Recruitment Business Partner

Who are we

First Rail London (FRL) is the train operating company responsible for running the London Overground network under a concession agreement with Transport for London (TfL). The concession began in May 2026.

First Rail London is part of First Group, one of the leading rail operators and one of the largest bus operators in the UK. First Group operates services throughout the UK and Ireland, with over 30,000 employees providing services that make travel smoother and life easier. First Group works hard to reduce its impact on the environment, introducing cleaner and more environmentally responsible methods of transport.

As part of the wider HR, Talent and Learning & Development function, the Recruitment Business Partner will act as the central point of coordination for all recruitment activity across the business. Partnering with internal stakeholders and external recruitment providers, you will ensure a seamless and comprehensive end-to-end recruitment process for roles across Customer Service, Operations, Engineering and HQ functions.
As a seasoned Recruitment Business Partner, you will play a pivotal role in connecting teams, aligning recruitment activity and ensuring a consistent and positive experience for both candidates and hiring managers. You will develop and deliver innovative recruitment strategies, attract diverse talent at all levels, and support the delivery of our wider people agenda.

• Act as the central point of coordination for all recruitment activity across the business, ensuring a seamless, efficient and consistent end-to-end recruitment process across Customer Service, Operations, Engineering and HQ functions.
• Partner with hiring managers, HR Business Partners and business leaders to understand current and future workforce requirements, translating hiring needs into effective attraction and recruitment strategies.
• Manage relationships with external recruitment providers and supply partners, ensuring service levels, quality standards and hiring outcomes are delivered in line with business requirements.
• Provide expert guidance and challenge to hiring managers on recruitment best practice, market trends, talent availability, salary benchmarking and inclusive hiring approaches.
• Create compelling recruitment campaigns, advertising content and candidate attraction initiatives, continually evaluating effectiveness and recommending improvements to maximise hiring outcomes.
• Support the design and delivery of robust selection processes, including interview frameworks, assessment approaches and candidate evaluation methods that promote fairness, consistency and diversity.
• Work collaboratively with hiring managers and HR colleagues to develop clear, accurate and engaging job descriptions and role profiles aligned to business needs.
• Champion an exceptional candidate and hiring manager experience, ensuring timely communication, engagement and stakeholder management throughout the recruitment lifecycle.
• Maintain oversight of recruitment activity through the Applicant Tracking System (eArcu), ensuring data integrity, process compliance and accurate recruitment records.
• Monitor, analyse and report on recruitment performance metrics, providing insight and recommendations to improve recruitment effectiveness, efficiency and diversity outcomes.
• Awareness of talent trends, competitor activity, sourcing channels and emerging recruitment practices to inform hiring strategies and support business decision-making.
• Promote the employer brand internally and externally, identifying opportunities to enhance the organisation's reputation as an employer of choice.
• Ensure recruitment practices support the organisation's diversity, equity and inclusion objectives, helping to attract and hire talent from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.
• Contribute to wider HR, Talent and Learning & Development initiatives, supporting the delivery of the overall people strategy and organisational objectives

• Experience of managing end-to-end recruitment activities within a medium to large and/or complex organisation.
• Recruiting across a range of functions, including operational, customer-facing, technical and corporate roles.
• Working with hiring managers to understand recruitment requirements and deliver effective attraction and selection solutions.
• Working with external recruitment providers, agencies or suppliers to support recruitment delivery.
• Implementing inclusive…