Talent Acquisition Specialist

Job Type: Staff Job Description: The Talent Acquisition Specialist supports Kansas City University’s recruitment efforts, focusing on operational and support staff positions and student employees. This position manages assigned requisitions throughout the recruitment life cycle, from initiation through candidate selection, offers, and onboarding coordination. The Specialist partners with hiring managers to understand staffing needs, attract qualified candidates, and support timely hiring and a positive, inclusive candidate experience. Responsibilities include proactive sourcing, talent pipeline development, accurate recruitment documentation, and compliance with KCU’s Talent Acquisition Standards. Through effective communication, workload management, and continuous improvement, the Specialist helps meet the University’s workforce needs and support consistent, high-quality hiring outcomes. Essential Duties & Responsibilities: Full-Cycle Recruitment & Requisition Management Manage assigned requisitions from position posting through candidate selection, offer, and onboarding. Partner with hiring managers to clarify position requirements, qualifications, priorities, and timelines. Review applications against position requirements and screening criteria, ensuring timely posting and adherence to established service expectations. Coordinate next steps and follow up with hiring managers and candidates to maintain recruitment momentum. Prioritize requisitions based on urgency, impact, and KCU’s Talent Acquisition Standards. Communicate recruitment barriers and recommend solutions to support hiring goals. Sourcing & Talent Pipeline Development Develop sourcing strategies using job boards, social media, professional networks, referrals, career fairs, and community partnerships. Dedicate scheduled time to proactive sourcing for hard-to-fill positions and recurring workforce needs. Build and maintain talent pipelines to support current and anticipated staffing needs. Track and analyze recruitment activity and outcomes, including applicant flow, sourcing-channel effectiveness, recruitment cycle progress, candidate disposition, to support informed decisions and continuous improvement. Candidate Screening & Selection Coordination Conduct recruiter phone screens to assess qualifications, experience, and alignment with position requirements and determine candidates for advancement. Apply consistent screening criteria and interview practices to support fair candidate evaluations. Coordinate interviews, communicate scheduling details, gather feedback, and facilitate timely movement through the selection process. Partner with hiring managers to support informed selection decisions. Maintain timely, professional candidate communication, including status updates and disposition notifications. Guide hiring managers through established interview and selection processes and recommend improvements to recruitment efficiency. Candidate Experience & Employer Brand Deliver a professional, responsive, and inclusive candidate experience that reflects KCU’s values and employer brand by coordinating interview logistics and communications and ensuring candidates and hiring teams understand schedules, expectations, and next steps. Provide enhanced candidate experiences for designated high-priority and difficult-to-fill searches, as assigned. Represent KCU professionally at recruitment events, conferences, and through candidate and community interactions. Use candidate feedback to identify opportunities to improve recruitment processes and the overall candidate experience. Attend recruitment events and professional conferences to expand candidate networks and promote KCU as an employer of choice. Offer & Pre-Employment Processing Determine proposed salaries for assigned positions, obtain required approvals, and extend employment offers in accordance with university guidelines and processes. Initiate background checks for selected candidates. Partner with HR Operations to support a smooth transition to onboarding and first-day readiness. Student Hiring Coordinate the end-to-end hiring process for student workers. Serve as a liaison between student supervisors, career services, and HR to ensure hiring practices align with university policy and federal guidelines. Verify enrollment status and work eligibility for student employees. Recruitment Documentation & Compliance Maintain accurate and timely recruitment records in accordance with university, state, and federal requirements. Track sourcing activities and recruitment metrics to evaluate progress, identify trends, and support informed hiring decisions. Assist with audits, EEO reporting, and other recruitment reporting as needed. Follow KCU’s Talent Acquisition Standards and established recruitment procedures. Travel Requirements: This position requires approximately 25% travel, including travel between KCU campuses and attendance at recruitment fairs, career events, professional conferences, and other recruitment-related activities. Travel may also include professional development opportunities based on university needs. Qualifications: Education & Experience Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration. Two or more years of recruitment experience, preferably in higher education, healthcare, or a related environment. Knowledge of sourcing strategies and tools, including online job boards, social media, and professional networking platforms. Experience with recruitment processes, applicant tracking systems, candidate screening, and interview coordination preferred. Demonstrated experience developing and executing proactive sourcing strategies including direct outreach, talent pipeline development, professional networking, referrals, community partnerships, and evaluation of sourcing-channel effectiveness Skills & Abilities Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage a high volume of requisitions and competing priorities. Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and customer service skills. Ability to develop sourcing strategies, build candidate relationships, and partner effectively with hiring managers and internal stakeholders. Ability to assess candidate qualifications, apply consistent screening practices, and exercise sound judgment. Ability to work collaboratively with Talent Acquisition colleagues and HR partners, contribute to process improvements, and support consistent recruitment practices across KCU campuses. Ability to work independently, take initiative, prioritize responsibilities, and follow through on commitments. Proficiency with applicant tracking systems and standard office productivity tools, with the ability to learn new systems and processes. Working knowledge of recruitment practices, employment regulations, and applicable university policies. Ability to maintain confidentiality and appropriately handle sensitive candidate and employment information. Physical Requirements: Physical dexterity sufficient to use hands, arms, and shoulders repetitively to operate a keyboard and other office equipment, use a telephone, access file cabinets and other items stored at various levels, including overhead. Ability to stand and walk for extended periods while attending recruitment events and professional conferences. Ability to lift, carry, and set up recruitment materials, displays, and event supplies weighing up to 25 pounds. Ability to sit for extended periods while performing office duties and driving to local and regional recruitment events and conferences, including occasional extended periods of travel. Ability to speak and hear clearly to communicate effectively in person, over the telephone, and in group settings. Ability to operate a personal computer for extended periods of time. Mental acuity sufficient to collect and interpret data, evaluate information, identify problems, establish facts, draw conclusions, and exercise sound judgment in decision-making. Equal Opportunity Employer KCU is committed to promoting an equal employment opportunity workplace. Equal opportunity is and shall be provided for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, genetic information (GINA), physical or mental disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, familial status, ancestry, military and/or veteran status, and/or any other status protected by applicable Federal, state or local law. Annual Security Report KCU is committed to providing a safe campus for students, faculty, and staff. Our annual campus security report lists campus crimes and statistics for the campus and public areas around campus for the last three years, in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. Thank you for your interest in a career at KCU!