Talent Engagement Specialist - Partner / Contractor Associate Workforce

Ready for a new challenge? Are you looking for work that makes a difference? Do you want to work with people who learn and grow together?   If so, Opencast could be the place for you. Opencast is a purpose-driven digital and technology consultancy, making life better through the power of people and technology. We’re ambitious, inclusive, and growing fast. We’re proud of our collaborative culture and our mission to deliver better work for our clients, making a bigger impact on society. We value trust, empowerment, and doing the right thing for our people and clients.  The role As a Talent Engagement Specialist within our Partner / Contractor Associate Workforce team , you'll ensure every potential Opencast partner or contractor associate has the best possible experience, owning and elevating the end-to-end hiring journey to make it smooth and inclusive. Through creative direct sourcing, talent pooling and relationship building, you'll attract new talent, develop diverse pipelines and build strong networks, while authentically telling the Opencast story across our job families and translating workforce plans into practical hiring strategies that align with the needs of our growing business. Beyond recruitment, your goal is to make life at Opencast the best it can be for our contractors - getting to know your contractor community well, guiding them through the recruitment process and onboarding, supporting them throughout their journey with us, and helping to develop and grow our contractor network. Responsibilities Build and maintain Opencast's contingent workforce network and diverse talent pipelines, proactively identifying tech talent across the UK through direct outreach, networking, referrals and events, in line with our hiring strategy Support the end-to-end contingent recruitment process, working with our Contingent Workforce Manager and the wider business to ensure successful delivery against forecast, while planning project and hiring activity in line with client demand and workforce plans Apply knowledge of IR35 to carry out accurate determinations and manage contractual arrangements Identify and implement robust assessment processes in line with our values - reviewing applications, supporting early-stage interviews, and managing the full contingent candidate journey to ensure clear communication, timely feedback, accurate system records, timesheet management and the proactive removal of any bottlenecks Build our direct hiring capability for contingent roles, creating job adverts and candidate content in partnership with our Marketing team Build and manage relationships with recruitment agencies and partners, ensuring smooth, compliant candidate submissions and motivating strong performance Maintain deep knowledge of the external market by attending events, networking and representing Opencast at meet-ups and open days, while staying up to date with recruitment legislation Ensure that work is carried out in accordance with Opencast's quality, environmental and information security policies and procedures. Essential Experience Previous experience in talent acquisition, recruitment or people operations, ideally within technology or high-growth organisations Confidence using applicant tracking systems and sourcing platforms to build, nurture and maintain diverse talent pipelines Clear, thoughtful communicator with the ability to build positive, lasting relationships with candidates, delivering an inclusive, high-quality candidate experience and contributing to employer brand activity Good understanding of competency-based interviewing, fair hiring practices and recruitment compliance Comfortable using recruitment data and metrics to improve engagement, time to hire and quality of hire Strong organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple roles and priorities effectively Collaborative and resilient team player who works well