Talent Acquisition Specialist

We are recruiting for a new Talent Acquisition Specialist to join our team on a full‑time, permanent basis (37.5 hours per week). This role will be based at our Peterborough office, however, we understand that work is something you do, not just a place you go. You will be required to attend the office on the first Tuesday of each month, as well as for quarterly team meetings.

In this role, you will be part of a team responsible for leading recruitment across all Communities and Enabling roles within the organisation, including high‑volume education, employment and retail vacancies, as well as specialist and niche roles, including positions exclusively for people with a learning disability.

You will develop strong, collaborative relationships with Hiring Managers, Senior Leaders and People Partners to attract and recruit high‑quality talent, while promoting best practice throughout the recruitment process. You will also coach and support Hiring Managers to ensure every campaign is fair, equitable and inclusive.

Working end‑to‑end, you will manage recruitment campaigns from initial briefing through to appointment, supported by a Resourcer, ensuring a positive and engaging candidate experience before candidates join Mencap.

• Lead recruitment across all Communities and Enabling roles within the organisation.
• Manage recruitment campaigns from initial briefing to appointment.
• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with Hiring Managers, Senior Leaders, and People Partners.
• Coach and support Hiring Managers to ensure fair, equitable and inclusive recruitment practices.
• Provide a positive and engaging candidate experience throughout the recruitment process.

• Experience as a Recruiter or Talent Acquisition Specialist, gained in either an in‑house or agency environment.
• Excellent communication and time management skills, with the ability to effectively manage your own workload and meet agreed deadlines.
• Resilient and adaptable, with the ability to think outside the box and adjust recruitment strategies for different roles.
• Confident in sourcing and attracting candidates using a range of methods, including CV databases and Linked In, and building talent pools.
• Experience of using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to accurately record information, support candidate onboarding and ensure full compliance.
• Ability to work with Hiring Managers to incorporate selection metrics into the recruitment process.
• Act as a subject matter expert, using data and insights to inform decision‑making.

It is not essential to have previous experience within the Charity or Social Care sector. Experience in retail, education and other fast‑paced industries would also be welcomed. We are open to consider any background.

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. In certain recruitment situations such as high‑volume, seasonal and high‑peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non‑disabled people.

For more details please go to .

Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives. We fight for a kinder, fairer and more inclusive society for people with a learning disability to live in. Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere.

Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation. Every day we grow and learn. It’s okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes. Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves.

We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long‑term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies.

We offer an impressive range of benefits designed to support and reward our employees to ensure that our teams feel valued and appreciated. Our benefits package offers 32 days of paid holiday (including bank holidays, pro rata), along with a range of perks such as discounts at leading high‑street retailers, access to health cash plans, interest‑free loans, and many more exciting offerings.

For more details on what we have to offer, please see the attached document outlining all the fantastic benefits available to you as a member of our team!