Talent Acquisition Partner - Sourcing & Assessment

About DIGI2AL DIGI2AL is an employee-owned defence-focused digital services consultancy. A vendor-agnostic UK Crown Commercial Services accredited supplier, we have delivered over 120 cloud-hosted digital services across the public sector, working in partnership with clients to research and develop outcomes and services spanning artificial intelligence, data science, low code and complex code software engineering, cyber security, cloud engineering, and user-centred design. At DIGI2AL, our technology values drive everything we do. We are committed to open, contemporary and secure solutions that put users first. We embrace cutting-edge technologies while ensuring interoperability, resilience and ethical innovation. By prioritising transparency, adaptability and security, we enable organisations to build future-proof digital services that deliver real impact. How This Role Works You will sit alongside the Talent Acquisition Partner for Recruitment Operations & Candidate Experience. You own the front end of the pipeline sourcing, engagement and assessment. Your partner owns the process, scheduling and candidate experience that follows. Together, you form a complete, end-to-end hiring function. Close collaboration is essential; this is a complementary partnership, not two independent roles. Role Purpose The Talent Acquisition Partner - Technical Sourcing & Assessment is responsible for identifying, attracting and assessing high-quality technical and business talent for DIGI2AL. You will lead all direct sourcing activity across permanent and contractor hiring, building proactive talent pipelines and significantly reducing DIGI2AL's reliance on external recruitment agencies. Working in close partnership with hiring managers and your TA colleague, you will conduct candidate screening, technical assessment and first-stage interviews delivering high-quality shortlists efficiently while ensuring candidates receive a professional and engaging experience from first contact. What You Will Be Doing Direct Sourcing & Pipeline Development • Lead direct sourcing activity across technical, engineering, delivery and corporate functions • Build and maintain active talent pipelines across software engineering, cloud and infrastructure, cyber security, AI and data, delivery management, consulting and HQ functions • Use LinkedIn Recruiter, professional networks, referrals and market mapping to identify and engage high- quality candidates — with a strong emphasis on passive talent • Design and run proactive outreach campaigns targeted at specific skills, experience levels and clearance backgrounds • Develop and maintain talent communities to support future workforce requirements and project mobilisation • Drive measurable reduction in external agency spend through direct sourcing effectiveness Candidate Assessment & Shortlisting • Conduct thorough CV reviews and candidate suitability assessments against technical and business requirements • Lead first-stage telephone and video interviews across technical and non-technical candidate populations • Assess technical capability, professional experience, cultural alignment, motivation and security clearance eligibility • Produce detailed, structured candidate summaries and recommendations for hiring managers • Maintain consistent assessment standards and support fair, inclusive hiring practices Hiring Manager Partnership • Partner closely with hiring managers to define role requirements, ideal candidate profiles and sourcing strategies • Provide timely market intelligence including salary benchmarking, talent availability, candidate sentiment and competitor hiring activity • Advise on role positioning, job description quality and candidate attraction strategy • Influence hiring decisions with evidence-based candidate recommendations and market insight Employer Brand & Candidate Engagement • Represent DIGI2AL professionally at all candidate touchpoints, reinforcing the employee value proposition • Support employer brand initiatives through compelling candidate communications and proactive engagement activity • Contribute to DIGI2AL's reputation as an employer of choice in the defence digital sector Systems & Compliance • Maintain accurate, up-to-date candidate records and recruitment activity within the ATS • Collaborate with your TA Operations partner to ensure sourcing activity feeds cleanly into scheduling and process workflows • Support diversity, inclusion and fair hiring practices throughout all sourcing and assessment activities The Experience You Will Bring Technical Recruitment & Sourcing - Essential • Proven track record recruiting technical, engineering or digital professionals within an in-house or agency environment • Advanced LinkedIn Recruiter capability with demonstrable success identifying and engaging passive candidates • Experience building talent pipelines and talent pools for hard-to-fill, niche or specialist roles • Confident assessing technical CVs and holding credible conversations with engineers, architects and technical specialists Candidate Assessment & Interviewing - Essential • Experienced in conducting structured first-stage interviews and candidate screening across varied role types • Ability to assess technical skills, experience depth and candidate suitability against complex role requirements • Skilled at producing clear, well-reasoned candidate recommendations and hiring insights for senior stakeholders Stakeholder Management - Essential • Proven ability to partner effectively with hiring managers and senior leaders in fast-paced, scaling environments • Comfortable influencing hiring decisions and pushing back constructively when required • Strong written and verbal communication skills Recruitment Delivery - Essential • Experience managing multiple concurrent recruitment campaigns at pace • Strong understanding of both permanent and contract recruitment, including IR35 and day-rate considerations Desirable • Experience recruiting within technology, consulting, defence or national security sectors • Experience sourcing and engaging security-cleared professionals • Working knowledge of BPSS, SC and DV clearance levels and their implications for candidate eligibility • Existing network within the UK defence digital or government technology talent market Your Personal Qualities Essential • Proactive, self-motivated and commercially aware • Excellent networking and relationship-building ability, you build trust quickly with candidates and hiring managers alike • Strong interviewing and assessment instincts, you can identify quality and potential • Resilient and delivery-focused, you thrive at pace and don't need to be managed closely • Curious about technology, you do not need to be an engineer, but you engage confidently with technical subject matter • Passionate about hiring quality and candidate experience Beneficial • An established network in technical or defence recruitment • Experience supporting rapid organisational growth • Defence, government or national security hiring experience Benefits • Salary £40k+ depending on experience • Bonus up to 5% • 25 days holiday increasing annually up to a maximum of 30 days • Support for flexible working • 2 paid charity days a year • 16 weeks of full pay Maternity leave • 2 weeks full pay Paternity leave • Annual bonus of up to 5% - all employees are eligible (following successful completion of probationary period) - level varies by position and is dependent on company performance • Discretionary bonus for exceptional performance • 5% matched pension • Healthcare and Employee Assistance Programme • Employee Ownership Trust (following successful completion of probationary period) • Support with your professional development including training and certifications and attendance at conferences • Choice of laptop and screen