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Early Careers Specialist

NFU Mutual

Job Description

Early Careers Specialist

  • Make a significant impact on the future talent pipeline at NFU Mutual.
  • Support the growth and success of NFU Mutual's early career's proposition.
  • Hybrid 80% homeworking available and 20% in Stratford-upon-Avon
  • About the role

    We're making some exciting changes to the HR Division at NFU Mutual. With future-proofed capabilities, technology enabled systems, high engagement, and improved career paths high on the agenda, this is a great time to join the team. This brand-new Early Careers Specialist role will implement and drive our proposition, ensuring we're firmly future focused and meeting the needs of the business.

    In the Early Careers Specialist role, you'll play a crucial part in the design, development and oversight of delivery of our early career's programmes. Your efforts will help ensure our business goals are met whilst maintaining high standards in line with the NFU Mutual early careers and apprenticeship proposition.

    Working closely with business stakeholders you'll define success measures for early careers and apprenticeship programs, providing ongoing support and tracking progress to ensure a seamless journey for our delegates on programme. Partnering with the Talent Attraction team and the Leadership and Employee Experience team you'll ensure a smooth transition from recruitment to onboarding, training, assessment, and offboarding, delivering a market leading experience for all employees. You'll track and report on progress, providing guidance to HR and business leaders to foster successful completion of their programmes.

    You'll collaborate with Procurement, Vendor Specialists, and the Learning Program Manager to identify and manage external training providers to ensure our programmes meet industry standards and align with organisational goals. You'll research and implement enhancements to support delegates on their programmes to allow for successful completion. You will also collaborate with HR stakeholders to integrate apprenticeships into broader talent development strategies and provide mentorship and coaching to those on early careers programmes, creating a supportive environment that encourages growth and success.

    This role is based in our Tiddington Head Office. We understand how important a positive work-life balance is, so to help you give your best, we offer great facilities when you are in an office environment and support to work up to 80% of your hours from home.

    About you

    You have a comprehensive understanding of current and upcoming thinking about early careers development approaches and keep a watching eye on government legislation regarding the apprenticeship levy with an understanding of how the levy works and how it can be effectively leveraged to enhance learning and organisational capabilities within a complex organisation.

    You have demonstrable experience in early careers programme management, along with knowledge of apprenticeship standards, frameworks, and accreditation processes. You have a solid understanding of various learning methodologies, ideally backed by formal qualifications. You'll need exceptional project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously whilst collaborating closely with cross-functional teams to achieve collective goals. Strong stakeholder engagement skills are crucial, as you'll engage effectively with apprentices, team members, senior stakeholders, and external partners.

    To join our team, it's essential that you also have:

  • Excellent attention to detail and strong organisational skills.
  • Experience in budget management and tracking, including the use of Government Apprenticeship Levy tracking tools.
  • Excellent data analysis and report writing skills.
  • Experience in crafting and presenting effective business cases.
  • Experience in coaching and/or mentoring skills, ideally with formal accreditation, will be a significant asset.
  • At NFU Mutual, we support an inclusive workplace and value all the differences that make us unique. We celebrate the creativity and innovation that comes from diverse perspectives and experiences and share a common vision of doing the right thing for our customers and employees.

    We recognise that some candidates may experience barriers during the recruitment process. So, we encourage candidates to discuss any adjustments or accommodations they need to be the best they can be throughout our recruitment process.

    We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, a Race at Work and Women in Finance Charter signatory and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, regardless of age, ethnicity, disability, neurodiversity, gender, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background.

    Benefits and Rewards

    When you join our team, you can expect a supportive culture and an attractive range of rewards and benefits including:

  • Salary £45,000-£50,000 depending on experience
  • Annual bonus (up to 17.5% of salary)
  • Contributory pension scheme, up to 20%, including your 8% contribution
  • 25 days annual leave + bank holidays + buy/sell/save holiday trading scheme
  • A Family Friendly policy that helps you balance your work and family responsibilities
  • Access to savings at High Street brands, travel and supermarkets
  • £20 contribution to a monthly gym membership - subject to T&Cs
  • Health and wellbeing plan - cashback for dentist, opticians, physio and more
  • Access to voluntary benefits, including health assessments, private medical insurance and dental insurance
  • Employee Volunteering - volunteer in the community for one day each year
  • Unlimited access to Refer a Friend £500 bonus scheme
  • Life Assurance cover of 4 x salary
  • Employee discounts of 15% on a range of NFU Mutual insurance policies.
  • Working at NFU Mutual

    We're one of the UK's leading general insurance and financial services companies. For over 110 years we've put our customers at the heart of everything we do. Our people are just as important to us. We pride ourselves on being "a great place to work" and we're one of only 60 companies across the globe to receive a Gallup Exceptional Workplace 2024 award, and one of only 2 companies to receive the award for the ninth consecutive year. We were also named in the LinkedIn Top 25 Companies List 2021, the Glassdoor Best Places to Work UK List 2023 and 2024, and were recognised as a certified UK Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute in 2023 and 2024.

    We offer a supportive culture where we empower and inspire our people to perform, offer them opportunities to grow, and recognise and reward their contribution. Our people are proud to work for a company that respects them and their communities, and they trust us to be financially sustainable, so we are successful now and in the future.

    Good luck with your application