Director Talent Acquisition

Job purpose

The mission of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation is to honor the sacrifice of firefighter Stephen Siller who laid down his life to save others on September 11, 2001. We also honor our military and first responders who continue to make the supreme sacrifice of life and limb for our country.

The Director, Talent Acquisition will lead the Foundation’s talent acquisition strategy and execution, building scalable, equitable recruiting practices to support a growing, nationally expanding workforce. Partners with HR leadership and Program Leads to attract, hire, and onboard mission-aligned talent across multiple markets.

Duties and responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive talent acquisition strategy aligned with organizational priorities and national expansion.
• Build scalable recruiting models to support growth across multiple geographies and program areas.
• Partner with the VP, HR and HR Business Partners to align hiring strategies with workforce planning and program needs.
• Oversee full-cycle recruitment across the organization, ensuring timely, high-quality hiring outcomes.
• Design and maintain standardized recruiting processes that are efficient, compliant, and scalable, while adaptable to local market conditions.
• Establish and monitor recruiting metrics (e.g., time-to-fill, candidate quality, hiring manager satisfaction).
• Lead and develop a Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition and a Talent Acquisition Coordinator.
• Set clear goals, performance expectations, and development plans.
• Build a high-performing, collaborative, and service-oriented recruiting team.
• Collaborate closely with Director HR Business Partners to support program-specific hiring needs.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to hiring managers and leadership on recruiting strategy, market insights, and best practices.
• Support workforce planning, role prioritization, and organizational growth initiatives.
• Build and maintain diverse, national talent pipelines, with targeted strategies for new and emerging markets.
• Leverage a range of sourcing channels, including professional networks, nonprofit partnerships, and search firms.
• Develop proactive strategies for critical and hard-to-fill roles.
• Strengthen the organization’s employer brand to attract mission-aligned talent across geographies.
• Ensure a consistent, high-quality candidate experience across all stages of recruitment.
• Partner with internal or external stakeholders on recruitment marketing efforts.
• Oversee applicant tracking system (ATS) and recruiting tools, ensuring effective use and data integrity.
• Continuously improve recruiting processes to enhance efficiency, transparency, and scalability.
• Partner with HR Operations on system enhancements and integrations.
• Ensure all recruiting activities comply with federal, New York State, and applicable multi-state employment laws.
• Maintain consistent hiring policies and documentation practices.
• Provide guidance on compliant hiring practices, including background checks and selection decisions.
• Track, analyze, and report on recruiting metrics to inform strategy and decision-making.
• Provide regular updates to HR leadership on hiring trends, challenges, and opportunities.
• Use data to drive continuous improvement and workforce planning alignment.
• Manage day-to-day relationships with external vendors, including search firms, job boards, and sourcing partners.
• Identify partnerships that support national talent pipeline development.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive talent acquisition experience, including full-cycle recruiting and team leadership.
• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent HR certification preferred.
• Demonstrated experience supporting multi-site or geographically distributed organizations, preferably in a nonprofit or mission-driven environment.
• Proven track record of scaling recruiting functions in growing or nationally expanding organizations.
• Experience in managing and developing recruiting teams and direct reports.
• Experience with modern ATS platforms (e.g., Greenhouse, Workday, Lever).
• Deep knowledge of recruitment strategy, sourcing techniques, and selection processes.
• Ability to design and implement scalable recruiting models that support geographic expansion and diverse labor markets.
• Experience aligning talent acquisition strategies with workforce planning and organizational goals.
• Strong people leadership skills with a track record of building high-performing, service-oriented teams.
• Proven ability to influence and partner with senior leaders, hiring managers, and HR stakeholders.
• Experience collaborating with HR Business Partners and HR Operations in a matrixed environment.
• Strong ability to use recruiting metrics and data to inform strategy and drive continuous improvement.
• Experience with applicant tracking systems (ATS) and recruiting analytics tools.
• Ability to analyze trends across multiple regions and talent markets.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong stakeholder management capability, including advising senior leaders on hiring strategy and market insights.
• Ability to clearly communicate complex or sensitive information.
• High integrity, professionalism, and sound judgment.
• Strong execution focus with attention to detail and follow-through.
• Adaptable and solutions-oriented, with the ability to thrive in a fast-growing, mission-driven environment.
• Commitment to the foundation’s mission and values.
• Willingness to travel (25%)
• Pre-employment screening, including a background check, is required.

Working conditions

Special Working conditions may include: a change in days worked, shift hours, and/or working conditions (outdoors or other locations) when participating and assisting in special events such as: NYC Tunnel to Towers Run and other events, as required.