Job Summary
The Talent Acquisition Specialist is responsible for leading the organization's talent acquisition strategy by attracting, recruiting, and hiring high-quality candidates who support the organization's mission and long-term workforce goals. This role manages the full-cycle recruitment process, from workforce planning and sourcing through offer acceptance and pre-employment activities, while delivering an exceptional candidate and hiring manager experience.
Working in close partnership with leadership, the Talent Acquisition Specialist develops proactive recruiting strategies, builds and maintains talent pipelines, and identifies innovative sourcing methods to meet current and future staffing needs. The position also supports employer branding initiatives, monitors recruiting metrics, and recommends process improvements to enhance recruitment effectiveness and efficiency.
In collaboration with the Human Resources team and the organization's Professional Employer Organization (PEO), the Talent Acquisition Specialist coordinates pre-employment activities, including background checks, onboarding documentation, and new hire processing, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, with a strong emphasis on California labor regulations.
Success in this role requires exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills, strong organizational abilities, sound judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple recruitment priorities in a fast-paced environment while providing outstanding service to candidates, hiring managers, and organizational leadership.
Key Responsibilities
Talent Acquisition & Recruitment
- Manage the full-cycle recruitment process for assigned positions, including workforce planning, job postings, candidate sourcing, screening, interviewing, selection, and offer coordination.
- Partner with hiring managers to understand staffing needs, develop recruitment strategies, and create position-specific hiring plans.
- Source qualified candidates through job boards, social media, networking, employee referrals, educational institutions, and other recruiting channels.
- Conduct candidate screenings, phone interviews, reference checks, background checks, and coordinate all stages of the interview process.
- Prepare employment offers, offer letters, and pre-employment documentation while maintaining regular communication with candidates throughout the hiring process.
- Build and maintain proactive talent pipelines for critical and hard-to-fill positions.
- Ensure an exceptional candidate experience by providing timely communication, professional interactions, and consistent follow-up.
Workforce Planning & Employer Branding
- Collaborate with leadership to support workforce planning initiatives and forecast hiring needs.
- Promote and strengthen the organization's employer brand through recruitment marketing, career fairs, networking events, community partnerships, and social media.
- Develop and implement innovative sourcing strategies to attract diverse, high-quality talent.
- Monitor labor market trends and recommend recruiting strategies to improve hiring outcomes and reduce time-to-fill.
Onboarding & New Hire Experience
- Coordinate pre-employment and onboarding activities for new hires, including offer acceptance, background screenings, I-9 verification, and onboarding documentation.
- Facilitate new hire orientation and ensure employees receive the tools, resources, and information necessary for a successful transition.
- Partner with hiring managers, Information Technology, and department leaders to ensure a seamless onboarding experience.
- Coordinate onboarding activities through the HRIS, applicant tracking system (ATS), learning management system (LMS), and the organization's Professional Employer Organization (PEO).
Recruitment Operations & Compliance
- Maintain accurate recruitment records, applicant tracking data, and employment documentation in compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, with an emphasis on California labor regulations.
- Ensure compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), affirmative action (where applicable), I-9 requirements, background check regulations, and company hiring policies.
- Prepare recruitment reports, hiring metrics, and workforce analytics to support leadership decision-making.
- Monitor key performance indicators such as time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, source effectiveness, and candidate conversion rates.
Collaboration & Continuous Improvement
- Serve as a trusted recruitment partner and advisor to hiring managers throughout the hiring process.
- Identify opportunities to improve recruiting processes, candidate experience, and operational efficiency.
- Participate in HR initiatives, cross-functional projects, and organizational planning efforts that support talent acquisition and workforce development.
- Maintain the highest level of confidentiality, professionalism, and ethical standards when handling candidate and employee information.
- Perform other talent acquisition and Human Resources-related duties as assigned.
Positions Requirements & Qualifications
Education:
- Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Psychology, or a related field
- Seeking hands-on professional experience through a paid internship opportunity
- Coursework or academic focus related to Human Resources, business operations, employee relations, or organizational development is preferred
Skills & Competencies:
- Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and accuracy
- Effective verbal and written communication skills
- Professionalism, discretion, and ability to maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive employee information
- Basic proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) or similar tools
- Ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritize assignments, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a willingness to learn HR practices, policies, and procedures
- Positive attitude, adaptability, and eagerness to learn and grow within the HR field
Experience (Preferred but Not Required):
- Previous administrative, customer service, internship, campus leadership, or office experience is helpful but not required
- Familiarity with HR systems, databases, or recruiting platforms is a plus
Additional Requirements:
- Participate in HR projects and organizational initiatives.
- Support company events and employee recognition programs.
- Assist with policy implementation and communication.
- Collaborate with leadership to improve HR processes.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Communications, Psychology, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
- Minimum of three (3) years of progressive experience in talent acquisition, recruiting, or full-cycle recruitment.
- Experience managing recruitment processes from sourcing through onboarding.
- Working knowledge of federal and California employment laws related to recruitment, hiring, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), and employment practices.
- Experience using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), HRIS platforms, and recruiting technologies.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint).
- Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Strong organizational, project management, and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple requisitions simultaneously.
- Demonstrated ability to build relationships with candidates, hiring managers, and business leaders.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality, exercise sound judgment, and handle sensitive information with professionalism.
Preferred Qualifications
- Professional certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, AIRS, or Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR).
- Experience recruiting for healthcare, nonprofit, behavioral health, housing, or social services organizations.
- Experience supporting multi-site or rapidly growing organizations.
- Experience partnering with Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs).
- Experience with recruitment marketing, employer branding, and social media recruiting strategies.
- Experience using LinkedIn Recruiter, Indeed, or other sourcing platforms.
- Knowledge of workforce planning, talent pipelining, and recruiting analytics.
- Sales, customer service, business development, or relationship management experience is highly desirable, particularly experience influencing candidates and building strategic partnerships.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Comprehensive knowledge of talent acquisition best practices, recruitment strategies, and candidate sourcing techniques.
- Strong understanding of employment laws and hiring compliance, including EEO, I-9, background check requirements, and California employment regulations.
- Excellent interviewing, candidate assessment, and relationship-building skills.
- Exceptional customer service mindset with the ability to deliver an outstanding candidate and hiring manager experience.
- Strong networking, communication, and negotiation skills.
- Ability to analyze recruiting metrics and use data to improve hiring outcomes.
- High level of organization, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with leadership and cross-functional teams.
- Proficiency with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), HRIS platforms, Microsoft Office Suite, and other recruitment technologies.
Pay: $75,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
