Talent Acquisition Specialist

Job Requisition ID: 59790
Opening Date:
Closing Date:
Agency: Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois
Class Title: HUMAN RESOURCES ADMINISTRATOR - 75612
Salary: $70,243-$109,579 (Springfield) or $73,555-$115,058 (Lisle)
Job Type: Salaried
Category: Full Time
Number of Vacancies: 1
Merit Comp Code: Agency Excluded from Collective Bargaining Coverage
Work Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm M-F
Headquarter Location: 2815 W. Washington St., Springfield, IL 62702-3397
Work County: Sangamon or DuPage
Agency Contact: View email address on click.appcast.io

Please follow the directions below when applying for this position.

**DO NOT CLICK THE APPLY BUTTON**

TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION PLEASE VISIT THE TRS WEBSITE:

Careers | Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois

The Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois (TRS) is one of the largest public pension systems in the United States. We provide retirement, disability and survivor benefits to teachers, administrators and other public-school personnel employed outside the city of Chicago.

TRS serves over 456,000 members and manages a multi-billion-dollar investment portfolio for the exclusive benefit of the membership.

TRS is governed by a Board of Trustees. Full-and part-time employees are eligible for the State of Illinois comprehensive benefits program which includes medical, dental and vision coverage. All employees hired after August 17, 2001 participate in the TRS retirement pension plan. Employees also have the option to contribute to additional State of Illinois deferred compensation plans. The TRS pension plan is a participating reciprocal system under the Illinois Pension Code Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act.

Learn more about careers at TRS: Careers | Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois

Job Summary

Under the direction of the Human Resources Manager, this position collaborates closely with hiring managers focusing on attracting and hiring top talent to meet TRS’s strategic goals. The primary focus is on creating and implementing effective recruitment strategies, identifying job requirements, building a pipeline of qualified candidates, and conducting initial screening and/or interviewing. Responsible for managing both the internal and external recruiting processes. This role requires strong research skills, excellent communication, and a passion for connecting with people.

Essential Functions

• In collaboration with the Human Resource Manager and TRS hiring managers, develops long-term talent strategies and processes focusing on recruiting and optimizing TRS’s overall talent acquisition function.
• Develop talent-related processes, practices, and strategies with an emphasis on diverse recruitment activities.
• Manage candidate expectations and engage with talent throughout the hiring process, communicating regularly with candidates to ensure a positive experience.
• Works with the HR Business partner to calculate, analyze, and interpret various types of recruitment metrics (time to fill, vacancy rate, offer acceptance rates, declination reasons, etc.) to advise leaders on recruitment strategies and set realistic expectations on time to fill, compensation, candidate pool quality, and market feedback.
• Collaborate closely with HR Business Partners to understand workforce needs, role priorities, and organizational objectives, ensuring alignment between talent acquisition efforts and broader HR strategies.
• Source and engage with active and passive talent and connect them to current job opportunities.
• Develop strong relationships with leaders to gain a deep understanding of recruitment needs and work to develop pools of candidates to fill vacancies.
• Track sourcing metrics and provide regular reports on candidate pipelines, outreach success, and hiring progress.
• Screen resumes and applications for key qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.
• Conduct initial candidate outreach and prescreening interviews to assess skills, interest, and availability.

Essential Functions (Continued)

• Act as a talent advisor to candidates, creating meaningful interactions that reinforce the company’s culture, values, and long-term career opportunities.
• Schedule interviews and manage candidate communications throughout the hiring process.
• Maintain candidate databases, tracking interactions and ensuring accurate and up-to-date records in the applicant tracking system (ATS).
• Assist in employer branding initiatives to promote the company as an employer of choice.
• Stay current on labor market trends, competitive hiring practices, sourcing tools, recruiting technologies, and talent availability to inform recruitment strategies.
• Creates job requisitions and monitors approvals in the HRIS system to support the timely filling of positions across the system.
• Market open positions via the agency’s careers page and job boards such as Indeed, LinkedIn, etc, and attend recruitment events, career fairs, and other talent acquisition activities as needed.
• Work with Communications to develop advertisement materials, such as flyers, digital media, and promotional products.
• Source candidates utilizing social media, resume databases, Boolean searches, industry contacts, professional networks, etc. and develop creative sourcing strategies for hard-to-fill positions.
• Engage with active and passive talent and connect them to current job opportunities.

Essential Functions (Continued)

• Partner with hiring managers to identify competency questions for interview consistency and quality.
• Assist in creating job postings, ensuring clarity, inclusivity, and alignment with company values.
• Drafts and utilizes templates for TA communications, such as application received messages, knockout notices, interview requests, rejection emails, and offer letters.
• Works to ensure diverse, inclusive, and equitable hiring practices.
• Assists with talent acquisition projects and initiatives such as internship programs and internal career pathing.
• Performs other duties as assigned

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to set up, interpret and track relevant HR metrics and key performance indicators to drive recruitment results
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to actively listen for understanding
• Excellent collaboration and team building skills
• Effectively coaches and delivers constructive feedback
• Relationship-building and interpersonal skills.
• Analytical mindset for sourcing and evaluating candidates.
• Strong research, networking, and candidate engagement skills.
• Demonstrates excellent judgment and decision-making skills

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or a related field or experience in lieu of degree. Master’s Degree preferred
• Five (5) years of experience in Talent Acquisition with experience in recruiting and/or sourcing top talent

Preferred Qualifications

• PHR, SHRM-CP, or Certified Diversity and Inclusion Recruiter certification is preferred

TRS is a non-code state agency.

**APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS**

Candidates must submit applications through the TRS Careers Website:

Careers | Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois

Please follow all instructions and include all required documents. You WILL NOT be considered for the position if you attach a CMS100, CMS100b or any other document in lieu of a Resume or CV.

TRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or completing any pre-employment testing, please direct your inquiries to Human Resources at View phone number on click.appcast.io, or View email address on click.appcast.io. Hiring decisions are not based on or affected by political factors, including political sponsorship, affiliation, or support.