologies such as ServiceNow.

Proven track record in delivery diverse and inclusive hiring processes.

Proven experience in leadership and team co-ordination. This role involves supervisory responsibilities to 2 senior co-ordinators and 4 further co-ordinators.

Ability to work in a high-pressure campaign environment, to navigate and implement changes effectively in tight timescales.

A proactive mindset with a passion for delivering exceptional services to our stakeholders.

Some reasons we think you'll love it here:

AWE has wide range of benefits to suit you. These include:

9-day working fortnight - meaning you get every other Friday off work, in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.
Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions).
Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.
Opportunities for Professional Career Development including funding for annual membership of a relevant professional body.
Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.
Life Assurance (4 x annual salary).
Discounts - access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending.
Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring.

The 'Working at AWE' page on our website is where you can find full details in the 'AWE Benefits Guide'.

Hybrid working is available for this role on an informal, non-contractual basis. Typically 2-3 days onsite per week.

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AWE Plc

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Early Careers Operations Lead