Talent Acquisition Specialist

Kansas City University•Joplin, MO

About The Position

The Talent Acquisition Specialist supports Kansas City University’s recruitment efforts, focusing on operational and support staff positions and student employees. The position manages assigned requisitions throughout the recruitment life cycle, from initiation through candidate selection, offers, and onboarding coordination. The Specialist partners with hiring managers to understand staffing needs, attract qualified candidates, and support timely hiring and a positive, inclusive candidate experience. The role includes proactive sourcing, talent pipeline development, accurate recruitment documentation, and compliance with KCU’s Talent Acquisition Standards. Through effective communication, workload management, and continuous improvement, the Specialist helps meet the University’s workforce needs and support consistent, high-quality hiring outcomes. The position requires approximately 25% travel, including travel between KCU campuses and attendance at recruitment fairs, career events, professional conferences, and other recruitment-related activities. Travel may also include professional development opportunities based on university needs.

Requirements

Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in human resources or business administration.
Two or more years of recruitment experience.
Knowledge of sourcing strategies and tools, including online job boards, social media, and professional networking platforms.
Demonstrated experience developing and executing proactive sourcing strategies, including direct outreach, talent pipeline development, professional networking, referrals, community partnerships, and evaluation of sourcing-channel effectiveness.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage a high volume of requisitions and competing priorities.
Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and customer service skills.
Ability to develop sourcing strategies, build candidate relationships, and partner effectively with hiring managers and internal stakeholders.
Ability to assess candidate qualifications, apply consistent screening practices, and exercise sound judgment.
Ability to work collaboratively with Talent Acquisition colleagues and HR partners, contribute to process improvements, and support consistent recruitment practices across campuses.
Ability to work independently, take initiative, prioritize responsibilities, and follow through on commitments.
Proficiency with applicant tracking systems and standard office productivity tools, and ability to learn new systems and processes.
Working knowledge of recruitment practices, employment regulations, and applicable university policies.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and appropriately handle sensitive candidate and employment information.
Physical dexterity to use hands, arms, and shoulders repetitively to operate a keyboard and other office equipment; use a telephone; and access file cabinets and items stored at various levels, including overhead.
Ability to stand and walk for extended periods at recruitment events and professional conferences.
Ability to lift, carry, and set up recruitment materials, displays, and event supplies weighing up to 25 pounds.
Ability to sit for extended periods while performing office duties and driving to local and regional recruitment events and conferences, including occasional extended periods of travel.
Ability to speak and hear clearly to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and in group settings.
Ability to operate a personal computer for extended periods.
Mental acuity to collect and interpret data, evaluate information, identify problems, establish facts, draw conclusions, and exercise sound judgment.

Nice To Haves

Recruitment experience in higher education, healthcare, or a related environment.
Experience with recruitment processes, applicant tracking systems, candidate screening, and interview coordination.

Responsibilities

Manage assigned requisitions from position posting through candidate selection, offers, and onboarding coordination.
Partner with hiring managers to clarify position requirements, qualifications, priorities, and timelines.
Review applications against position requirements and screening criteria, and ensure timely posting and adherence to service expectations.
Coordinate recruitment next steps and follow up with hiring managers and candidates to maintain momentum.
Prioritize requisitions based on urgency, impact, and KCU’s Talent Acquisition Standards; communicate barriers and recommend solutions.
Develop sourcing strategies using job boards, social media, professional networks, referrals, career fairs, and community partnerships.
Conduct proactive sourcing for hard-to-fill positions and recurring workforce needs, and build and maintain talent pipelines.
Track and analyze applicant flow, sourcing-channel effectiveness, recruitment-cycle progress, candidate disposition, and other recruitment outcomes.
Conduct recruiter phone screens and assess candidates’ qualifications, experience, and alignment with position requirements.
Apply consistent screening criteria and interview practices to support fair candidate evaluations.
Coordinate interviews, communicate scheduling details, gather feedback, and facilitate timely progress through selection.
Partner with hiring managers on selection decisions and guide them through established interview and selection processes.
Maintain professional, timely candidate communications, including status updates and disposition notifications.
Deliver a professional, responsive, and inclusive candidate experience that reflects KCU’s values and employer brand.
Provide enhanced candidate experiences for designated high-priority and difficult-to-fill searches, as assigned.
Represent KCU at recruitment events, conferences, and through candidate and community interactions; expand candidate networks and promote KCU as an employer of choice.
Use candidate feedback to identify improvements to recruitment processes and the candidate experience.
Determine proposed salaries for assigned positions, obtain required approvals, and extend offers in accordance with university guidelines and processes.
Initiate background checks for selected candidates and partner with HR Operations on onboarding and first-day readiness.
Coordinate the end-to-end hiring process for student workers and liaise with student supervisors, career services, and HR to support compliance with university policy and federal guidelines.
Verify student employees’ enrollment status and work eligibility.
Maintain accurate and timely recruitment records in accordance with university, state, and federal requirements.
Track sourcing activities and recruitment metrics, assist with audits, EEO reporting, and other recruitment reporting, and follow KCU’s Talent Acquisition Standards and procedures.
Manage a high volume of requisitions and competing priorities, maintain confidentiality, and contribute to recruitment process improvements and consistent practices across KCU campuses.