Senior

American Electric Power•Abilene, TX

2d•$63,496 - $109,543•Onsite

About The Position

The Talent Acquisition Specialist partners with hiring leaders to attract, assess, and secure top talent for professional, technical, leadership, and hard-to-fill roles. This role partners closely with hiring leaders while ensuring a positive candidate and hiring manager experience. The Talent Acquisition Specialist drives the recruitment process from intake through offer acceptance, with a primary focus on screening, candidate assessment, stakeholder consultation, and talent advisory services. The Senior Sourcing Specialist is responsible for developing and executing proactive talent sourcing strategies that identify and engage high-quality candidates for current and future hiring needs. This role serves as a strategic partner to Talent Acquisition Specialists (Recruiters), hiring leaders, and HR partners by building robust talent pipelines for critical, hard-to-fill, and high-volume positions. This role focuses on talent identification, market research, candidate engagement, pipeline development, and talent intelligence.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in human resource management or related field preferred; or equivalent years of experience.
Two years of corporate experience in recruitment and placement of applicants in professional and management level exempt positions, including one year of knowledge and experience working with electronic applicant systems and internet recruiting sources.
Three years of recruiting experience from entry level through management level positions including one year of knowledge and experience working with electronic applicant systems and internet recruiting sources.
Experience using creative sourcing methods including internet sourcing techniques, referral management, and passive candidate outreach techniques.
Knowledge of human resources evaluation methods, policies, practices and procedures, including EEO, ADA, and AAP/OFCCP compliance.
Basic knowledge of Uniform Employee Selection Procedure and Employment Interviewer certification.
Demonstrates an expert level of knowledge of all recruitment components and possesses a proven track record of successfully sourcing hard-to-find candidates.
Strong business acumen and ability to align talent strategies with organizational goals.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with candidates, hiring leaders, and business partners.
Demonstrated consulting and coaching skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
Appreciation for diverse perspectives and experience working in a collaborative, inclusive environment.
Valid driver's license.

Nice To Haves

Five years' corporate experience in recruitment and placement of applicants in professional and management level exempt positions including 3 years of knowledge and experience working with electronic applicant systems and internet recruiting sources.
Willingness and ability to travel as needed to support recruiting initiatives and business objectives.

Responsibilities

Conduct intake meetings to understand business needs, position requirements, organizational goals, and candidate profiles.
Serve as a trusted advisor to hiring leaders regarding overall talent acquisition processes at AEP for the business units you support.
Collaborate with a Sourcing Specialist to develop and execute innovative sourcing strategies to attract active and passive candidates, especially for hard to fill roles.
Build and maintain robust talent pipelines for critical and hard-to-fill positions.
Screen and assess candidates for technical qualifications, experience, competencies, and organizational fit.
Present qualified candidate slates to hiring leaders and advise on recruitment process next steps.
Manage candidate relationships throughout the recruiting process, ensuring timely communication and an exceptional candidate experience.
Facilitate interview preparation and debrief discussions with hiring teams.
Lead offer development process in partnership with hiring leaders and as needed with compensation and HR Business Partners.
Maintain accurate candidate and requisition data within the applicant tracking system (Workday).
Monitor recruiting metrics and use data to drive recruiting effectiveness and hiring outcomes.
Partner with Talent Acquisition Coordinators to ensure seamless candidate transitions throughout the interview and pre-employment processes.
Participate in special projects related to employer branding, process improvement, talent pipelining, and workforce development initiatives.
Develop and execute innovative sourcing strategies to identify and attract top talent across professional, technical, skilled trades, leadership, and niche talent segments.
Utilize LinkedIn Recruiter, job boards, networking events, referrals, professional associations, social media, and direct sourcing techniques to identify qualified talent.
Build and maintain proactive talent pipelines for current and anticipated workforce needs.
Conduct market mapping and talent research to identify prospective candidates and emerging talent pools.
Engage passive candidates through personalized outreach and relationship-building activities.
Partner closely with Talent Acquisition Specialists and hiring leaders to understand position requirements and develop targeted sourcing plans.
Generate qualified candidate slates and talent pipelines that support recruiting objectives.
Maintain ongoing relationships with prospective candidates to support future hiring needs.
Utilize applicant tracking systems, candidate relationship management tools, and sourcing platforms to document candidate activity and maintain accurate talent pipeline data.
Collaborate with recruiting leadership on process improvements, sourcing best practices, and talent attraction initiatives.