Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust

Senior Recruitment Lead (Medical)

The closing date is 14 April 2026

Job summary

We are seeking a Senior Recruitment Lead (Medical) to join our Recruitment Team.

This is a key role providing day-to-day leadership across the Medical Recruitment function, including line management of the Medical Recruitment Officers, and oversight of the end-to-end medical recruitment process to ensure a high-quality, professional and compliant service in line with Trust policy, NHS Employers guidance, Home Office requirements and relevant legislation.

You will provide expert advice and operational support to hiring managers and senior stakeholders, help coordinate medical recruitment activity, and drive improvements to reduce time to hire and strengthen candidate and manager experience. Hybrid working is available, with a minimum of one day per week in the office.

The successful candidate will have experience in managing a medical recruitment function or acting in a senior capacity within a medical recruitment team within the NHS, the ability to manage complex recruitment activity and provide confident advice to managers and senior stakeholders. You will have strong communication and organisational skills, the ability to interpret and apply recruitment policy, NHS guidance and relevant legislation. Experience of supervising or leading staff, using applicant tracking systems, analysing recruitment data, and supporting service improvement is essential, along with a proactive, solutions-focused approach to delivering an efficient and high-quality recruitment service.

Main duties of the job

  • Lead the end-to-end medical recruitment process, ensuring compliance with Trust policy, NHS guidance and legislation
  • Line manage the Medical Recruitment Officers, providing day-to-day leadership, supervision and support
  • Act as the main point of contact for medical recruitment queries, escalations and complex cases
  • Provide expert advice to hiring managers and senior stakeholders on medical recruitment processes and best practice
  • Oversee and advise on Advisory Appointment Committees (AACs) for consultant recruitment
  • Ensure Fit and Proper Person requirements, right to work and visa sponsorship processes are managed correctly
  • Drive continuous improvement across medical recruitment to reduce time to hire and improve candidate and manager experience
  • Ensure offer letters, contracts, pay details and recruitment bonuses are accurate and compliant
  • Monitor recruitment activity, performance data and risks, using insight to inform improvements
  • Work closely with Medical Staffing and other internal teams to ensure joined-up, efficient recruitment processes

About us

We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway. Our teams support adults with a wide range of mental health needs. Because we cover the whole county and both hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the 1.8 million people of Kent and Medway. Rated 'Good' by the CQC, we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 in the community each year.

Our vision is simple: We are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. And everything we do is guided by our values caring, inclusive, curious and confident.

Join us - if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's doing well together.

Details

Date posted

31 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£31,049 to £37,796 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Home or remote working

Reference number

380-SS0774

Job locations

Eastern and Coastal Area Offices

Littlebourne Road

Canterbury

CT1 1AZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for a full breakdown of main responsibilities and requirements.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for a full breakdown of main responsibilities and requirements.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant experience

Desirable

  • CIPD qualification or equivalent

Experience

Essential

  • Experience in managing a medical recruitment function or acting in a senior capacity within a Medical Recruitment Team
  • Experience of managing complex medical recruitment issues.
  • Experience in producing reports and analysing data to monitor performance, within a recruitment environment.

Desirable

  • Experience in the use of NHS systems such as ESR/NHS Jobs/Trac

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • Knowledge of employment law that relates to recruitment
  • Knowledge of Doctors Terms and Conditions in relation to medical recruitment
  • Leadership, negotiating and influencing skills, with the ability to form positive relationships at all levels.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant experience

Desirable

  • CIPD qualification or equivalent

Experience

Essential

  • Experience in managing a medical recruitment function or acting in a senior capacity within a Medical Recruitment Team
  • Experience of managing complex medical recruitment issues.
  • Experience in producing reports and analysing data to monitor performance, within a recruitment environment.

Desirable

  • Experience in the use of NHS systems such as ESR/NHS Jobs/Trac

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • Knowledge of employment law that relates to recruitment
  • Knowledge of Doctors Terms and Conditions in relation to medical recruitment
  • Leadership, negotiating and influencing skills, with the ability to form positive relationships at all levels.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust

Address

Eastern and Coastal Area Offices

Littlebourne Road

Canterbury

CT1 1AZ


Employer's website

https://www.kentmedwaymentalhealth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust

Address

Eastern and Coastal Area Offices

Littlebourne Road

Canterbury

CT1 1AZ


Employer's website

https://www.kentmedwaymentalhealth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Recruitment and Temporary Staffing Manager

Danielle Anderson

danielle.anderson16@nhs.net

01227532210

Details

Date posted

31 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£31,049 to £37,796 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Home or remote working

Reference number

380-SS0774

Job locations

Eastern and Coastal Area Offices

Littlebourne Road

Canterbury

CT1 1AZ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)