Talent Acquisition Partner

£30 - £35k DOE

Flexible / hybrid working

Help shape the future of public transport

At First Bus, we're more than just buses — we're connecting communities, powering local economies, and helping millions of people get where they need to be, every single day.

To do that, we need great people — and that's where you come in.

We're looking for a Talent Acquisition Partner who thrives in a fast-paced environment, loves building strong stakeholder relationships, and is passionate about delivering recruitment that really makes a difference. If you enjoy high-volume hiring, influencing operational leaders, and creating standout candidate experiences, this could be the role for you.

The role

You'll act as a trusted recruitment partner to our operational leaders, working closely with a Senior Talent Acquisition Partner to deliver end-to-end hiring across the business. A core focus will be high-volume bus driver recruitment, so you'll be comfortable managing multiple campaigns at pace — without ever losing sight of quality or candidate experience.

This is a hands-on, visible role where your impact will be felt across depots, regions and communities.

What you'll be doing

• Partnering with hiring managers to understand current and future workforce needs
• Owning the full recruitment lifecycle — from briefing through to offer and onboarding
• Leading high-volume driver recruitment campaigns across your business area
• Using creative sourcing approaches (LinkedIn, job boards, social media, referrals, networking) to attract talent
• Building proactive talent pipelines for critical and hard-to-fill roles
• Providing market insight, data and advice to influence hiring decisions
• Acting as a deputy to the Senior TA Partner and a key point of contact when required
• Championing First Bus as an employer of choice at every touchpoint
• Maintaining accurate ATS records and producing clear progress reporting

What we're looking for

• Proven end-to-end recruitment experience (in-house or agency)
• Strong background in high-volume recruitment, ideally in an operational or frontline environment
• Confident stakeholder manager, comfortable partnering with operational leaders
• Excellent sourcing and pipeline-building capability
• Strong communication skills with the ability to advise, influence and challenge constructively
• Highly organised, proactive and resilient — able to juggle competing priorities
• Passionate about delivering a positive, inclusive candidate experience
• Commercially aware, with the ability to use data and insight to drive better outcomes

Benefits

We believe looking after our people is just as important as the work they do.

• Simply Health & Smart Health (free for you and your dependents)
• Cashback on dental & optical
• Virtual GP access
• Mental health, nutrition and fitness support
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Financial wellbeing platform with discounts across major brands and supermarkets
• Free bus pass and discounted rail travel for you and your family (after 6 months)
• Cycle to Work scheme
• 25 days' holiday + bank holidays
• Pension scheme and opportunity to buy discounted FirstGroup shares
• Flexible working options
• A strong focus on physical and mental wellbeing across the business

Inclusion & belonging

Public transport serves everyone — and so do we.

At First Bus, we're committed to being an inclusive employer, where difference is welcomed, respected and valued. We know diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences make us stronger for our customers, communities and colleagues. We encourage applications from everyone.

Please note: Background checks are carried out as a standard part of our recruitment process.