Talent Acquisition Partner (contractor)

Join Our Team as a Talent Acquisition Partner (Contract)!

This role will be approximately a 3-6+ month contract role with a fixed hybrid schedule (onsite Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday; remote Monday/Friday) in Maple Plain, MN.

As a Contract Talent Acquisition Partner at Protolabs, you'll play a critical role in shaping the future of our business by attracting and hiring exceptional talent. As part of our Global Talent Acquisition Center of Excellence (COE), you'll be a trusted talent advisor, brand ambassador, and relationship builderhelping position Protolabs as an employer of choice in the market.

In this highly visible role, you'll own full-cycle recruiting for corporate and/or manufacturing teams to support the growth and demands of the business. You'll partner closely with hiring managers and HR stakeholders to design inclusive, efficient, and scalable hiring strategies that deliver outstanding results in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. Leveraging innovative sourcing techniques, market insights, and best-in-class recruiting practices, you'll build diverse talent pipelines and deliver an exceptional candidate experience from first touch to offer acceptance.

As a Talent Advisor, you'll influence hiring decisions, streamline recruiting processes, and continuously improve how we attract and engage top talent. You'll represent Protolabs in the marketplace with energy and authenticity, strengthening our employer brand while creating meaningful experiences for candidates and internal partners alike.

Success in this role requires a positive, collaborative, and adaptable mindset. You'll thrive in an environment that moves quickly, values autonomy, and rewards creativity and initiative. With the ability to prioritize effectively and pivot as business needs evolve, you'll help ensure Protolabs always has the right talent in place to drive innovation and growth.

What You'll Do

• Design and execute global innovative talent acquisition strategies that attract, engage, and retain high-quality, diverse talent across the organization.
• Serve as a trusted talent advisor to hiring managers and leaders by consulting on workforce planning, hiring priorities, market insights, and best-in-class recruiting strategies.
• Deliver a seamless, inclusive, and unrivaled candidate experience from first conversation to onboarding.
• Build and proactively maintain strong talent pipelines for hard-to-fill and high-demand roles.
• Identify and engage both active and passive candidates using a multi-channel sourcing approach, including:
• Social media and professional networking platforms
• Industry and professional associations
• University and technical degreed programs
• Employee referral programs
• Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and existing pipelines
• Own the full-cycle recruitment process, partnering closely with hiring managers through intake and debrief sessions; conducting candidate screening and structured interviews; presenting and negotiating offers; and successfully closing and onboarding top talent.
• Strengthen Protolabs' employer brand by developing and maintaining relationships with college career centers, universities, and community organizations to build long-term talent pipelines. Represent Protolabs at career fairs, recruiting events, and networking opportunities as needed.
• Maintain accurate, compliant, and data-driven recruiting records, including recruiting metrics and pipeline reporting, to support continuous improvement and efficiency.
• Contribute to special projects and cross-functional initiatives that drive innovation, scalability, and excellence within the Talent Acquisition team.

What It Takes

• 3+ years of full-cycle corporate recruiting experience, with a strong preference in tech, skilled manufacturing, and/or other corporate functions. Global recruiting experience preferred!
• Proven experience to partner closely with hiring managers and senior leaders, serving as a trusted advisor on talent strategy, hiring decisions, and market insights.
• Strong consultative and influencing skills, with the confidence to guide stakeholders, negotiate effectively, and make sound judgment calls.
• A track record of owning recruiting strategies end-to-end, from intake through offer, and driving roles to successful close.
• The ability to work independently with a sense of urgency in a fast-paced environment, balancing multiple priorities while maintaining high attention to detail.
• Expertise in building and maintaining strong candidate pipelines using a mix of direct sourcing, social and professional networks, and traditional recruiting channels.
• Demonstrated success with direct sourcing strategies and modern recruiting best practices, including proactive market mapping and competitive talent outreach.
• Experience creating meaningful partnerships with community organizations, schools, or outreach programs to broaden and diversify talent pipelines.
• Comfort and proficiency using applicant tracking systems and recruiting databases, with a keen eye for data, workflow, and candidate experience.
• A flexible, solutions-oriented mindset with the ability to adapt quickly to changing business needs and hiring priorities.
• Practice discretion while dealing with confidential information (HR and other)

What Makes You Stand Out

• Global recruitment experience
• Creative and innovating sourcing strategies
• A blend of corporate and agency recruiting experience
• Lever ATS experience
• LinkedIn Sourcing experience

$30 - $45 an hour Protolabs offers a competitive total rewards package, and compensation mix vary based on position, such as base wage, as well as other earnings including incentives and commissions. Actual pay offered will vary depending on multiple factors which may include, without limitation, job function, work experience, specialized skills, training, education, and certifications.

Proto Labs maintains ITAR-compliant operations in all of our United States based facilities. Due to ITAR regulations, this role is only open to U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders) or foreign nationals granted refugee or asylee status. Individuals with temporary visas (e.g. E, F-1, H-1, H-2, L, B, J, TN or OPT) are not eligible for hire in this role.

Proto Labs, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Physical Demands:

While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use a computer keyboard, monitor and mouse, telephone and printer; reach with hands, and arms, talk, see and hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, stoop or kneel and must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment:

Indoors (A/C); nonsmoking; the majority of this job function is performed in an office setting requiring normal safety precautions. However, there may be job duties that require the employee to spend time in the manufacturing areas exposed to machinery and noise; eye protection occasionally required. Occasionally works in outside weather conditions. Occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, risk of electrical shock and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.