Talent Acquisition Specialist

Job summary

Student Loans Company is a non-profit making Government-owned organisation to provide loans and grants to students in universities and colleges in the UK. Since 1989, we have enabled our customers to invest in their futures by delivering secure, accurate and efficient assessment, payment and repayment services.

Our Values

Culture is at the heart of everything we do at SLC and we are guided by our five values which help make SLC a great place to work:

• Honesty: We act with integrity and transparency, sharing information openly and addressing challenges with courage.

• Empowerment: We enable people to take initiative, make impactful decisions, and continuously learn and grow.

• Accountability: We deliver on commitments, own our successes and mistakes, and strive for quality outcomes.

• Respect: We value diverse perspectives, actively listen, and create an inclusive environment where everyone belongs.

• Trust: We collaborate across teams, build dependable relationships, and work as one to deliver for our customers.

These values are more than words—they guide our decisions, shape our collaborations, and strengthen our impact on the students we serve.

Job description

Join SLC as a Talent Acquisition Specialist and become a trusted partner to stakeholders, delivering high-quality, end-to-end recruitment solutions that directly support our organisational goals. You’ll shape and execute innovative sourcing strategies, build strong talent pipelines, and use data-driven insights to attract and secure top-tier talent across a diverse range of roles.

Working collaboratively with hiring managers and the wider People function, you’ll provide expert guidance, challenge thinking, and ensure an exceptional, inclusive experience for candidates at every stage.

As an ambassador for SLC, you’ll champion our employer brand and play a key role in positioning us as a great place to work. You’ll also contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, driving operational excellence and enhancing recruitment practices across the business. We’re particularly keen to hear from candidates with experience or enthusiasm for early careers initiatives—such as apprenticeships, graduate or entry-level programmes—as we continue to build on our existing programmes.

Person specification

• Significant inhouse recruitment experience, managing full end to end recruitment process of non volume roles in professional services environment

• Demonstrable track record of successfully hiring for non volume roles across a wide range of business areas to support business requirements

• Experience working in a strategic talent acquisition function within a large or complex organisation

• Expert in developing and executing sourcing strategies and recruitment delivery plans aligned to role requirements

• Ability to produce and present recruitment data and reports in a relevant format

• Experience acting as a brand ambassador and promoting employer value proposition

• Background in leading or contributing to continuous improvement initiatives in recruitment

• Understanding of organisational development reward practices

• Advanced recruitment specific stakeholder management skills, with demonstrable ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders

• Advanced sourcing skills with ability to conduct candidate searches using variety of sourcing tools and techniques

• Highly competent in conducting candidate assessments including reviewing CV’s, application details and telephone interviews

• Ability to balance competing priorities while ensuring consistently high-quality experience for both candidates and hiring managers throughout the recruitment process

• Proficient in using recruitment data and insights to inform decision making

• Expert in effectively utilising ATS (Workday), LinkedIn Recruiter and recruitment analytics tools

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to collaborate effectively at all levels

• Commitment to creating a positive and inclusive candidate experience

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,458, Student Loans Company contributes £11,430 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

SLC offer a blended working model which will typically be 2 days in the office and 3 days from home.

You can expect more from a career with SLC. We support colleagues to unlock their potential through our Career Pathways development programme and offer an excellent benefit and rewards package that includes:

• 28 days annual leave plus 8 public holidays

• Option to buy/sell annual leave

• Flexi-time and enhanced flexible working options available

• Option to join the Civil Service pension scheme

• Life insurance cover for 4 x annual salary

• Enhanced company sick pay and family leave including maternity, paternity and adoption

• Contributory lifestyle benefit options including discounts at hundreds of retailers, cycle to work scheme, access to the Civil Service Sports and Leisure Club for discounted gym memberships, and an optional dental insurance scheme

• To find out what’s it’s like to work at Student Loans Company click here SLC Careers

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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Please apply via the link below.

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) (opens in a new window)
• 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 (opens in a new window)

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 theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

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 : ask_recruitment@slc.co.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : ask_recruitment@slc.co.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact ask_recruitment@slc.co.uk in the first instance.