Talent Acquisition and Engagement Specialist

Full-time - Entry Level

New London, CT

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support

About the position

New London Public Schools is seeking a dynamic, hands-on, creative, self-motivated Talent Acquisition and Engagement Coordinator to join our Talent and Human Resources team. Under the direction of the Executive Director of Talent and Human Resources this role will focus on employee culture, engagement, belonging and inclusion. The Talent Acquisition and Engagement Coordinator role plays an essential role in ensuring the acquisition, engagement, and retention of high-quality talent. This fast-paced position requires experience in talent sourcing and engagement, and a commitment to fostering a positive organizational culture.

Responsibilities

• Utilize diverse channels to source candidates (Job Boards, Social Media, CTReap, professional networks).
• Anticipate staffing needs and work with hiring managers to fill positions effectively.
• Create relationships and engage higher education institutes and community partners to build pipelines of candidates.
• Administer the entire recruitment process, including screening resumes and coordinating/supporting interview committees as needed.
• Build and maintain relationships with applicants and past employees.
• Stay updated on talent acquisition trends to continuously improve processes.
• Develop and implement strategies to ensure retention of staff, to include effective onboarding and support of new hires.
• Administer HR platforms and serve as the administrator for Frontline Recruiting & Hiring applicant tracking system.
• Engage with employees throughout their full employee cycle, including administering surveys and conducting exit interviews.
• Career counseling - supporting employees seeking growth opportunities.
• Coordinate job fairs, hiring events, and represent the organization at recruiting events.
• Emphasize cultural sensitivity and inclusivity in all aspects of talent engagement.
• Support and monitor the Increasing Educator Diversity Plan goals and objectives.
• Support the preparation of the monthly board reports and departmental goals and the annual district improvement plan.
• Coordinate the HR and Talent management survey and touch points with employees, employing this data to drive improvement to support retention and recruitment.
• Participate in district-wide committees and initiatives as well as special projects.
• Collaborate with departments on job standards, analysis and description creation.
• Provide input on departmental reorganizations and employment-related changes.
• Act as liaison between temporary agencies and departmental leaders and building administrators.
• Collaborate with District Welcome Center and Family Engagement staff to monitor employment interest to build volunteer pool and employment pipelines.
• Collaborate with Adult Education to build school support staff positions pipelines.
• Lead efforts to ensure educator certification compliance within the district.
• Collaborate with the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) to monitor certifications and ensure adherence to state regulations.
• Maintain accurate records of educator certifications and facilitate necessary renewals or updates.
• Monitor and track teacher tenure status within the district.
• Monitor and track TEAM Program status and completion working collaboratively with the curriculum and instruction team.
• Monitor and track ParaPro completion to increase the pipeline for paraeducators within the district.
• Collaborate with the HR Assistant to ensure compliance of mandatory trainings.
• Support personnel policy compliance initiatives within the district.
• Assist in the interpretation and implementation of personnel policies to ensure consistency and fairness/equity in all HR practices.
• Collaborate with the HR Assistant to ensure labor law posting compliance.
• Serve as an ambassador of the district as a representative of its Talent and Human Resources Department in all aspects of the work.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the Executive Director of Talent and Human Resources.

Requirements

• Associate's degree required, Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Bilingual preferred.
• SHRM or HR Certification preferred.
• Previous work experience with an educational organization preferred.
• Experience with recruitment and databases, HRIS, ATS, and candidate sourcing tools.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Bilingual required. Written and verbal fluency in Spanish.
• General knowledge of employment law and practices.
• Able to maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• Strong interpersonal skills and professional demeanor.
• Proactive and innovative mindset with the ability to develop creative talent acquisition strategies.
• Ability to balance competing demands, multitask and prioritize workload in a high-volume HR department.
• Must be willing to travel throughout Connecticut and surrounding states.