Talent Acquisition Manager

About Us

Cochran is a growing civil engineering firm with 7 Missouri offices, offering services in construction administration, materials testing, architectural and geotechnical engineering, and land surveying. Serving both public and private sectors, Cochran's expertise spans municipal, commercial, residential, transportation, water/wastewater, site development, retail, planning, and interior design. With 120+ professionals, the firm delivers tailored solutions backed by deep expertise and is guided by core values of teamwork, excellence, quality, and trust-ensuring principal involvement and outstanding service throughout every project.

Cochran's Headquarters office is looking for a Talent Acquisition Manager to join our team.

Position Summary

The Talent Acquisition Manager is responsible for leading the organization's recruiting strategy and full-cycle hiring efforts to attract, engage, and hire exceptional talent across all business units. This role serves as a strategic partner to hiring managers while remaining actively involved in day-to-day recruiting activities. The Talent Acquisition Manager will oversee sourcing strategies, employer branding, candidate experience, recruitment marketing, internship programs, and workforce planning to ensure the organization continues to build a high-performing team aligned with its culture and long-term business goals.

This position requires a proactive, relationship-driven professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys connecting people with meaningful careers.

Essential Responsibilities

Talent Acquisition Strategy

• Develop and execute recruiting strategies that support organizational growth and workforce planning.
• Partner with leadership to understand current and future hiring needs.
• Build and maintain talent pipelines for critical and hard-to-fill positions.
• Monitor labor market trends and recommend innovative recruiting strategies.

Full-Cycle Recruiting

• Manage the full recruitment lifecycle from requisition through offer acceptance.
• Conduct intake meetings with hiring managers to define hiring needs and candidate profiles.
• Source candidates through LinkedIn Recruiter, networking, referrals, professional organizations, career fairs, universities, and other recruiting channels.
• Screen resumes, conduct phone interviews, coordinate interviews, and facilitate candidate selection.
• Prepare and extend employment offers while ensuring a positive candidate experience throughout the process.

Employer Branding & Recruitment Marketing

• Strengthen the organization's employer brand across digital platforms and recruiting events.
• Collaborate with Marketing to create recruiting content for social media, career pages, and recruitment campaigns.
• Develop recruiting materials, presentations, and promotional content highlighting company culture and career opportunities.
• Represent the organization at career fairs, networking events, and industry conferences.

Internship & University Relations

• Lead the company's internship and co-op recruiting program.
• Develop partnerships with colleges, universities, and student organizations.
• Coordinate internship onboarding, engagement activities, and program evaluations.
• Build a sustainable pipeline of early-career talent.

Hiring Manager Partnership

• Serve as a trusted advisor to hiring managers throughout the hiring process.
• Provide guidance on interviewing techniques, candidate evaluation, and market competitiveness.
• Ensure hiring practices are consistent, equitable, and aligned with company values.

Recruiting Operations & Analytics

• Maintain applicant tracking system data and recruiting documentation.
• Track recruiting metrics including time-to-fill, source effectiveness, candidate pipeline health, offer acceptance rates, and hiring manager satisfaction.
• Prepare recruiting reports and present hiring trends and recommendations to leadership.
• Continuously improve recruiting processes for efficiency and candidate experience.

Compliance

• Ensure recruiting practices comply with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Maintain accurate recruiting records and documentation.
• Stay informed on employment regulations and recruiting best practices.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Communications, Marketing, or a related field.
• 5+ years of full-cycle recruiting or talent acquisition experience.
• Experience recruiting for professional and technical positions.
• Strong sourcing experience using LinkedIn Recruiter and other recruiting platforms.
• Excellent interviewing, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple searches simultaneously.
• Proficiency with applicant tracking systems and Microsoft Office Suite.

Preferred

• Experience recruiting within engineering, architecture, construction, consulting, or other technical industries.
• Experience building internship or university recruiting programs.
• Experience with employer branding and recruitment marketing initiatives.
• Professional certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or Talent Acquisition certifications.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods while working at a computer.
• Occasional travel to company offices, career fairs, universities, and recruiting events.
• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds when transporting recruiting materials or event supplies.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and performance-based bonuses
• 100% company paid Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, and Long-Term Disability insurance for employees, plus company deductible assistance
• 401(k) with 4% company match
• Generous PTO plan and 7 major holidays
• Continuing education and professional development support