Sr. Manager, Talent Operations and Recruitment Marketing

CarMax • Richmond, VA

7d • $107,000 - $171,200 • Hybrid

About The Position

As a Sr. Manager, Talent Operations, you will collaborate with senior leaders and cross-functional partners to shape and lead the strategy for Employer Brand, Recruitment Marketing, Upper Funnel and Candidate Experience initiatives. You will use data, evaluate market trends, competitive insights, and emerging solutions to inform the strategy, drive operational improvements, position CarMax as an employer of choice, and maximize the value of current tools and external partners. This role requires strategic thinking, stakeholder partnership, and strong execution, along with the ability to manage multiple priorities, external partnerships, and deliver measurable results in a fast-paced environment.

Requirements

• 3+ years of experience in Talent Operations, HR Operations, Recruitment Marketing, or a related function, including leadership of enterprise or cross-functional initiatives
• Proven experience leading strategic projects and operational improvements that support business priorities and drive measurable outcomes
• Strong experience conducting market research, competitive analyses, and vendor evaluations to inform talent strategy, technology decisions, and process optimization
• Excellent analytical, communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional partners and use data to optimize operational performance
• Strong communication and presentation skills, tailoring messages for diverse audiences, and developing strong partnerships across the organization
• Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively, meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Knowledge of talent technology platforms, talent tools, recruitment marketing tools, CRM systems or digital media channels used to attract and engage candidates

Nice To Haves

• 5+ years of experience in Talent Operations, HR Operations, or Recruitment Marketing
• Proven success managing external vendors and agency partners, including vendor evaluation, contract negotiations and renewals, and ongoing performance management
• Experience developing and executing employer brand, recruitment marketing, and media strategies, including defining KPIs, managing budgets, and measuring ROI
• Strong knowledge of talent technologies and systems administration, including experience with ATS, CRM, career site, and related HR systems
• Experience partnering with creative teams and external agencies to develop integrated campaign and content strategies
• Experience with labor market trends, candidate experience best practices, and researching emerging innovations in Talent Acquisition and Talent Management

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead the recruitment marketing and talent brand vision, strategy, goals, and KPIs to attract top talent and strengthen CarMax’s employer position in the market.
• Oversee recruitment marketing and employer brand activities end to end, including strategic planning, quarterly prioritization, intake governance, agency briefing, campaign direction, and execution oversight across channels.
• Define and manage the Employer Value Proposition (EVP) pillars, ensuring messaging is differentiated, relevant, and consistently activated across talent acquisition, talent management, and candidate experience strategies.
• Lead employer brand positioning across paid, owned, shared, and earned channels to ensure a cohesive and compelling candidate-facing narrative.
• Monitor, assess, and optimize channel and campaign performance to ensure strategies drive awareness, engagement, and qualified applicant flow.
• Serve as a strategic partner to Talent Acquisition and cross-functional leaders, ensuring recruitment marketing and talent operations priorities are aligned with enterprise business goals.
• Lead strategic vendor management, including evaluating partner capabilities, setting expectations, driving accountability, and ensuring external partnerships deliver measurable value and innovation.
• Own contract negotiations with agencies, media partners, and external vendors, securing favorable terms, service levels, and pricing aligned with business needs.
• Oversee contract management processes for talent operations and recruitment marketing partners, including renewals, scope changes, compliance, and performance accountability.
• Manage budgets at the strategic level, ensuring investments are aligned to priorities, resources are allocated effectively, and spend delivers business impact.
• Conduct and synthesize market research to understand the market landscape and competitive landscape, including evolving trends related to Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, and Candidate Experience.
• Translate external market intelligence, industry trends, and competitive benchmarking into recommendations that inform strategy, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with senior stakeholders across communications, marketing, HR, procurement, legal, and finance to gain alignment, remove barriers, and advance high-impact initiatives.
• Establish governance, processes, and success measures that enable scalability, consistency, and operational excellence across talent operations programs.
• Provide leadership, direction, and prioritization guidance to ensure initiatives are executed effectively and in alignment with strategic objectives.

Benefits

• Paid sick time
• Vacation time
• Paid holidays
• Floating holiday
• Holiday Premium Pay
• Paid time away with no specified limit as needed for sick, vacation, bereavement, jury duty, holidays, floating holiday, etc. subject to manager approval (for salaried employees)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed