Talent Acquisition Specialist

Description Work from Home (WFH) Remote work must be performed while residing in California CIAT Campus Locations: San Diego, CA and Albuquerque, NM Reports to: VP of People & Culture Status: Exempt Employment Type: Full-time Job Summary As a Talent Acquisition Specialist, you will be responsible for sourcing, screening, and recommending qualified candidates, embodying and promoting CIAT's values, building strong talent pipelines, coordinating with hiring managers, conducting interviews to assess candidate qualifications, and supporting the pre‑onboarding process to ensure a smooth and positive experience for new hires. You will also help execute recruitment strategies to meet hiring goals and ensure all recruitment activities comply with company policies and relevant regulations. By carrying out these responsibilities, you will play a crucial role in attracting and hiring talent to drive CIAT's continued success. Planning/Searching Support the development execution of recruiting strategies in collaboration with Sr Talent Acquisition Specialist and hiring managers to attract top talent and meet organizational goals Assist interviewers, providing guidance on sourcing techniques, candidate engagement, and process optimization. Stay informed of industry trends, recruiting tools, and best practices, and share insights with the team to enhance overall recruitment success Support employment branding initiatives to enhance company visibility, reputation, and appeal to prospective candidates Support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) recruitment strategies to ensure the organization attracts talent from diverse backgrounds Place and monitor advertisements to the target population, actively recruit using social media such as LinkedIn, job boards, online communities and staffing agencies Locate qualified applicants (passive) using databases, searches, online job boards such as Indeed, LinkedIn, networking events, etc. Utilize creative recruitment techniques by researching and recommending new sources for active and passive candidate recruiting Identify opportunities to increase employment brand recognition and partner with marketing department to update the careers page, social media outlets, and other platforms Communicate with managers and employees regularly to promote the referral program and internal opportunities Constantly refine and streamline the recruitment processes to ensure that amazing, talented, and qualified people are applying Work with hiring managers to maintain up to date job descriptions and understand the skills and competencies required for openings Screening/Interviewing Support the recruitment lifecycle, helping ensure a seamless and positive candidate experience from application to onboarding Conduct phone and in person interviews to assess aligning values, ethics, attitudes and technical competency, providing detailed feedback to hiring teams Train hiring managers on advanced interviewing techniques, including behavioral-based and competency-based interviews, to maintain compliance and reduce bias Coordinate and implement processes to support candidates with accommodation requests during the interview process, ensuring accessibility and compliance with relevant laws and policies General HR duties Provide hiring managers information on market trends, salary benchmarks, and candidate availability Support compliance initiatives by ensuring adherence to all relevant employment laws and regulations during the hiring process Act as a trusted advisor for employee relations, proactively addressing concerns raised by candidates or employees to ensure a positive work environment Champion a high-performance culture by promoting employee engagement and morale initiatives Assist with audits, internal and external, and electronic naming and filing of documents Submit employee data reports when requested from management Respond to inquiries of employees about positions Support events and morale initiatives, championing employee participation in all HR initiatives Maintain employee confidentiality and protects operations by keeping human resource information confidential Adhere to CIAT’s compliance requirements to ensure all Federal, State, accreditation, and institutional policies and procedures are being met Follow communication guidelines to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction and professionalism Embody CIAT’s mission, vision, purpose and values Assist with other projects as needed Represent the company at industry events, career fairs, and conferences to build the organization’s network and employer brand. Assist with preparing reports to senior leadership, offering actionable recommendations to enhance team performance and outcomes. Requirements At least 3 years of talent acquisition experience preferred Agency or corporate recruiting experience in IT and/or higher education industry is preferred but not required Bachelor’s Degree and/or Certification in Human Resources preferred Preferred candidate location: San Diego, CA Strong sourcing ability utilizing job boards and social media Must be able to maintain an active and professional LinkedIn profile Solid ability to conduct different types of interviews (structured, competency based etc.). Hands on experience with various selection processes (video interviewing, phone interviewing, reference check etc.) Deep understanding of employment laws and regulations in relation to recruiting Self‑starter, able to work effectively with minimal supervision while maintaining communication with supervisor and hiring managers Excellent written and verbal communication skills; excellent attention to detail and strong planning abilities Experience with Paylocity a plus Strong organizational and communication skills and the ability to manage multiple and rapidly changing priorities to meet the needs and expectations of employees Self‑motivated with a strong work ethic; dedicated to quality, quantity, and timeliness of results Able to handle sensitive information with a high degree of confidentiality Possess high ethical standards, being an example of professionalism to others Demonstrated ability anticipate needs and exercise independent judgment Excellent analytical skills, problem resolution skills and general business acumen Proficient skills in MS Office software products, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and MS Project and ability to learn additional software products Exhibits a high degree of flexibility in adapting to a rapidly changing environment Position may require work responsibilities outside of normal business hours to accommodate business needs and deadlines Reliable transportation to go on campus, attend seminars/trainings, recruiting events, if required Must be able to embody CIAT’s mission, vision, purpose and values Supervisory Responsibility This position has no supervisory responsibilities. Position Type and Expected Hours of Work This is a full‑time position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday. Occasional weekend and evening hours may be required. Values Values such as integrity, excellence, customer service, teamwork and mutual respect are some of those that remain constant, regardless of changes in our company. When identifying company values, it is important that those values are being demonstrated in the course of business each day. Our values set expectations for how employees and managers interact with every person while representing the company. We are passionate about education and student success. We value integrity and excellence in our employees and students. We treat ourselves and our students with dignity and respect . We believe in and encourage innovation at our school to better help our students succeed. We have a customer centric focus and we want people highly committed to achieving goals, where our success equals student’s success. We are accountable for our actions, and if errors occur, we focus on preventing future errors and moving forward. We have a growth mindset , always looking for ways to improve, with a sincere belief that every student can do better and achieve their goals. We expect every employee to be an example of conduct and professionalism , being a role model to students and colleagues. We commit to fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment that respects the diversity of students' backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We foster lifelong learning and professional development. Physical Demands These physical demands are representative of the physical requirements necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the described essential functions . Ability to type, use a computer to search for information and input information while speaking on the phone is required. Requires daily use of a company computer and related software applications at a workstation. Requires completion of some tasks that require reaching, bending, grasping, and making repetitive hand movements in the performance of daily duties. Requires prolonged sitting and or standing at a workstation for 8 hours per day. Requires dependability and excellent attendance records. The employee will be required to compute simple to simple mathematical calculations as a normal part of this role. Work Environment While performing the responsibilities of this remote position, the job holder will work in a home office environment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. This role routinely involves using standard office equipment such as computers, phones, and virtual communication tools. Employees are expected to ensure that their home office is a safe and ergonomic working environment, as the company will for employees working on campus. Employees must maintain data security and confidentiality in accordance with company policies and use secure connections for all work‑related activities. Expectations regarding work hours, availability, and time tracking will be clearly communicated and must be adhered to. The company is not responsible for maintaining home office environments beyond the provision of reasonable accommodations and necessary work‑related equipment. Workers' compensation and liability for injuries that occur in the home office will be covered as per company policy and applicable laws. This remote work policy is designed to comply with all relevant local, state, and federal laws. In the Office When in the office, employees are expected to follow all workplace safety rules, security protocols, and professional conduct guidelines. They should maintain a clean and organized work area, be punctual, and actively engage in in‑person meetings, collaboration, and training as scheduled. The in‑office environment may involve occasional noise, shared workspaces, and use of common areas, and employees are expected to be respectful of others working nearby. AAP/EEO Statement California Institute of Applied Technology provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, California Institute of Applied Technology complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. California Institute of Applied Technology expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of California Institute of Applied Technology's employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge. 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, with or without notice. Salary Range The expected starting salary range for the Talent Acquisition Specialist is $70,000- $78,000 yearly/DOE. We base salary offers on a variety of considerations, such as education, experience, equity and other business and organizational needs. #J-18808-Ljbffr California Institute of Applied Technology