HR Manager, Talent Acquisition

Cato Institute•Washington, DC

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Cato Institute is seeking an HR Manager, Talent Acquisition, to oversee and evolve its full-cycle talent acquisition process, from scoping roles through signed offer letters. The role focuses on improving interviewing and selection, supporting hiring managers, reducing time to fill, and ensuring a positive experience for all candidates. The manager will develop offer strategies and guide negotiations, establish hiring metrics, and shape how Cato presents itself as an employer. The position also partners with the Educational Programs team on talent pipelines, alumni engagement, and talent pools, and may occasionally back up other HR team members. This is a hybrid, exempt, full-time position based in Washington, DC, reporting to the Director of Human Resources. The projected salary range is $80,000 to $95,000 per year, with compensation based on the successful candidate’s background, experience, and skills. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis; visa sponsorship is not offered. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, with no application deadline.

Requirements

At least 4 years of experience in talent acquisition, either on an internal HR team or as an external recruiter.
Experience managing hiring across a wide range of roles and seniority levels.
Deep alignment with Cato’s mission and principles.
Track record of building, improving, and rebuilding hiring processes that balance stakeholder needs and gaining adoption from hiring managers and leadership.
Comfort using hiring data and metrics to identify problems, measure progress, and make the case for change.
Sound judgment in assessing candidates against clear, consistent criteria.
Confidence advising hiring managers at every level and ability to guide strong applicants toward best-fit opportunities at Cato.
Positive, outgoing demeanor and polished professional presence, with the ability to make a strong first impression on candidates and senior leaders.
Working knowledge of other core HR processes, such as benefits administration, onboarding, and employee relations.
Currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis; visa sponsorship is not offered.

Nice To Haves

Experience implementing and using advanced applicant tracking systems such as Greenhouse, Ashby, Lever, or iCIMS.

Responsibilities

Own the talent acquisition process from role scoping through a signed offer letter, including developing offer strategies and guiding negotiations.
Evaluate and improve the talent acquisition process to better support hiring managers, reduce average time to fill, improve interviewing efficiency and effectiveness, and enhance candidate experience.
Establish and report on key hiring metrics to measure progress over time.
Collaborate with hiring managers to design roles, job descriptions, recruitment strategies, and selection approaches.
Coach hiring managers at every level of hiring experience to support confident, well-informed hiring decisions.
Design structured interview processes and evaluation criteria so candidates can be compared consistently and fairly.
Train interviewers across the Institute to use structured interview processes and evaluation criteria effectively.
Implement and manage the applicant tracking system to support an efficient process for hiring managers, interviewers, and candidates.
Shape Cato’s employer presentation, ensuring job postings, careers content, and candidate touchpoints reflect its mission and culture.
Partner with the Educational Programs team to develop talent pipelines and alumni engagement, and build talent pools from past applicants and individuals aligned with Cato.
Back up other HR team members occasionally when necessary.