Manager, Recruiting

X-energy•Oak Ridge, TN

3d•$135,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

X-energy is looking for experienced professionals to interview for our Manager, Recruiting (Production, Construction, Testing) position. This is an exciting opportunity to help build the skilled trade workforce that will produce the TRISO fuel for the Xe-100 Small Modular Reactor and other nuclear reactor designs. The Manager, Recruiting (PCT) leads recruiting for the company's non-exempt skilled trades and front-line manufacturing and testing workforce, along with related roles. This position combines strategic talent acquisition leadership with hands-on execution, including direct oversight of recruiting teams, staffing agency partnerships, and scalable hiring strategies that support high-volume hourly recruiting and enable the organization to meet production, project, and operational objectives. Serving as a strategic partner to operations, manufacturing, and engineering leadership, this individual develops proactive recruiting strategies and talent pipelines to attract, hire, and onboard highly qualified front-line talent. This position requires expertise in HR systems, workforce forecasting, and the unique staffing challenges associated with advanced manufacturing, construction, testing, and nuclear environments.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, or related field
10+ years of progressive recruiting experience, including at least 3 years in a leadership or management capacity.
Proven experience in manufacturing, industrial, or high-volume production environments.
Skilled trades recruiting experience, including partnerships with trade schools, unions, apprenticeship programs, and technical training organizations
Demonstrated expertise in full-cycle recruiting for both professional/salaried roles and hourly/frontline positions.
Experience managing staffing agency relationships, temp-to-hire processes, and contractor pipelines.
Advanced ATS experience (Workday is preferred)
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word)
Experience with online recruiting tools such as Indeed, Handshake, LinkedIn Recruiter, and other advanced sourcing platforms
Strong recruiting analytics competency including workforce planning strategies and ROI analysis
Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
Diplomatic communication, negotiation, and influencing skills.
Proven ability to manage multiple requisitions and competing priorities in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments.
Strong organizational, project management, and time management skills.
Demonstrated capability to build and mentor high-performing recruiting teams.
Client service mindset with strong stakeholder management skills (hiring managers, executives, external partners).
Ability to work onsite daily, with flexibility for shift work, ad hoc schedule adjustments, and occasional production floor or warehouse presence.
Willingness to travel to multiple sites as needed.

Nice To Haves

Experience recruiting for nuclear operations roles (reactor operators, instrumentation & control technicians, radiation protection specialists, nuclear maintenance crafts) is preferred.

Responsibilities

Supervise, mentor, and develop a team of recruiters and staffing coordinators who support professional, technical, and hourly hiring pipelines.
Provide day-to-day operational leadership to ensure positive candidate experience across all recruiting touchpoints.
Foster a culture of accountability, urgency, and continuous improvement within the recruiting function.
Partner with operations, manufacturing, engineering, and project leadership to forecast labor demand and develop scalable staffing strategies to support production ramp-ups, construction schedules, and operational milestones.
Analyze hiring trends, turnover data, and Labor Scorecard metrics to proactively address talent pipeline gaps.
Design and execute recruiting strategies for high-volume hourly hiring across manufacturing, production, warehouse, quality, maintenance, safety, and construction roles
Manage relationships with approved staffing agencies, including requisition distribution, candidate submittal review, markup/referral cost tracking, and compliance oversight.
Maintain onsite operational presence as needed to support shift-based hiring, production floor engagement, and real-time staffing adjustments.
Lead full-cycle high-volume recruiting for non-exempt roles across manufacturing, construction, testing, and other nuclear roles.
Develop and implement sourcing strategies leveraging job boards, social media, professional networks, trade schools, unions, and workforce development organizations
Build partnerships with technical colleges, trade schools, apprenticeship programs, and nuclear/engineering academic institutions to cultivate skilled trades and technical talent pipelines
Work with the Workday team to support changes and updates to HRIS configuration, optimization, and ongoing maintenance to support recruiting workflows
Design, document, and continuously improve recruiting processes that relate to skilled trades recruiting, including application workflows, interview protocols, onboarding handoffs, and compliance tracking.
Maintain recruiting data integrity and generate Open Positions Reports and hiring metrics dashboards
Prepare and deliver weekly/monthly recruiting metrics, including time-to-fill, aging requisitions, hiring volume, offer acceptance rates, source effectiveness, and Labor Scorecard KPIs.
Analyze recruiting performance data to identify bottlenecks, develop solutions, and drive continuous improvement.
Track and report staffing agency costs, contractor conversion rates, and cost-per-hire metrics.
Train and guide hiring managers on interview best practices, behavioral interviewing, candidate evaluation, compliance, and decision-making.
Facilitate intake meetings to clarify role requirements, hiring timelines, and candidate profiles.
Serve as strategic advisor and consultant to hiring managers, providing market intelligence, compensation guidance, and talent availability insights.
Ensure all recruiting activities comply with federal, state, and local labor laws, EEO regulations, OFCCP requirements, and X-energy policies. Support audit and compliance reporting as needed.
Maintain confidentiality and discretion in handling sensitive candidate and employee information.
Build and maintain relationships with external stakeholders, including career centers, workforce development boards, union representatives, program administrators, and community organizations.
Partner with marketing and communications teams to strengthen X-energy's reputation as an employer of choice in the nuclear and advanced manufacturing sectors.