Talent Acquisition Specialist

Talent Acquisition Specialist

Position Purpose

The Talent Acquisition Specialist is responsible for attracting, sourcing, screening, and hiring qualified candidates to support the workforce needs of the company. This position plays a critical role in ensuring the organization maintains a skilled and reliable workforce across craft labor, field operations, equipment maintenance, project management, and corporate functions. The Talent Acquisition Specialist serves as a strategic partner to Superintendents and Project Managers and leadership teams to identify talent needs, promote the company's employment brand, and support long-term workforce planning efforts.

Role Overview

The Talent Acquisition Specialist manages the full-cycle recruiting process from workforce planning and candidate sourcing through onboarding coordination. This position requires a strong understanding of the heavy construction industry, labor market trends, skilled trade recruiting, and federal and state employment requirements.

The successful candidate will build relationships with field leaders, project managers, trade schools, workforce agencies, and community organizations to strengthen talent pipelines and ensure staffing requirements are met safely, efficiently, and in alignment with company values.

Core Responsibilities

Talent Acquisition

• Manage full-cycle recruiting for field, craft, professional, and leadership positions.
• Collaborate with Superintendents and Project Managers to understand staffing needs and job requirements.
• Develop and publish job postings across multiple recruiting platforms.
• Source active and passive candidates utilizing job boards, networking, referrals, social media, and industry events.
• Conduct candidate screening, interviews, and qualification assessments.
• Coordinate interviews between candidates and hiring teams.
• Extend employment offers and negotiate terms within established guidelines.
• Maintain talent pipelines for critical and hard-to-fill positions.

Workforce Planning

• Support forecasting efforts for upcoming projects and workforce demands.
• Partner with operations leadership to identify future staffing requirements.
• Monitor hiring metrics and labor trends affecting Talent Acquisition strategies.
• Develop proactive recruiting plans for seasonal and project-specific workforce needs.

Relationship Management

• Establish relationships with trade schools, technical colleges, unions, workforce development programs, and community organizations.
• Participate in job fairs, hiring events, career days, and industry networking opportunities.
• Promote the company's employment brand and culture to prospective employees.

Applicant Tracking & Reporting

• Maintain applicant tracking systems and Talent Acquisition databases.
• Track recruiting activities, candidate status, and hiring outcomes.
• Prepare recruiting reports and workforce analytics for leadership review.
• Monitor recruiting performance indicators such as time-to-fill, source effectiveness, and retention metrics.

Onboarding Support

• Coordinate pre-employment requirements, including background checks, motor vehicle records, drug screenings, and employment eligibility verification.
• Ensure new hire paperwork and onboarding documentation are completed accurately and timely.
• Partner with Human Resources and Operations teams to deliver successful onboarding experiences.

Employee Engagement & Retention Support

• Gather candidate and hiring manager feedback to improve recruiting processes.
• Assist with employee referral programs and retention initiatives.
• Support workforce development and succession planning strategies.

Daily Workflow Summary

A typical day may include:

• Reviewing open positions and recruiting priorities.
• Screening applicants and conducting phone interviews.
• Communicating with Superintendents and Project Managers regarding candidate progress.
• Scheduling interviews and coordinating hiring activities.
• Sourcing candidates through various recruiting channels.

• Updating applicant tracking systems and recruiting reports.
• Conducting employment verification and pre-employment screening activities.
• Supporting project staffing requests and urgent hiring needs.
• Responding to candidate inquiries and maintaining positive candidate experiences.

Weekly Rhythm

Daily

• Collaborate with Superintendents and Project Managers to understand staffing needs and job requirements.
• Review applicant flow and priority requisitions.
• Conduct candidate outreach and screening activities.
• Update recruiting systems and hiring manager communications.

Weekly

• Meet with Superintendents and Project Managers to review staffing needs and recruiting progress.
• Participate in workforce planning discussions with operations leadership.
• Review recruiting metrics and hiring forecasts.
• Attend job fairs, workforce events, or industry networking opportunities as needed.
• Evaluate sourcing effectiveness and adjust recruiting strategies.

Monthly

• Analyze recruiting trends and workforce gaps.
• Present hiring activity reports to Human Resources and Operations leadership.
• Review talent pipeline development plans.
• Assess onboarding effectiveness and early retention indicators.

Compliance Responsibilities

The Talent Acquisition Specialist is responsible for conducting all Talent Acquisition activities in compliance with:

• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) requirements.
• Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) requirements, where applicable.
• Department of Transportation (DOT) hiring requirements, when applicable.
• Federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) and I-9 requirements.
• Company policies regarding hiring, background screenings, drug and alcohol testing, and record retention.

The position must maintain confidentiality of applicant and employee information and ensure ethical recruiting practices are followed at all times.

Education

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
• Equivalent recruiting or workforce development experience may be considered.

Experience

• 3 years of recruiting or talent acquisition experience preferred.
• Experience recruiting in construction, heavy civil, industrial, mining, or related industries strongly preferred.
• Experience recruiting skilled trades and field personnel preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong interviewing and candidate assessment skills.
• Knowledge of employment laws and recruiting best practices.
• Familiarity with applicant tracking systems and HRIS platforms.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication abilities.
• Ability to build relationships with employees at all organizational levels.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office365 Suite.

Physical & Work Environment Requirements

• Primarily office-based work with frequent computer use.
• Occasional travel to project sites, hiring events, and career fairs.
• May require walking active construction sites and wearing required PPE.
• Ability to sit, stand, and move throughout office and field environments as needed.