Recruitment Administrator

Help great people start their journey with Athena Care Homes

We're looking for an organised, proactive and people-focused Recruitment Administrator to join our Central Office team at Athena Care Homes.

Recruitment is often someone's first experience of Athena, and you'll play an important role in making sure it's a positive one. From helping vacancies reach the right candidates to coordinating pre-employment checks and supporting new starters through onboarding, you'll help keep our recruitment processes moving while making sure candidates and hiring managers feel informed and supported along the way.

You'll work closely with our Resourcing Business Partner, Home Managers, Administrators and wider People Team, becoming a trusted point of contact and helping us welcome great people into Athena.

The essentials

• Location: Russell House, Southfields Business Park, Hornsby Way, Laindon, Essex, SS15 6TF
• Salary: Up to £30,000 per annum
• Hours: 37.5 hours per week
• Working pattern: Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm, full-time office based
• Annual leave: 25 days plus bank holidays
• Reporting to: Head of Human Resources
• Travel: Occasional travel to Athena Care Homes may be required

About the role

As our Recruitment Administrator, you'll provide proactive and efficient coordination throughout the recruitment and onboarding journey.

You'll help ensure vacancies are progressed promptly, candidate records are accurate and pre-employment checks are completed correctly, while providing a professional and welcoming experience from initial application through to onboarding. You'll also be an important source of support for our hiring managers and home Administration teams, helping everyone understand what needs to happen next and keeping recruitment activity on track.

Your day might include:

• Managing our Applicant Tracking System, Reach, ensuring candidate and vacancy information remains accurate, up to date and compliant
• Managing candidate onboarding, including references, DBS checks, Right to Work verification, contracts and planned start dates
• Communicating with candidates throughout their recruitment journey, providing a professional, responsive and welcoming experience
• Managing the Recruitment Team inbox and supporting hiring managers and Home Administration teams with recruitment and onboarding queries
• Supporting the Recruitment Business Partner with recruitment open days, careers events and local attraction initiatives across our homes
• Collating recruitment data and supporting reporting on areas such as vacancies, time to hire, onboarding compliance and recruitment performance

About you

Recruitment can be fast paced, with different vacancies, candidates and deadlines, so you'll be someone who enjoys keeping things organised and moving forward, and need to be comfortable prioritising your workload while maintaining excellent attention to detail.

You'll also understand that behind every application is a person. Whether you're answering a candidate's question, helping a manager progress a vacancy or chasing an important onboarding document, how you communicate matters.

You'll be someone who:

• Has at least two years' experience within Recruitment, Resourcing, HR Administration or a similar coordination role
• Has strong organisational and administrative skills, with excellent attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities
• Is confident using Applicant Tracking Systems, databases and Microsoft Office, with good general IT skills
• Communicates clearly and professionally and enjoys building positive working relationships with candidates, managers and colleagues
• Understands safer recruitment and pre-employment checking processes, with a strong appreciation of accuracy, confidentiality and compliance
• Is proactive, accountable and adaptable – someone who takes ownership, follows things through and responds positively when priorities change

You'll also need GCSEs at grade C/4 or above, or equivalent, in English and Maths. Previous experience within the care sector would be beneficial but isn't essential. And because the role may involve visiting our homes to provide recruitment support and training, you'll need to be willing and able to travel when required. A full UK driving licence is desirable.

Recruitment at Athena – Help create a great candidate experience

At Athena Care Homes, our people make our homes what they are. As part of the Recruitment team, you'll help us find and welcome colleagues who share our commitment to delivering authentic care and making a meaningful difference to residents' lives.

You'll support candidates from application through to onboarding, making sure they know what to expect and what happens next. At the same time, you'll help our hiring managers keep recruitment moving efficiently and compliantly – balancing a great candidate experience with the accuracy and attention to detail that safer recruitment demands. The role is specifically responsible for supporting candidates and hiring managers throughout recruitment and onboarding.

Our values

Our values are at the heart of everything we do:

• Delivering authentic care – approaching every candidate and colleague with professionalism, honesty and respect.
• Making moments together – recognising that a positive recruitment experience can be the beginning of someone's Athena journey.
• Being there for one another – providing responsive and dependable support to candidates, managers and colleagues.
• Celebrating every individual – treating every candidate as a person and creating a welcoming, inclusive experience.

Why join Athena?

We want our colleagues to feel supported, recognised and able to develop their careers.

As part of our team, you'll benefit from:

• 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays
• Comprehensive induction and ongoing support for development and progression
• Support from our in-house Learning & Development Team
• Employee Assistance Helpline for emotional wellbeing support
• Blue Light Card
• Refer a Friend scheme
• Employee of the Month recognition
• Athena's annual VIP – Value in People – Awards
• Length of service recognition

Bring your organisation. Create a great first impression. Help people find where they belong.

A great recruitment experience can shape how someone feels about Athena before they've even worked their first shift.

As our Recruitment Administrator, you'll help make sure that experience is organised, professional and welcoming – while giving our managers the support they need to bring the right people into their teams.

If you're ready to bring your recruitment experience, organisation and attention to detail to a role where your work has an impact across Athena Care Homes, we'd love to hear from you!