Early Careers Specialist

About the role

As an Early Careers Specialist your focus will be on attracting, developing, and retaining emerging talent that aligns with the Partnership’s future capability needs, thereby building a sustainable talent pipeline, enhancing our employer brand and supporting diversity and inclusion.

The role involves collaborating with business leaders and internal stakeholders to identify talent needs and design appropriate early career solutions, as well as supporting the continuous development of internal teams by sharing relevant knowledge and best practices in early careers strategies.

A significant part of your contribution will be the continuous development of our internal teams. This includes:

* Sharing cutting-edge knowledge and best practices in early careers strategies.
* Providing direct support in cohorts management via mentorship and guidance.
* Guiding the process of gathering and utilising feedback to implement continuous improvements in our early careers programmes, ensuring our specialists are adept at this iterative process.
*Leveraging your strong external networks, including educational institutions, apprenticeship providers, and D&I networks, to bring in fresh perspectives and innovative approaches that further enhance our team's capabilities and our overall early careers strategy.

Expected Salary - £55,000 

Contract - This is a temporary contract expected to end in January 2026.

Working pattern/flexible working - The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business. There is an expectation to be in the office for events. The team meets for team days once per quarter and travel to other business locations may be required on an ad hoc basis.

Location - This role is primarily based at our London office in Pimlico.

Provisional start date: We are looking for candidates to start ASAP.

Key Responsibilities

• Work in collaboration with Business leads and internal stakeholders to identify talent needs and create solutions through early career pipelines.

• Support the design and delivery of structured early career programmes such as Graduate schemes, internships, Industrial placements, and direct entry apprenticeships aligned to our Partnership plan.

• Support the continuous development and upskilling of internal teams by sharing knowledge, insights, and best practices related to Early Careers strategies and emerging trends.

• Support the Talent Acquisition team to deliver an outstanding candidate experience through inclusive, engaging and transparent attraction strategies.

• Create and support development frameworks, mentorship and coaching pathways for early career cohorts.

• Act as a point of contact for managers, mentors, and participants within early career programmes.

• Maintain strong relationships with external networks such as education institutions, apprenticeship providers and diversity networks.

• Track and analyse success metrics for early career initiatives (e.g. retention, conversion, performance outcomes).

• Provide insights and recommendations to continuously improve programmes and meet strategic objectives.

Essential skills required:

• Comprehensive understanding and experience of the early careers landscape, including but not limited to apprenticeships, graduate schemes and industrial placement programmes.

• Brilliant communication skills, including excellent stakeholder management.

• Data driven mindset with the ability to use insights to drive decision-making

• Knowledge of emerging trends in early talent and graduate recruitment

• Ability to influence and collaborate effectively across internal lines of business and with external providers.

• Great organisational skills.

• Experienced in project management.

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The Partnership

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.  

We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants.  

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview. 

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