Job reference: 19484_1753446223

RPO Principal Recruiter

  • Location

    Bristol

  • Job type:

    Permanent

  • Sector:

    Delivery

  • Salary:

    Competitive Salary + Market Leading Bonus

  • Startdate:

    ASAP

  • Client:

    Talent Solutions

RPO Principal Recruiter
Location: Bristol, Edinburgh or Altrincham - Hybrid (2 days in our high-spec office)
Competitive Salary and Market-Leading Bonus Scheme

Discover Your Personal Best.

Together, we're redefining recruitment-preparing people and organisations for the future of work. We believe meaningful and sustainable employment has the power to change the world.

About the Role:

Talent Solutions are seeking a Principal Recruiter to join our RPO Centre of Recruitment Excellence. You will play a pivotal role in delivering top talent to the Defence, Engineering and IT sector. As a Principal Recruiter, you'll work closely with hiring managers and stakeholders to understand their needs and ensure a seamless recruitment process. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and have a passion for driving results, we want to hear from you.

Why Join Us?

Joining Talent Solutions means becoming part of an organisation that truly values its people. As a global leader in RPO and MSP delivery, we're more than just a workforce solutions provider-we genuinely understand what makes people tick.

What Will You Be Doing?



Develop and Implement Innovative Recruitment Strategies:

  • Utilise data analytics and industry insights to identify emerging recruitment trends and opportunities.
  • Implement creative sourcing techniques such as social media recruitment, networking events, and referral programmes to attract passive candidates.
  • Continuously evaluate and optimise recruitment strategies based on performance metrics and stakeholder feedback.


Proactively Build and Maintain Talent Pools and Communities:

  • Identify key talent segments within the industry and create targeted talent pools based on specific skill sets, experience levels, and career aspirations.
  • Engage with potential candidates through networking events, online forums, and industry associations to foster long-term relationships.
  • Maintain regular communication with talent pools to share job opportunities, industry insights, and career development resources.


Act as a Strategic Business Partner to Hiring Managers:

  • Build strong relationships with hiring managers to gain a deep understanding of their business objectives, team dynamics, and talent needs.
  • Serve as a subject matter expert on recruitment best practice, market trends, and competitive intelligence.
  • Offer insights and recommendations to optimise recruitment outcomes and support business success.


Maintain Regular Communication with Clients:

  • Establish clear communication channels to provide regular updates on recruitment activity, candidate pipelines, and sourcing strategies.
  • Hold regular check-in meetings with clients to review progress, address challenges, and align recruitment priorities.
  • Collaborate with clients to gather feedback on recruitment processes, candidate experience, and market conditions to drive continuous improvement.

Your Focus as a Principal Recruiter:

  • Targeting niche skill sets: Leverage your expertise to identify and engage candidates with rare and in-demand skills.
  • Deliver higher productivity: 7 hires per month consistently, meeting or exceeding performance targets with uncapped commission.
  • Client partnership: Work closely and transparently with your Client Business Partner to ensure mutual understanding and alignment.
  • Mentor junior recruiters: Support the growth and development of less experienced colleagues.
  • Review recruitment metrics: Analyse KPIs such as CV submissions, interviews, and LinkedIn response rates to guide improvements.
  • Root cause analysis: Understand key factors influencing recruitment outcomes, including sourcing channels, interviews, and offer acceptance rates.

Experience Required:

  • Minimum of 4 years agency, RPO or inhouse end to end recruitment experience
  • Proven capability sourcing niche skills across Engineering, IT, Finance or Corporate functions.
  • In-depth understanding of the Defence, Engineering and IT sectors, and the associated compliance challenges.
  • Demonstrated success sourcing and engaging highly specialised, low-volume talent pools.
  • Proficiency with recruitment tools and platforms, including ATS systems.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong candidate and client relationships.
  • Ability to translate Workforce Intelligence data into strategic insights and recommendations.

What You'll Receive:

  • Competitive Pay: Base salary plus incentives, including commission, bonuses, and merit increases.
  • Holidays: 24 days' annual leave (rising to 27 with service), your birthday off, and the option to buy five additional days.
  • Pension: Competitive scheme with increasing contributions based on service length.
  • Health & Wellbeing: Flexible benefits including private medical, dental, gym memberships, and health screenings.
  • Family-Friendly Benefits: Generous policies including an employee assistance programme.
  • Additional Perks: Early finish Fridays, discounted share purchase plans, volunteering days, and discounts through Tastecard and ManpowerGroup Rewards.

About Us:

We are global leaders in workforce solutions and strategies. Our clients operate in a constantly evolving landscape-and at Talent Solutions, we help them meet every challenge through tailored workforce strategies. From RPO and MSP solutions to world-class talent management-we understand people. And together, we'll shape the future.

Proudly recognised as one of the world's most ethical companies for 16 consecutive years, our values centre on integrity, transparency, and inclusion. We embrace diversity and promote a workplace where everyone can thrive. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, including those with disabilities. ManpowerGroup is a Disability Confident Employer, and we're happy to talk about flexible working.

We get people. And together, we'll shape our future. Apply now.

Please note: We are only able to consider candidates currently residing in the UK.

About Talent Solutions

Talent Solutions logo

Talent Solutions helps companies plan, develop and implement large-scale recruitment initiatives and create talent strategies for the full career lifecycle. We’re looking for individuals with experience in a client-facing or client-based role, or those with transferable experience.