JR/Mid level Talent Acquisition Specialist

Sayres Defense • Washington, DC

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Sayres Defense is seeking a Talent Acquisition Specialist to join our growing Talent Acquisition team and support significant company growth. This position is based in the Washington, DC/DMV area and requires a hybrid work schedule to support effective collaboration and team development. Regular in-office participation will also be important for business development activities, including proposal development and coordination. This flexible approach provides the benefits of remote work while maintaining the in-person engagement necessary to foster teamwork, strengthen relationships, and support company growth.
This is an excellent opportunity for a junior-to-mid-level recruiter who enjoys learning technical subject matter, building relationships with specialized talent, and working in a collaborative environment. We are particularly interested in candidates with experience recruiting for scientific, technical, engineering, research and development, or other specialized professional roles. The Talent Acquisition Specialist will support full-lifecycle recruiting while working under the guidance and mentorship of experienced Talent Acquisition professionals. This role provides an opportunity to develop recruiting expertise while helping Sayres attract and retain exceptional talent.
As Sayres continues to grow, our Talent Acquisition team is expanding to support increasingly complex scientific, technical, engineering, and professional staffing requirements. Sayres TA team supports a broad spectrum of technical and professional services across the federal government and defense industries. Our expertise includes research and development, biotechnology, physical and life sciences, laboratory management and quality assurance, engineering, test and evaluation, operational analysis, complex systems integration, systems engineering, acquisition, financial and program management, logistics, ship construction engineering, wargaming, security, counterintelligence, and policy analysis.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field. Equivalent combinations of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• 2-5 years of full-lifecycle recruiting or talent acquisition experience.
• Experience recruiting for technical, scientific, engineering, federal, or government-contracting positions is preferred.
• Experience or familiarity with scientific and technical talent, including biotechnology, life sciences, physical sciences, laboratory environments, engineering, research and development, or related fields, is highly valued.
• Working knowledge of government-contracting staffing requirements, labor categories, and contingent or proposal-based positions.
• Ability to manage multiple requisitions, competing priorities, and time-sensitive staffing requirements.
• Strong candidate assessment skills and the ability to evaluate technical qualifications against position requirements.
• Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, organizational, and relationship-building skills.
• Working knowledge of compensation principles, including salary alignment, internal equity, market considerations, and pay transparency.
• Ability to develop clear, accurate, and compliant job descriptions and requisitions.
• Familiarity with EEO, OFCCP, VEVRAA, Section 503, and other applicable employment requirements.
• Demonstrated commitment to equal employment opportunity and inclusive recruiting practices.
• Ability to handle sensitive candidate and employee information with discretion and confidentiality.
• Ability to obtain secret clearance

Nice To Haves

• Federal government-contracting or Department of Defense recruiting experience.
• Recruiting experience in scientific, technical, engineering, research and development, biotechnology, physical sciences, life sciences, laboratory management/QA, test and evaluation, operational analysis, or complex systems integration.
• Familiarity with federal contract labor categories, minimum qualification requirements, Service Contract Act requirements, and government-contract pay structures.
• Experience recruiting cleared personnel and understanding security-clearance eligibility and status.
• Experience supporting proposal recruiting, incumbent capture, key personnel staffing, and contract-award-dependent positions.
• Experience with applicant tracking and HR platforms such as iSolved Talent Acquisition, ApplicantPro, and ADP.
• Experience with LinkedIn Recruiter, Clearance Jobs, Indeed, resume databases, and professional networking platforms.
• Experience with recruiting analytics and reporting tools such as Microsoft Excel, Power BI, or ATS dashboards.
• AIRS, SHRM, or other recognized recruiting or human resources certification.
• Familiarity with Boolean search, advanced internet sourcing, talent mapping, and pipeline development.

Responsibilities

• Manage full-lifecycle recruiting activities, including intake meetings, job postings, sourcing, screening, interview coordination, offers, pre-employment requirements, and onboarding handoff.
• Develop creative sourcing strategies to identify active and passive candidates through job boards, resume databases, LinkedIn, professional networks, referrals, social media, and other channels.
• Partner with hiring managers and program leadership to understand technical requirements, labor categories, contract requirements, and candidate profiles.
• Screen candidates against position requirements, labor categories, clearance requirements, and contract specifications.
• Serve as a primary recruiting point of contact for hiring managers, candidates, and program leadership.
• Develop and maintain accurate, compliant job descriptions and requisitions.
• Support recruiting for proposal, contingent, incumbent-capture, and contract-award-dependent positions.
• Provide recruiting support for business development and proposal efforts.
• Track recruiting activity and metrics, including pipelines, time-to-fill, source effectiveness, offer acceptance, and requisition status.
• Maintain accurate applicant records, candidate dispositions, interview documentation, and recruiting data.
• Support employee referral and internal mobility programs.
• Partner with HR and Talent Acquisition leadership to develop recruiting resources and training for hiring managers.
• Manage relationships with recruiting vendors, job boards, sourcing tools, applicant tracking systems, and other recruiting partners.
• Partner with the Facility Security Officer (FSO) on security-clearance verification and related recruiting requirements.
• Support compliance with applicable employment laws, federal contractor requirements, and company policies.
• Maintain candidate, compensation, clearance, and employee information with professionalism, discretion, and confidentiality.

Benefits

• Employees are encouraged to develop their skills, expand their professional capabilities, and contribute to the continued growth of the company.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level