Director of Talent Acquisition

Role Overview

• Lead, manage, and develop the talent acquisition team.
• Provide mentorship, guidance, and strategic direction while overseeing performance and fulfilling all supervisory responsibilities.
• Identify and implement strategic initiatives that strengthen and modernize the recruitment function, ensuring talent acquisition practices align with organizational priorities.
• Optimize the internal HCM system to reduce redundancy, streamline workflows, and enable a more targeted and effective approach to applicant flow management.
• Partner closely with organizational leaders, People & Culture partners, talent acquisition partners, and other key stakeholders to address workforce planning and position management.
• Develop and recommend effective sourcing strategies to attract the most qualified candidates, leveraging technology, social media, job boards, professional networks, and industry events.
• Ensure seamless, efficient, positive, and customer service-oriented experience for hiring managers and candidates throughout the recruitment lifecycle.
• Strengthen and promote Best Friends’ employer brand to attract high-performing, mission-aligned talent and reinforce the organization’s reputation as an employer of choice.
• Analyze talent acquisition data to identify trends, uncover opportunities, and make data-informed recommendations and decisions.
• Adjudicating background check results; familiarity of the FCRA requirements around adverse action notifications
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations impacting talent acquisition, job classification, and compensation practices.
• Maintain strict confidentiality when handling sensitive information.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Minimum of 10 years of in-depth experience in talent acquisition, compensation, and related human resources functions; experience in a multi-state organization preferred.
• Prior experience with executive level recruitment is strongly preferred.
• A minimum of 3-5 years of experience managing talent acquisition teams.
• Proven ability to lead, manage, and develop teams, including overseeing strategy, operations, budgets, goal setting, mentorship, succession planning, training and staffing.
• Experience managing a remote team is preferred, but is not required.
• Experience with HCM systems and applicant tracking systems; strong preference to those with Workday ATS experience.
• Knowledge or a desire to learn and stay up to date with current and upcoming trends in recruitment practices, including technology.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to influence leaders and collaborate with stakeholders across the organization.
• Ability to align operations and initiatives with culture, guiding principles, DEIB priorities, and workforce capability gaps.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret workforce data, track metrics, and produce reports to support strategic decision-making.
• Highly organized and proactive, with strong follow-up and follow-through skills; able to manage multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to make sound judgments, solve problems effectively, and operate successfully in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills, a team player, personable, professional, and able to get along with people from different backgrounds, as well as the ability to handle sensitive and confidential situations with discretion and professionalism.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Teams, Excel, Word, PowerPoint); comfortable leading live sessions via Teams or Zoom.
• Prior experience working or volunteering in an animal welfare setting is preferred, but not required.
• Ability to professionally speak about Best Friends activities and positions on issues.
• Genuine passion for animal welfare and a steadfast commitment to advancing Best Friends' mission to Save Them All.

Benefits

• great benefits!