Early Careers Partner

at  Smiths Group

JOB FUNCTION:

Human Resources
About Us -
Founded in 1917, John Crane is a global leader in the design, manufacturing, and engineering of mission critical flow control solutions for increased efficiency, emission reductions and energy transformation. Our products include mechanical seals and systems, couplings, bearings, filtration systems and predictive digital monitoring technologies. John Crane customer service is accessed through a global network of more than 200 global sites in over 50 countries employing more than 6,000 employees worldwide. We partner with our customers and help them meet the latest environmental standards and keep their operations safe and controlled.
John Crane is part of Smiths Group, For over 170 years, Smiths has been improving our world through smarter engineering. Our technology benefits millions of people every day – making travel safer, supporting sustainable energy transition, efficiently heating, cooling our homes, and helping our world stay connected.
Now let’s hear it directly from the creators – About | John Crane
Connect with us on LinkedIn: John Crane: LinkedIn
Job Description
We have a fantastic opportunity for an Early Careers Partner to join the team reporting to the Senior Manager, Learning & Talent Development. As the leader of John Crane’s Early Career strategy, you’ll play a key role in support recruitment, onboarding, and managing emerging talent. By building relationships with schools and universities, you’ll ensure a steady stream of potential candidates. You’ll design and implement training programs focusing on Mechanical Engineering, Customer Operations, and Digital Skills, providing mentorship and support to help young professionals succeed. Collaborating with HR and Finance, you’ll manage the apprenticeship levy, track budgets, and enhance our employer brand, making John Crane a top choice for early career talent.
This role is based from our headquarters within Slough working Monday to Friday normal office hours. (Hybrid working)
John Crane is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to crafting an inclusive environment for all employees.

Duties & Responsibilities (not limited to)

• Implement the John Crane Early career strategy goals by delivering an operational action plan encompassing annual planning, recruitment, onboarding, and day to day management of the early career talent program within the business.
• Develop and maintain relationships with local schools, colleges, and universities, attending career fairs and other similar events to source a pool of candidates.
• Identify and select appropriate training providers and external suppliers to deliver various Apprenticeship courses across Level 3-level 7 primarily focusing on Mechanical Engineering, Customer Operations and Digital skills.
• Design and implement programs to support the professional development of early career talent within the organisation. Provide guidance, mentorship, and resources to help individuals navigate their career paths and achieve their developmental goals.
• Ensure participants in the Early Career program benefit from effective learning programs, pastoral support through coaching, mentoring and appropriate career advice.
• Act as a trusted advisor and advocate for early career professionals, offering support and guidance in their career progression. Facilitate career planning discussions, goal setting, and skill development opportunities. Identify and recommend suitable assignments, projects, and rotations to broaden experience and skills.
• Define measures of success with key stakeholders and report on progress to ensure the ROI can be clearly articulated whilst addressing opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with HR and Functions to assess early talent need and liaise with Talent Acquisition team to source, recruit and onboard new cohorts into the program.
• Be an ambassador for the Early career program and the internal ‘go to person’ and work with Marketing to enhance employer brand and build the Company’s reputation as an Employer of choice for early career entrants.
• Managing the Apprentice and Early career program is fundamental in this role. Working with Finance to manage the Company’s apprenticeship levy account, tracking the levy budget, monitoring, and reporting on spend with the aim of ensuring that all available funds are fully utilised.
• Developing and communicating Early Career guidelines which promote equal opportunities and inclusion through the end-to-end process.
• Advising the business on the apprenticeship levy requirements and on the best way to ensure effective spend, compliance or changes in Standards

The Individual

• Previous experience working within a similar role
• Relevant experience within HR, Development & Apprenticeships
• Ideally hold a CUIPD level 5 or relevant experience

Diversity and Inclusion
We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.
At no time during the hiring process will John Crane, Smiths Group nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing.

• Implement the John Crane Early career strategy goals by delivering an operational action plan encompassing annual planning, recruitment, onboarding, and day to day management of the early career talent program within the business.
• Develop and maintain relationships with local schools, colleges, and universities, attending career fairs and other similar events to source a pool of candidates.
• Identify and select appropriate training providers and external suppliers to deliver various Apprenticeship courses across Level 3-level 7 primarily focusing on Mechanical Engineering, Customer Operations and Digital skills.
• Design and implement programs to support the professional development of early career talent within the organisation. Provide guidance, mentorship, and resources to help individuals navigate their career paths and achieve their developmental goals.
• Ensure participants in the Early Career program benefit from effective learning programs, pastoral support through coaching, mentoring and appropriate career advice.
• Act as a trusted advisor and advocate for early career professionals, offering support and guidance in their career progression. Facilitate career planning discussions, goal setting, and skill development opportunities. Identify and recommend suitable assignments, projects, and rotations to broaden experience and skills.
• Define measures of success with key stakeholders and report on progress to ensure the ROI can be clearly articulated whilst addressing opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with HR and Functions to assess early talent need and liaise with Talent Acquisition team to source, recruit and onboard new cohorts into the program.
• Be an ambassador for the Early career program and the internal ‘go to person’ and work with Marketing to enhance employer brand and build the Company’s reputation as an Employer of choice for early career entrants.
• Managing the Apprentice and Early career program is fundamental in this role. Working with Finance to manage the Company’s apprenticeship levy account, tracking the levy budget, monitoring, and reporting on spend with the aim of ensuring that all available funds are fully utilised.
• Developing and communicating Early Career guidelines which promote equal opportunities and inclusion through the end-to-end process.
• Advising the business on the apprenticeship levy requirements and on the best way to ensure effective spend, compliance or changes in Standard