Senior Recruiter: Instructional Staff

Job Description

Job Description

At Rocketship Public Schools, we believe in the infinite possibility of human potential.  We believe that every student deserves the right to dream, to discover, and to develop their unique potential and it is our responsibility and our privilege to unleash the potential inside every Rocketeer we serve. Our non-profit network of public elementary charter schools propels student achievement, develops exceptional educators, and partners with parents who enable high-quality public schools to thrive in their community. We are a collective of parents, teachers, leaders, and students working together to transform the future for underserved communities across our country. At Rocketship Public Schools, we are unleashing potential.

The Senior Recruiter plays a critical and highly visible role in ensuring every Rocketship student has access to exceptional teachers and instructional staff. This position serves as a strategic talent partner to school and regional leaders, driving staffing strategy and building high-quality, diverse pipelines aligned to Rocketship’s mission to eliminate the achievement gap. The Senior Recruiter manages full-cycle recruitment for instructional roles with a focus on hard-to-fill positions, early hiring, and data-informed decision-making across five schools. 

This role requires weekly travel to San Jose campuses to meet with school leaders, conduct interviews, and represent Rocketship in the community.

• Sourcing & Pipeline Development
• Partner with a portfolio of school leaders to define candidate non-negotiables, ideal profiles, and hiring priorities for instructional roles.
• Actively source candidates through creative channels: LinkedIn, Indeed, EdJoin, job boards, professional networks, local university partnerships, community-based outreach, and social media campaigns.
• Use Boolean and/or sourcing search methodology, talent communities, and strategic sourcing campaigns to target high-need roles
• Generate interest through compelling outreach and targeted marketing that communicates Rocketship’s value proposition and realistic job previews.
• Maintain and track a robust candidate pipeline, monitoring progress against projected and actual vacancies to ensure early and consistent hiring.

• Candidate Cultivation & Selection
• Conduct resume screens, phone interviews, and candidate assessments to ensure alignment with role requirements and school culture.
• Ensure timely movement of candidates through the selection process (goal: application to interview within two weeks).
• Provide hiring managers with at least two strong candidates per open position and track offer acceptance rates.
• Partner with school leaders to ensure interviews are conducted quickly (goal: decision within two to three days of final interview).
• Facilitate selection events and hiring fairs to connect strong candidates with hiring managers.

• Hiring Manager Partnerships
• Hold regular check-ins with principals and regional leadership teams to review hiring progress, talent needs, and candidate quality.
• Set and track hiring benchmarks with the goal of securing first hires before winter break and 100% hire rate by May. 
• Provide data and insights to support informed hiring decisions and problem-solve barriers to filling roles.
• Train school hiring teams on best practices in interviewing, selection, and candidate experience.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with all stakeholders to ensure a seamless and exceptional hiring experience.

• Community Engagement & Talent Networking
• Identify and represent Rocketship Public Schools at in-person career fairs, university recruitment events, and community gatherings to expand awareness of our mission and opportunities.Build and sustain relationships with local organizations, universities, and professional associations to cultivate diverse pipelines of instructional talent.Actively engage with community partners and networks to position Rocketship as an employer of choice and to deepen connections in the regions we serve.Plan, host and support on-campus and community-based recruitment events that create meaningful candidate experiences and strengthen Rocketship’s talent brand.

• Pre-boarding & Early Retention
• Partner with HR and pre-boarding teams to ensure a smooth transition from offer acceptance to day one.
• Conduct pulse checks with new instructional hires within the first 90 days to identify potential retention risks.
• Provide feedback and trends from pulse checks to regional leadership and cross-collaborate on retention strategies.

• Knowledge & Skills:
• Outstanding communication and relationship-building skills to inspire top educators to join Rocketship Public Schools
• Strong eye for talent in the education sector
• Knowledge of effective use of search engines, job sites, social networks, and other tools

• Experience:
• Bachelor’s degree required; PHR/SHRM certification a plus.
• 2–4 years of talent acquisition experience, full-cycle recruitment
• Experience in K-12 education or K-12 education adjacent organization
• Track record of success in full-cycle recruitment and building diverse candidate pipelines.
• Teaching or school leadership experience highly valued.

• Skills & Competencies
• Strong sourcing skills, including Boolean search and creative talent mapping.
• Ability to build strong relationships with school leaders, candidates, and community partners.
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Data-driven approach to tracking progress and improving processes.
• High attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities.

• Mindset & Fit
• Deep commitment to Rocketship’s mission and values.
• Entrepreneurial spirit and proactive problem-solving skills.
• Bias toward action and achieving results under tight timelines.

• Physical & Travel Requirements
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, school-based and office-based environment.
• Willingness to travel weekly to Rocketship campuses across San Jose and to the regional office for school visits, interviews, and team meetings. This may also include occasional travel to regional events and career fairs, which can take place during evenings or weekends as needed.

• Dynamic Work Environment
• The nature of the role requires flexibility to handle emerging tasks and changing priorities that may not be explicitly outlined in this job description.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and communicate with both adults and children. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally climb ladders. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is moderate to high.

Compensation:

Commensurate with qualifications and experience, plus excellent health and wellness benefits, 403b retirement plan, flexible spending account (FSA), and generous paid time off.

Rocketship Public Schools provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Rocketship Public Schools complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Rocketship Public Schools expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Rocketship Public Schools’ employees to perform their expected job duties is absolutely not tolerated. Click here for our Sexual Harassment Policy.  For questions, concerns, or complaints, please contact Human Resources.