Early Careers Programme Coordinator

Location: Melbourn, gb Department: Corporate Employment Type: {'id': 'permanent', 'label': 'Full-time'}

Company Description

We believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future.

As strategies, technologies, and innovation collide, we create opportunity from complexity.

Our teams of interdisciplinary experts combine innovative thinking and breakthrough technologies to progress further, faster. Our clients adapt and transform, and together we achieve enduring results.

We are over 4,000 strategists, innovators, designers, consultants, digital experts, scientists, engineers, and technologists. And we have deep expertise in consumer and manufacturing, defence and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government and public services, health and life sciences, and transport.

Our teams operate globally from offices across the UK, Ireland, US, Nordics, and Netherlands.

PA. Bringing Ingenuity to Life.

Job Description

Hybrid working - our approach is to be in the office 2 days per week. You will also be required to be in the office to support all assessment centres in Cambridge and London.

Role Scope

The Programme Coordinator owns the effective coordination and administration required to deliver agreed recruitment and programme activity. Programme strategy, design, governance, budget decisions, complex participant matters and final decisions on programme outcomes remain with the Early Careers Programme Lead and relevant senior colleagues.

The Opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity to join our Early Careers team and help shape a brilliant experience for candidates and programme participants. You will support activity across the full Early Careers lifecycle, from attraction and recruitment through to offers, onboarding and programme delivery.

The role is deliberately broad and varied. One day you might be coordinating candidate pipelines or an assessment event; the next, you could be supporting onboarding, presenting at an event or helping to deliver a three-day PA Futures programme in London. You will become an integral member of a collaborative team and gain valuable exposure across the wider Talent and HR function, including both recruitment and learning and development.

We are looking for someone ambitious, proactive and keen to build their career in Early Careers, Talent or HR. You may already have some experience in Early Careers, recruitment, HR, learning or events, or you may be at the beginning of your career with strong transferable experience and a clear motivation to develop in this field.

What you will do

Coordinate day-to-day Early Careers recruitment and programme activity across graduate, apprentice, intern and industrial placement populations.

Support candidate pipeline management, including interview and assessment scheduling, candidate communications, progress tracking and follow-up actions.

Coordinate assessment centres, careers fairs, insight events, university activity and candidate engagement events, covering invitations, venues, rooms, materials, attendance and on-the-day delivery.

Confidently represent the Early Careers team at events, including welcoming participants, providing information and delivering presentations or briefings where required.

Support offer management, pre-boarding and onboarding activity, including joining instructions, participant information, line manager and buddy coordination, timetables and operational follow-up.

Play a key role in the delivery of PA Futures, including supporting a three-day programme in London and helping to create an engaging and well-organised participant experience.

Coordinate learning sessions, capability events, programme meetings, check-ins, performance reviews and progression activity, including logistics, documentation, communications and action tracking.

Draft and issue clear, engaging communications to candidates, participants, line managers, buddies, trainers, providers, universities and other stakeholders.

Maintain accurate schedules, calendars, trackers, participant records, attendance information, distribution lists, programme documentation and reporting data across relevant systems.

Act as a helpful first point of contact for routine recruitment and programme queries, resolving straightforward issues and escalating decisions, risks or sensitive matters appropriately.

Build positive working relationships across the Early Careers team, the wider Talent and HR function, the business, universities, apprenticeship providers and external partners.

Work flexibly across recruitment and programme delivery, helping the team respond to changing priorities and peak periods.

Identify practical ways to improve communications, tracking, administration and ways of working, taking ownership for making agreed improvements happen.

Qualifications

What we are looking for

A genuine interest in Early Careers, Talent or HR, with the ambition to learn, contribute and develop your career in this area.

A proactive, positive approach and the confidence to take initiative, follow through on actions and get involved wherever support is needed.

Excellent organisation and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage multiple activities, deadlines and stakeholders at the same time.

Strong attention to detail and a consistent approach to record keeping, data accuracy and written communications.

Clear, confident written and verbal communication skills, including the ability or willingness to speak to groups and represent the team at events.

The confidence to build relationships with candidates, programme participants, colleagues and stakeholders at different levels.

Experience gained through Early Careers, recruitment, HR, learning, events, programme coordination, customer service or another relevant environment. This may include work experience, internships, placements, volunteering or an early-career role.

Comfort working both independently and as part of a team, knowing