Talent Manager

About Olive Jar

Olive Jar Digital supports complex public-sector programmes by bringing together specialist digital capability and high-performing teams.

As our work continues to grow, we're looking for a Talent Manager who can build digital talent networks, understand our clients' future capability needs and use market knowledge to help Olive Jar make better resourcing and commercial decisions.

The Role

As Talent Manager, you'll take ownership of talent across contractor, permanent and fixed-term opportunities, supporting both live client requirements and future workforce needs.

The role is built around five areas:

1. Find exceptional talent

Identify, engage and secure high-quality digital talent across contractor, permanent & fixed-term roles.

You'll manage the recruitment lifecycle from initial sourcing and outreach through interviews, offers, onboarding and placement, ensuring candidates receive a professional and positive experience throughout.

You'll:

• Source and headhunt candidates across specialist digital disciplines

• Manage multiple roles and candidate pipelines simultaneously

• Ensure momentum across each stage of the recruitment process

• Maintain accurate candidate and recruitment information within our CRM/ATS

• Balance speed of recruitment with candidate quality and client requirements

2. Build specialist talent communities

Develop and maintain strong talent pipelines, taking ownership of defined areas of digital capabilities, building strong networks and developing the knowledge to become a trusted specialist.

You'll:

• Develop networks around priority digital skills and capabilities

• Nurture relationships with candidates beyond individual vacancies

• Map talent against potential future client and programme requirements

• Develop specialist knowledge that can support colleagues, clients and bid teams

3. Partner with delivery

Work closely with our delivery teams and clients to understand what talent they need today and what they are likely to need next.

Rather than simply responding to vacancies, you'll help anticipate requirements and develop pipelines before demand arises.

You'll:

• Build strong relationships with delivery leads, clients and hiring managers

• Understand role requirements and the capabilities needed within project teams

• Maintain visibility of upcoming workforce requirements

• Advise stakeholders on candidate availability and recruitment considerations

• Ensure Olive Jar consistently puts forward high-quality people who meet client needs

4. Advise with market insight

You'll understand what's happening across the digital talent market and turn that knowledge into useful advice for the wider business.

You'll:

• Monitor candidate availability, skills demand and market rates

• Identify emerging recruitment risks and opportunities

• Share relevant market intelligence with delivery and senior colleagues

• Keep rate information current and support the development of our rate cards

• Apply commercial judgement when balancing candidate quality, market rates and client requirements

5. Deliver commercially

Talent is fundamental to how Olive Jar delivers for our clients. You'll understand the commercial implications of recruitment decisions as well as candidate quality.

You'll:

• Work within agreed rate cards and commercial parameters

• Apply commercial judgement when balancing candidate quality, market rates and client requirements

• Support recruitment activity against agreed hiring deadlines

• Maintain accurate pipeline information to support workforce and commercial planning

What We're Looking For

• Experience in recruitment, talent acquisition or workforce delivery

• Experience recruiting across contractor and permanent markets

• Strong sourcing, headhunting and candidate-engagement skills

• Confidence building relationships with clients, candidates and internal stakeholders

• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple recruitment streams

• Commercial awareness of market rates and resourcing decisions

• Excellent attention to detail and understanding of recruitment and onboarding processes

It would be great if you also have

• Experience recruiting into public-sector organisations, consultancies or government programmes

• Knowledge of contractor markets, IR35 and contingent workforce models

• Experience recruiting specialist digital or technology roles

• Experience using recruitment systems and candidate databases

• Experience contributing recruitment or market insight to bids, proposals or workforce planning

What We Offer

• Competitive salary

• Employee benefits including access to healthcare plan, electric car scheme and a free gym membership

• Performance-based incentives

• Hybrid working

• The opportunity to support impactful public-sector programmes

• A collaborative and supportive team

• The opportunity to develop specialist talent-market expertise

• Clear progression opportunities as Olive Jar grows