Salary: £30,000pa depending on experience
Are you a talented coordinator looking to leverage your recruitment skills into a well-rounded HR career? Do you have experience recruiting for engineering roles and a passion for HR? Then this could be the role for you...
Working closely with our HR BP, we are looking for an ambitious Recruitment and HR Coordinator to assist in building and establishing an in-house recruitment function, while gaining hands-on exposure to employee relations and strategic HR projects.
About the company
ARA is a unique SME representing some of the best engineering of our time. With a strong and rich heritage, we are proud to have a passionate workforce of highly skilled engineering and aerodynamic professionals. We are a leading specialist in model design and manufacture, aerodynamic testing and numerous associated technologies, e.g. Computational Fluid Dynamics. We are actively involved in research, providing meaningful and innovative solutions and services to our global customer base.
Our site in Bedford is centred around our impressive transonic wind tunnel – the equipment which drives it – whilst the research performed is often unique to ARA and involves many bespoke processes.
About the Role
For the first 18 months, your primary focus will be assisting in setting up robust recruitment processes, sourcing talent, and building a seamless hiring framework. As the recruitment function matures, your role will expand to work closely alongside our HR Business Partner (supported by a dedicated HR Assistant for core admin), involving you directly in ER casework, policy work, and organisational projects.
To support your long-term progression, we will fully fund and sponsor your CIPD qualification, giving you the formal foundation and mentorship to develop into a future HR specialist or business partner.
Key Responsibilities
- Primary Focus (First 18 Months): Assisting in building the Recruitment Function
- Manage the full recruitment lifecycle across the organisation, from sourcing and screening to interview coordination and offer management.
- Help establish, refine, and document standardised recruitment processes, hiring manager guidelines, and candidate selection tools.
- Help develop creative direct-sourcing strategies (LinkedIn, job boards, networks) to reduce agency reliance and build a strong talent pipeline.
- Create a memorable, positive experience for candidates at every stage of the hiring journey.
Ongoing & Expanding HR Exposure
- Shadow and assist the HR Business Partner on ER casework (disciplinaries, grievances, performance management, and absence management), assisting with documentation, investigation notes, and correspondence.
- Collaborate with the HRBP on key initiatives, such as employee engagement, change management, and policy updates.
- Work in tandem with the HR Assistant to ensure smooth transitions from candidate offer stage to employee onboarding.
What We’re Looking For
- A background in recruitment (agency or in-house) or a recruitment-focused HR role, with a strong desire to transition into broader HR.
- Eagerness to take ownership of setting up structure, templates, and best practices for our recruitment process.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the maturity and discretion required to handle sensitive ER and employee matters.
- Highly organised with great attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities smoothly.
- A genuine drive to pursue CIPD studies and progress into a broader advisory or business partnering role over time.
What We Offer
Salary: £30,000 per annum – dependent on experience
Typical Hours: Full-time, 38 hours per week, Monday to Friday
Full CIPD Sponsorship: Complete funding and study support for your CIPD qualification.
Clear Career Pathway: Direct mentorship from an experienced HRBP, designed to expand your skills from talent acquisition into generalist HR.
- Annual leave – 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays per annum
- Contributory pension scheme whereby the company matches up to a 7% contribution
- Private medical insurance
- Life cover of 3 x basic annual salary
- Enhanced company sick pay
- BAE shares as part of the BAE share incentive plan (SIP)
Application Process
ARA is part of the BAE Systems family, sitting within FalcolnWorks. Our recruiter, Kiera, at Prismatic will be assisting in the recruitment for this role. Please send a CV and cover letter explaining why you feel you would be a good fit for the role to jobs@prismaticltd.co.uk.
The successful candidate must satisfy security clearance requirements – including the last 5 years continual UK residency.
Aircraft Research Association Ltd is proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer. We recognise the value in an inclusive and diverse workforce and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified people.
Please note that we operate a preferred supplier list for recruitment agencies. We are not seeking additional agency support for this vacancy and kindly ask that speculative approaches are not made.