Engineering Talent Acquisition Partner

Job summary

Can you find the talent shaping the future of automotive engineering?

Ready to recruit specialist engineers for rapidly evolving vehicle technology?

Can you turn market insight into successful engineering hires?

If so, we would love to hear from you!

About Us

Our work is focused on improving vehicle safety and environmental protection by providing robust testing and certification to national and internationally recognised standards. We are a part of the Department of Transport as the designated UK Vehicle Type Approval Authority. With more than 40 years’ experience, we have become one of the largest and well-respected approval bodies around. This position has been built on a reputation for technical expertise and quality, which is at the heart of everything we do, and what you could be a part of.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at Vehicle Certification Agency - Department for Transport Careers

Job description

As a Talent Acquisition & Strategy Partner at the VCA, you will be pivotal in identifying, attracting and recruiting specialist talent for hard-to-fill roles in highly competitive markets. This role is integral to building strong talent pipelines, gathering market intelligence and using evidence to advise stakeholders on attraction challenges, reward considerations and recruitment strategy.

You will take ownership of the full recruitment lifecycle, from sourcing and selecting ideal candidates to developing networks with stakeholders and using commercial market insight to support successful recruitment outcomes for scarce or specialist skill areas.

This position requires a creative, initiative-taking and adaptable individual with expertise in recruitment strategies, stakeholder management, market research and evidence-based advice.

Your main duties will include but will not be limited to:

• Develop a network within the automotive industry and other relevant engineering disciplines to understand market trends, scarce skill areas and candidate availability
• Use market intelligence and evidence to advise stakeholders on attraction challenges, employment models and potential reward considerations for hard-to-fill roles
• Tailor VCA’s attraction and advertising approach for specialist recruitment campaigns to target relevant candidates in competitive markets
• Work with VCA Vacancy Holders and VCA local HR to coordinate and manage interview and selection processes effectively
• Ensure a seamless and professional experience for candidates throughout the recruitment journey

For more information, please read the Role Profile attached to this job advert. Please note that the Role Profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Person specification

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Experience of working within a recruitment agency or specialist recruitment environment to source candidates in competitive or hard-to-fill markets.
• Experience of recruiting in specialist or scarce skillset fields, using proactive sourcing methods to identify and engage suitable candidates.
• Experience of completing market research and using market intelligence to advise on attraction strategies and competitive reward packages.
• Exceptional relationship management, consulting and advisory skills, with the ability to provide evidence-based advice to stakeholders on recruitment challenges.
• Excellent communication, both written and verbal, with strong attention to detail.
• Analytical mindset, with the ability to derive actionable insights from recruitment metrics.
• Ability to process data to facilitate evidence-based decision making to set the strategic direction in this space.

Additional Information

This post is offered on a Fixed Term Appointment (FTA) basis to complete a finite piece of work.

For permanent Civil Servants, this role is only available on loan, so you must have your home departments approval to return to them at the end of the loan before you apply. There is no opportunity for a permanent Civil Servant to take on this role as a fixed term appointment. OGD applicants will be appointed on an inward loan and subject to the terms of the agreed inward loan. Internal candidates will return to their previous post at the end of the loan period, which will need to be agreed with your line manager in advance.

If you're employed by a non-departmental public body (NDPB) by moving jobs this will involve a change of employer and you may break the statutory rules on continuity of employment .

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

Travel to other offices may be required, including to VCA offices in Bristol and Nuneaton, which may involve overnight stays.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we are currently unable to offer Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate right to work in the UK before applying.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• HR Career Framework : Resourcing and Recruitment, Working Level (HEO/SEO)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,241, Vehicle Certification Agency contributes

£12,816 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies (opens in a new window).

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

How to apply:

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's qualifications, skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Experience - you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount). Please ensure your CV provides evidence of the following:

• Experience of working within a recruitment agency to develop a network of stakeholders within a highly competitive jobs market to gather market intelligence

You will also be asked to provide a Personal statement (250 words) to provide evidence of the following:

• Experience of completing market research to provide intelligence for assembling a competitive reward package

As part of your application form you will also be asked to answer the following questions and provide supporting details:

• Do you have experience of working in a Recruitment Agency?
• Do you have experience of recruiting in a field or industry with specialist or scarce skillsets?

Your answers to these questions will be used to assess your eligibility and suitability for the role. Please note, answering NO to either question or not providing sufficient or relevant support detail will result in your application being rejected without being reviewed.

The sift will take place week commencing 28th September 2026.

Stage 2: Interview

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Experience
• Behaviours – Communicating and Influencing, Managing a Quality Service
• Technical - Resourcing and Recruitment

You will also be required to take part in a recruitment briefing exercise which you will prepare for on the day. Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

This interview will be conducted in person at DfTc Birmingham, The Colmore Building, 20 Colmore Circus Queensway, Birmingham B4 6AT. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview. Please note, candidates must be available to interview on these days.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window).

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change

Further information on the selection process

We will also hold a 12 -month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for. You can read more about our reserve lists here .

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is