Recruitment & Onboarding Manager

Description

Job Summary:

The Recruitment & Onboarding Manager performs day-to-day staff recruitment and onboarding activities across The Marine Mammal Center. Reporting to the Associate Director, Recruitment & Onboarding and in close partnership with hiring managers, this position leads assigned recruitment processes for a broad range of employee positions, from initial planning and candidate sourcing through selection, offer, pre-boarding, and onboarding. The ROM serves as the primary point of contact for candidates and new employees, and provides hiring managers with information, tools, and process support to promote consistent, equitable, and effective hiring practices. The position implements established recruitment and onboarding practices; maintains related resources and records; tracks activity and outcomes; and identifies opportunities to strengthen the candidate, hiring manager, and new employee experience. Through this work, the Recruitment & Onboarding Specialist helps the Center attract, select, and welcome a talented, engaged, and mission-aligned staff workforce.

Essential Functions:

Staff Recruitment & Onboarding: 80%

• Lead assigned staff recruitment from intake through selection and offer within established practices, timelines, and service standards and provide support with senior-level, highly specialized, strategically critical, or difficult-to-fill searches.
• Conduct intake meetings with hiring managers to clarify position requirements, recruitment strategy, selection criteria, interview processes, timelines, and candidate experience expectations.
• Prepare and maintain position postings across approved job boards, professional networks, social media, career fairs, and other recruitment channels.
• Proactively source candidates and use established partnerships, platforms, networks, and pipelines to broaden applicant pools; identify additional sourcing opportunities for review with management.
• Review applications, conduct phone screens and interviews, assess candidates against established qualifications, and provide clear recommendations to hiring managers.
• Manage all stages of assigned recruitment processes, including interview scheduling, candidate communication, interview materials, reference checks, employment offers, background checks, and required documentation.
• Maintain consistent and professional communication with candidates and hiring managers, ensuring timely follow-through and a positive, equitable, and well-organized hiring experience.
• Provide hiring managers with information and process support in applying established recruitment practices, structured candidate evaluation methods, interview processes, selection criteria, and applicable policies and employment requirements.
• Facilitate end-to-end staff pre-boarding and onboarding, including new employee communication, required forms, orientation scheduling, equipment and system-access coordination, welcome materials, and initial engagement activities.
• Work with the Center's external information technology vendor and internal partners to ensure new employees receive the equipment, system access, information, and support needed for a successful start.
• Implement and maintain recruitment and onboarding processes, templates, tools, training materials, and established manager resources; recommend practical improvements based on user feedback and day-to-day experience.
• Deliver recruitment and onboarding training and guidance for hiring managers and interview participants and support the development of updated training resources.
• Maintain accurate and complete recruitment and onboarding records in the applicant tracking system and other assigned systems in accordance with recordkeeping requirements.
• Maintain accurate recruitment and onboarding data and prepare routine reports on activity and outcomes; identify potential delays, data concerns, or process gaps and elevate findings and recommendations to management.
• Resolve routine recruitment and onboarding questions and issues and promptly elevate matters involving policy interpretation, legal or compliance risk, senior-level searches, significant delays, or broader organizational impact to management.
• Prepare, distribute, and maintain inventory of new employee welcome materials and gifts.

Housing Administration: 15%

• Process guest housing payments, including invoicing and collections, collaborating with the Professional Education Programs and Finance teams for monthly reporting and reconciliation.
• Maintain and support the implementation of housing policies, procedures, communications, and records in collaboration with Life Support Systems & Facilities department.
• Support a positive living environment by responding to resident and guest questions and working with the Life Support Systems & Facilities department to address housing-related concerns, maintenance needs, and emergencies, escalating matters as appropriate.
• Participate in housing operations and resident relations activities, including quarterly walk-throughs.

Other Duties as Assigned: 5%

• Represent and promote the Center through donor cultivation activities in partnership with the department as opportunities arise.
• Perform special projects and research as assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibility:

None

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong Passion for marine and environmental conservation and the mission of The Marine Mammal Center.
• Knowledge of recruitment, selection, and onboarding practices, including candidate sourcing, screening, interviewing, assessment, and candidate relationship management.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations applicable to recruitment, selection, pre-employment screening, onboarding, equal employment opportunity, and recordkeeping.
• Experience using applicant tracking systems or recruitment modules within a Human Resources Information System. Familiarity with Paylocity is a plus.
• Ability to independently carry multiple recruitment and onboarding processes through completion while maintaining accuracy, organization, responsiveness, and timely follow-through.
• Ability to build effective partnerships with hiring managers, provide practical guidance, and support consistent and equitable hiring decisions.
• Ability to develop clear job postings, candidate communications, interview materials, process documentation, training, and other recruitment and onboarding resources.
• Ability to maintain, review, and interpret recruitment and onboarding data, identify potential concerns, and provide accurate information and practical recommendations to management.
• Ability to communicate clearly, professionally, and concisely, both orally and in writing, with candidates, new employees, hiring managers, colleagues, vendors, and members of the public.
• High degree of professionalism, discretion, sound judgment, and confidentiality when handling sensitive candidate and employee information.
• Ability to work independently within established procedures, organize competing priorities, meet deadlines, and seek direction or approval when appropriate.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, adaptability, and commitment to continuous improvement.
• Skills using Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Word) and virtual collaboration tools (Asana, Slack, Teams, Zoom).
• Ability to work collaboratively and maintain effective working relationships with staff, volunteers, training participants, vendors, and members of the public.
• Ability to practice self-awareness and respect when engaging with staff, volunteers, candidates, training participants, and members of the public.
• Willingness to support and participate in the Center’s diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

Certifications and/or Licenses:

• Professional HR certification (PHR or SHRM-CP) is a plus.

Preferred Education and Experience:

This position requires a combination of education and/or experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, or related field, and 3 years of experience directly related in staff recruitment, talent acquisition, onboarding, human resources, or relevant client-driven role.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements:

• This position operates in a professional office, laboratory, and hospital environment both indoors and outdoors with access to other parts of the facilities via outdoor pathways.
• Routinely uses standard office equipment requiring repetitive motion.
• Ability to work at a desk for extended periods using a computer.
• Ability to occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• May involve smells associated with animals and the care of animals.
• Limited exposure to allergens and zoonotic diseases.

Position Type, Expected Hours of Work, and Travel:

• This is a full-time, hybrid onsite/remote position.
• Days and hours of work may vary according to the needs of The Marine Mammal Center.
• Evening, weekend, and holiday work may be required as job duties demand.
• Travel within California, the Hawaiian Islands, and other national travel may be expected for this position.

Compensation Range: $73,000 - $83,000

Benefits:

• Holidays, Sick Time, Vacation
• Medical, Dental, and Vision
• Life Insurance, Long-Term Disability Insurance
• 401k Retirement Plan
• Employee Assistance Program

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

The Marine Mammal Center actively engages individuals from all backgrounds. We are committed to embracing diversity within our organization because we firmly believe that diverse employee teams help us to achieve our best organizational outcomes and provide the most effective support to the communities we serve. We are deeply dedicated to creating and maintaining an inclusive, equitable, and supportive work environment. We strongly encourage people from underrepresented groups to apply. The Marine Mammal Center believes in growth and supporting our employees as best we can so they can become their best selves in and outside of work. We believe that a healthy work environment means building an inclusive culture where people can thrive together and feel supported and empowered. We believe in stretch versus constraint.

OUR MISSION

The Marine Mammal Center advances ocean health through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, research, and education.

ABOUT THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER

The Marine Mammal Center is leading the field in ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue, veterinary medicine, science, and education. For more information, please visit our “About Us” page at

To Apply: Please submit your resume and cover letter with a brief description of how your experience aligns with the role.

We strongly encourage people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities to apply. The Center is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team. If you need reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know.