Early Careers Referral Relationship Manager - EY GDS

The Opportunity

As an Early Careers Referral Relationship Manager, you will serve as the primary relationship owner for PPMDD-referred candidates, delivering consistent, high-quality experience from referral intake through final disposition. This role is designed to elevate both candidate and stakeholder experience by introducing a centralized point of accountability, enhancing communication transparency, and ensuring process consistency across the referral lifecycle.

You will operate as both a relationship manager and process steward, partnering closely with Attraction Recruiters, Acquisition Recruiters, Hiring Managers, Service Line Leadership, and operational teams while maintaining alignment with established recruiting standards and fairness principles.

Your Key Responsibilities

Relationship Management

• Serve as the dedicated point of contact for all PPMDD referrals from intake through closeout with a special focus on client referrals
• Confirm referral receipt and establish clear communication expectations with candidates and referring stakeholders
• Maintain proactive, consistent engagement across stakeholders, ensuring no gaps in communication or ownership

Candidate Experience (Front-End)

• Conduct timely and personalized outreach to all referred candidates, including:
• Introduction and scheduling coordination
• Coaching conversations (phone or video)
• Follow-up communications aligned to candidate experience standards
• Provide guidance on:
• Recruiting timelines and process expectations
• Role alignment and application strategy
• Eligibility and readiness considerations
• Connect candidates with appropriate recruiting and network touchpoints, including, but not limited to:
• Campus & University (C&U) recruiters
• Acquisition recruiters
• Alumni or client-serving professionals (as applicable)

Note: Coaching is limited to front-end guidance and does not include interview feedback.

Process Stewardship

• Ensure all referrals are:
• Submitted through required systems and portals
• Accurately tagged (e.g., PPMDD Referral, Client Referral)
• Documented with structured notes within tracking tools (e.g., Yello)
• Maintain data integrity, including:
• Referral source and stakeholder context
• Candidate status and progression
• Communication documentation
• Track progress and facilitate seamless handoffs across recruiting teams

PPMDD Engagement

• Provide consistent and transparent communication to referring PPMDDs
• Set clear expectations regarding:
• Process flow and timelines
• Types of updates provided
• Reinforce appropriate boundaries, including:
• No influence on interview or hiring outcomes
• Final decisions communicated by recruiting teams

Pipeline Monitoring and Coordination

• Monitor candidate progression through the recruiting lifecycle
• Identify and proactively address delays or stalled activity
• Escalate concerns appropriately and partner with recruiters to maintain momentum

Communication and Status Management

• Ensure timely, milestone-based updates across stakeholders
• Provide proactive outreach in cases of delay or ambiguity
• Manage communication cadence such that stakeholders do not need to request updates

Closeout and Continuous Improvement

• Confirm final candidate disposition has been communicated
• Verify accurate system documentation and referral closeout
• Capture insights and trends to support process improvement initiatives

Skills and Attributes for Success

• Strong relationship management and stakeholder engagement capabilities
• High attention to detail with strong operational discipline
• Ability to manage high-volume workflows with consistency and accuracy
• Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset
• Effective communicator with the ability to balance transparency and appropriate boundaries
• Strong organizational and process management skills

To Qualify for the Role, You Must Have

• Prior experience in recruiting, talent operations, or stakeholder-facing roles
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Experience working with recruiting systems, CRM tools, or candidate tracking platforms

Ideally, You’ll Also Have

• Experience supporting Early Careers or campus recruiting programs
• Familiarity with stakeholder engagement at senior levels (e.g., PPMDD, client leaders)
• Experience in process improvement, operations, or workflow optimization

What We Look For

We are looking for individuals who demonstrate a relationship-first mindset while maintaining a strong commitment to process integrity and fairness. The ideal candidate thrives in a highly collaborative environment, values consistency and accountability, and is motivated to enhance both candidate and stakeholder experiences at scale.

Success Measures

Candidate Experience

• Timeliness of outreach and engagement
• Candidate satisfaction and responsiveness

Stakeholder Experience (PPMDD)

• Clarity, timeliness, and consistency of communication
• Stakeholder trust and ongoing engagement

Operational Excellence

• Accuracy of tagging and documentation
• Referral closeout completeness
• Time from referral intake to disposition
• Reduction in delays and escalations

EY’s Commitment to Fairness and Consistency

This role operates within established recruiting frameworks and does not influence hiring decisions. All referrals are managed consistently, with no preferential treatment, and communication is provided transparently without overpromising outcomes.