Talent Acquisition Specialist

Nature of Work: The Talent Acquisition Specialist is responsible for managing the full recruitment lifecycle to attract, engage, and hire qualified candidates who align with the mission, values, and staffing needs of 3Rivers. This position plays a critical role in workforce development by implementing proactive recruiting strategies, building talent pipelines, fostering community partnerships, and ensuring an exceptional candidate experience. The Talent Acquisition Specialist serves as a strategic partner to hiring managers and leadership, supporting staffing needs across all agency programs and locations. The role requires a high level of initiative, organization, relationship building, and the ability to effectively market employment opportunities while maintaining compliance with employment laws and agency policies. Essential Functions: Recruitment & Talent Acquisition Manage the full-cycle recruitment process from requisition through onboarding. Develop and implement innovative recruitment strategies to attract qualified candidates for all levels of positions. Partner with hiring managers to identify staffing needs, develop recruitment plans, and establish candidate selection criteria. Create and post job advertisements on internal and external platforms, job boards, social media channels, and industry‑specific sites. Conduct candidate sourcing through direct outreach, networking, referrals, professional associations, career platforms, and community partnerships. Build and maintain talent pipelines for critical and hard‑to‑fill positions. Screen applications and resumes to identify qualified candidates. Conduct phone screenings and coordinate interviews with hiring managers. Facilitate and participate in interviews, selection discussions, and candidate evaluations. Conduct reference checks and assist in pre‑employment screening processes. Extend employment offers and communicate employment terms in collaboration with Human Resources. Maintain regular communication with applicants throughout the hiring process to ensure a positive candidate experience. Track recruitment metrics and provide regular reports regarding staffing trends, recruitment effectiveness, applicant flow, and hiring outcomes. Community Outreach Represent 3Rivers at job fairs, hiring events, career expos, networking functions, and community outreach activities. Develop partnerships with schools, colleges, workforce development agencies, vocational rehabilitation programs, and community organizations. Maintain a visible presence within the communities served by 3Rivers to promote employment opportunities. Coordinate and facilitate recruiting events, open houses, informational sessions, and hiring campaigns. Promote employee referral programs and recruitment incentive initiatives. Serve as an ambassador of the agency's mission, culture, and brand. Employment Branding & Marketing Collaborate with Human Resources and leadership to develop recruitment marketing strategies. Create engaging recruitment content for social media, websites, advertisements, and promotional materials. Assist with maintaining and enhancing the agency's employer brand. Promote career opportunities through both traditional and digital recruitment methods. Monitor recruitment trends and recommend improvements to increase applicant engagement and hiring success. Compliance & Documentation Maintain accurate recruitment records and applicant tracking documentation. Ensure recruitment processes comply with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations. Maintain confidentiality of applicant and employee information. Support onboarding processes by ensuring required hiring documentation is completed timely and accurately. Follow all 3Rivers policies and procedures as outlined in the Employee Handbook. Workforce Planning, Retention & HR Support Maintain ongoing recruitment readiness by developing talent pipelines for positions with anticipated turnover, growth, or difficult‑to‑fill schedules and locations. Partner with Human Resources and operational leaders to review staffing levels, anticipated vacancies, turnover patterns, leaves of absence, program growth, and future workforce needs. Promote internal job opportunities and assist employees in understanding available career paths within 3Rivers. Coordinate new‑hire check‑ins at established intervals, such as 30, 60, and 90 days, to identify onboarding concerns and opportunities to improve early retention. Gather feedback from new employees and hiring managers regarding recruitment, interview, offer, and onboarding experiences. Assist Human Resources and leadership with stay interviews, retention surveys, and other efforts to understand and address employee turnover. Analyze new‑hire retention, early turnover, time‑to‑fill, source effectiveness, offer acceptance, vacancy, and applicant‑conversion data. Identify recurring reasons candidates withdraw, decline offers, fail to complete pre‑employment requirements, or leave within established timeframes after hire, and recommend improvements. Review and improve recruitment and onboarding workflows to increase consistency, efficiency, communication, and candidate satisfaction. Maintain standardized interview guides, candidate evaluation tools, offer templates, recruitment materials, and hiring manager resources. Provide training and guidance to hiring managers on interviewing practices, candidate evaluation, documentation, selection consistency, and the applicant experience. Review job postings and recruitment materials to ensure they accurately reflect current responsibilities, qualifications, schedules, compensation, benefits, and the 3Rivers employment experience. Assist with the review and updating of job descriptions in partnership with Human Resources and department leadership. Conduct periodic audits of applicant‑tracking records, hiring documentation, job postings, and recruitment practices to support compliance and data accuracy. Maintain relationships with qualified former applicants, former employees eligible for rehire, interns, students, volunteers, and community partners who may become future candidates. Develop internship, job‑shadowing, clinical‑placement, apprenticeship, and work‑based learning opportunities in partnership with schools and agency leaders. Coordinate recruitment‑related employee recognition, referral campaigns, and employee testimonial initiatives. Support workforce‑related communications, including recruitment announcements, career‑development opportunities, employee referral information, and hiring event promotions. Assist with special Human Resources projects related to employee engagement, workforce development, retention, performance management, and agency growth. Training & Professional Development Attend and participate in required meetings, training sessions, and professional development opportunities. Stay informed regarding recruitment best practices, employment law updates, and workforce trends. Participate in cross‑functional projects supporting organizational growth and workforce initiatives. Agency Core Values: Accountability: We take ownership of our actions, follow through on commitments, and hold ourselves and each other to high standards. Adaptability: We embrace change, stay open to feedback, and grow through learning and evolving together. Collaboration: We work as one team, listening, supporting, and building on each other’s strengths. Empowerment: We support individuals in making their own choices, fostering independence, self‑expression, and valuing every voice and experience with respect and empathy. Community: We believe in the power of connection and community.We are dedicated to serving, placing the needs and well‑being of those we support at the center of all we do. Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time. Additional Expectations: Demonstrate professionalism and positive representation of 3Rivers at all times. Maintain strong interpersonal and customer service skills. Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends, to attend recruitment events and job fairs. Travel throughout the service area and between agency locations as needed. Maintain confidentiality and professionalism in all aspects of the position. Physical Requirements/ Work Environment: Ability to sit for extended periods while utilizing a computer and telephone. Ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and electronically. Ability to travel regularly and independently to recruitment events, agency locations, schools, community organizations, and job fairs. Ability to lift and transport recruitment materials, displays, and equipment weighing up to 25 pounds. Works primarily in an office environment but regularly attends community‑based events and outreach activities. Qualifications: Associate's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, a related field, or a combination of education and experience. Minimum of two (2) years of recruitment, talent acquisition, staffing, or related experience. Experience with full‑cycle recruiting strongly preferred. Knowledge of employment laws, hiring practices, and recruitment strategies preferred. Proficiency with Microsoft Office products, HRIS, and applicant tracking systems. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Strong organizational, time‑management, and relationship‑building skills. Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities simultaneously. Valid Maine driver's license and reliable transportation. Ability to pass required background checks, to include: Adult and Child Protective Services; criminal history; OIG Exclusion list; National Sex Offender Registry; and Bureau of Motor Vehicles record. #J-18808-Ljbffr