Principal, Talent Acquisition & Strategy

Role Description

The Principal, Talent & Workforce Strategy is an individual contributor level role strategic, enterprise-level leader responsible for building and evolving a modern, insight-driven talent acquisition function. This role goes beyond hiring execution to actively shape workforce strategy, anticipate talent shifts across the organization, and ensure the company has the capabilities it needs to execute its business strategy—now and in the future.

This leader will leverage AI-enabled tools, workforce analytics, and market intelligence to identify emerging skills, assess internal and external talent supply, and guide proactive hiring, internal mobility, and capability-building decisions. They will operate as a trusted partner to executives, People leaders, and functional leadership, translating business strategy into forward-looking talent plans.

Qualifications

• 7-10+ years of progressive experience in Talent Acquisition or Workforce Strategy, including leadership of enterprise-level programs
• Proven experience leveraging AI, analytics, and labor market insights in recruiting or workforce planning
• Strong consulting and executive communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to partner across HR and business leadership to influence strategy
• Experience operating in a remote or distributed organization strongly preferred

Requirements

• Partner with the CHRO and executive team to align talent acquisition strategy with business priorities, growth plans, and evolving capability needs.
• Identify and anticipate talent shifts across the company (e.g., skills adjacency, emerging roles, declining capabilities) using workforce data, market insights, and business context.
• Actively shape build vs. buy vs. borrow decisions by integrating recruiting, internal mobility, and workforce planning perspectives.
• Serve as a thought partner to HR Business Partners and functional leaders to inform org design, succession planning, and transformation initiatives.
• Review and improve the hiring process, and provide regular recruiting updates to executives.
• Lead the adoption and responsible use of AI and automation across the talent acquisition lifecycle (sourcing, screening, insights, forecasting, and candidate experience).
• Use AI-driven tools and analytics to improve speed, quality of hire, talent matching, and equity outcomes.
• Translate recruiting and workforce data into clear, executive-ready insights and recommendations.
• Build strong partnerships across HR (People Analytics, Total Rewards, L&D, HRBPs) to develop a holistic understanding of internal talent supply and demand.
• Establish external partnerships and benchmarks to monitor labor market trends, competitive dynamics, and emerging skills.
• Ensure recruiting strategy reflects both near-term hiring needs and longer-term capability shifts.
• Have strong business acumen and consulting skills – this is an individual contributor role that will rely on strong partnerships with HR Ops, external vendors and internal leaders.
• Set clear priorities, metrics, and operating rhythms to ensure scalable, efficient, and candidate-centric hiring.
• Own TA governance, vendor strategy, and technology/AI roadmap.
• Have a high standard of work product delivery and output to stakeholders.

Benefits

• The annual base salary range for this full-time position is $165,000 – $185,000 (less applicable taxes).
• The actual annual base salary offered may be adjusted based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, location, education, skills, training, and experience.
• This position is eligible for an annual bonus target, a discretionary bonus awarded based on company and individual goal achievement.
• Generous benefits package consisting of options including flexible time off, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans, family planning benefits, 401(k) retirement savings plan with company match, health savings account with company contributions, flexible spending account, life, accident, and disability coverage, business travel insurance, employee assistance programs, and other well-being benefits.

Company Description

For nearly 20 years, Accela has been an industry leader in designing and delivering government software to improve efficiency, increase citizen engagement and enable the development of thriving communities. Accela provides a robust, cloud-based platform of government software solutions that accelerate growth, efficiency, and transparency in communities of all sizes.

Accela believes in developing and nurturing a workplace community where our differences are celebrated, and everyone feels a sense of psychological safety and belonging. Accela is committed to putting resources and attention towards evolving our practices, policies, and philosophies to enable diversity to thrive and to support equity in opportunity for everyone.