Job Description

Candidate Support Lead

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Vacancy Reference Number
20142


Number of Vacancies
5
(B) OCU
Met Business Services
Location
Kennington
Band
Band D
Part/Full Time
Full Time
Hours per Week
36 hours per week
Type of Contract
Permanent
Job Advert

Job Title:

Candidate Support Lead

Salary:

The starting salary is 38,926, which includes allowances totalling 2,928.


The salary is broken down as 35,998 basic salary, which will increase annually until you reach the top of the scale 38,523. Plus, a location allowance of 1,928 and a non-pensionable allowance of 1,000.

Location

Kennington

Job Purpose

Within this role the Candidate Support Lead will report into the Talent Acquisition Manager, who owns the delivery of a recruitment service that entails supporting candidates throughout their recruitment journey across a variety of recruitment stages.


The Candidate Support Lead will be responsible for the following activities (but not limited to):

To deliver proactive, personalised and outcomes-focused candidate care throughout the MPS recruitment process. Improve candidate satisfaction, reduces disengagement, and enhances conversion by building strong relationships and leading targeted engagement activity. As part of a team with performance expectations, the role holder is accountable for improving recruitment outcomes and delivering service innovation, especially for underrepresented candidate groups.

Candidates looking to join MPS as Officers are likely to have questions about day-to-day life in a frontline role in MPS, so we're particularly keen to hear from applicants who can share their own experience with candidates as they support them through the recruitment process.

Key Result Areas

Candidate Support and Care

Act as the primary point of contact for an assigned cohort of candidates, delivering timely, accurate, and supportive communication at all stages of the recruitment journey. Apply discretion and judgement to resolve individual candidate concerns and unusual queries within a wider decision-making framework. Provide clear and empathetic feedback, including to those not progressing, ensuring all applicants receive closure aligned with MPS values. Represent the MPS professionally at recruitment fairs and outreach events to promote the employer brand and increase candidate pipeline diversity.

Process Management and Continuous Improvement

Design and deliver candidate outreach and re-engagement strategies to increase yield and reduce drop-out, including targeted support to underrepresented groups. Collaborate with the Talent Attraction Lead and wider recruitment team to plan and run external engagement events and work experience opportunities. Serve as the recruitment team lead on process enhancements linked to internal inclusion initiatives, such as the London Race Action Plan (LRAP).

Compliance and Record Keeping

Monitor candidate activity across the applicant tracking system, identifying drop-out risks, trends, and opportunities for intervention. Consolidate team feedback and present continuous improvement recommendations at quarterly review sessions with Band B and Band A leads. Pilot new communication tools, re-engagement campaigns, or process changes to optimise candidate experience and service performance.

Service Contribution

Maintain comprehensive, accurate records of candidate engagement to support performance tracking, pipeline forecasting, and audit compliance. Ensure all engagement complies with relevant employment legislation, data protection standards, and equality requirements. Coordinate with stakeholders to ensure documentation and pre-employment checks are completed correctly and in a timely manner.

Deliver against team performance targets in a results-focused environment

Contribute to individual and team performance outcomes through measurable improvements in candidate yield, satisfaction and campaign efficiency. Work within a performance-managed environment, where key statistics (e.g. disengagement, re-engagement, conversion) are reviewed quarterly.

Operate flexibly to support campaign delivery and ensure operational resilience across periods of high recruitment demand.

How to apply

To begin your career at the Met, please click the "apply button ". The application process requires a comprehensive CV, a Personal Statement, and an online application form. In your Personal Statement, you should explain your interest in the position and illustrate how your skills and experiences make you a suitable candidate. Please note that you should not submit two copies of your CV, and ensure that your documents are saved in either PDF or Word format, clearly labelled as CV and/or Personal Statement.

Completed applications must be submitted by 23:55 on 4th December 2025.

Once received, your application will be reviewed against eligibility criteria, following this, your application will be reviewed by the hiring manager.


Following application review, successful candidates will be invited to interview.

www.metpolicecareers.co.uk

Essential For The Role

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

Excellent verbal and written communication skills to engage sensitively with diverse audiences. High levels of empathy and professional judgement to handle sensitive, complex, or novel queries. Experience working in a highly targeted environment with a proven track record at improving outcomes Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage competing priorities and ensure record accuracy.

Desirable

Preferably would have some front-line experience. For example, relevant front-line experience could have been gained in roles such as: - + Police Constable, Detective Constable, Police Community Support Officer, Special Constable, Emergency Call Handling roles.
Capable of presenting data and insights to senior stakeholders in a constructive, outcome-focused manner. Confident collaborator who works effectively across functions and organisational boundaries. Experience in a candidate care, recruitment, or structured service environment that involved managing sensitive information. Experience contributing to or leading candidate outreach, engagement campaigns, or service improvement activity.

Note: Experience will be assessed based on capability and outcomes, not on time served.

Scope for Impact

Directly influences candidate satisfaction, retention and conversion through independent engagement activity. Plays a lead role in implementing candidate-facing enhancements to support the MPS's diversity and inclusion objectives. Contributes to key recruitment performance metrics and is expected to exceed current benchmarks on candidate yield and engagement. Exercises discretion in case handling and contributes to process design, within policy and legal frameworks. Operates with self-directed prioritisation, escalating only where necessary, and contributes directly to quarterly performance outcomes.

Communication and Working Relationships

Engages daily with candidates via phone, email, video and in person to guide progression and maintain engagement as well as ensuring all activity is logged into our ATS Liaises regularly with hiring managers, internal recruiters, and admin teams to ensure accurate and timely case progression. Represents MPS at events and career fairs to promote the brand and build relationships with target candidate groups. Leads or contributes to discussions with internal partners (e.g. LRAP) regarding process design and improvement initiatives. Presents data and improvement proposals at quarterly performance reviews with senior stakeholders.

Dimensions

Caseload: Managing a caseload of candidates concurrently across campaigns. Performance Metrics: Individual and team performance is monitored quarterly, including candidate yield, disengagement and satisfaction. There will also be routine audit checks to ensure ATS accurately reflects Candidate Support Lead actions. Financial Responsibility: None. Staff Management: None




Required Languages
English
Reports To
Band C
Additional Information
CVF Staff Band.pdf - 971KB Opens in a new window

Disability Confident Statement

The Met is committed to being an equitable (fair and impartial) and inclusive employer for disabled people, striving to have a diverse and representative workforce at all levels. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible range of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and long-term conditions, ethnic minority groups and women.



As a Disability Confident Leader, the Met has committed to making disability equality part of our everyday practice. We ensure that people with disabilities and those with long term conditions have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.



The Met is committed to making reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process to ensure disabled applicants can perform at their best. If you need any reasonable adjustments or changes to the application and recruitment process, we ask that you include this information within your application form. All matters will be treated in strict confidence.




Please note, if you are applying for a police officer role or to become a police community support officer (PCSO) or designated detention officer (DDO), there is a minimum requirement that you must pass a job-related fitness test (JRFT) at point of entry. This does not apply to police staff roles. Find out more about police fitness standards.



Read our full disability confidence statement.