Manager, Talent Acquisition (USP7) (2436)

SUMMARY: The Talent Acquisition Manager is a partner to the Head of Talent, playing a central role in shaping and executing VSE Aviation's talent acquisition vision and approach. This leader will serve as a trusted liaison to the business, building deep relationships with hiring leaders, translating workforce needs into proactive sourcing initiatives, and ensuring talent acquisition operates as a true business function rather than a transactional service. The role combines strategic thinking and problem solving with hands-on execution: potentially owning a senior leader focused requisition load, leading and developing a recruiting team, and driving a metrics-driven, AI-enabled approach to how we attract and hire top talent. The ideal candidate is data-savvy, tech-forward, and equally comfortable presenting hiring insights to senior leaders as they are rolling up their sleeves to deliver results.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Partnership with Head of Talent: Serve as a right-hand partner to the Head of Talent, supporting and executing VSE Aviation's talent acquisition strategy. Translate organizational goals into proactive, scalable hiring plans and bring forward data, market intelligence, and a strategic point of view to inform decision-making. Also, partner on rollout of key initiatives including the employee value proposition, standardized interview frameworks, overall process enhancements, hiring manager enablement programs, realistic job preview expansion material across our key roles, and the successful execution of additional Talent Acquisition key projects.
• Business Liaison & Leader Partnerships: Act as the primary point of contact between the talent acquisition function and business leaders. Build trusted, consultative relationships with hiring managers and senior stakeholders, providing guidance, managing expectations, and ensuring alignment between talent needs and organizational priorities.
• Senior Leader Recruiting: Own full-cycle recruiting for all Senior Leader-level hires, either personally sourcing and recruiting for these roles or partnering with and managing external search/recruiting agencies as appropriate. Deliver a high-touch, white-glove candidate experience tailored to senior leader hiring, and lead negotiations on total rewards (base, bonus, equity, relocation, etc.) to successfully close offers with top-tier candidates.
• Team Leadership: Lead, coach, and develop the recruiting team. Set clear performance expectations, foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement, and ensure the team is equipped to deliver results at scale.
• Metrics, Data & Storytelling: Own the talent acquisition scorecard, tracking, analyzing, and presenting key metrics including time-to-fill, quality of hire, source effectiveness, offer acceptance rates, and pipeline health. Work closely with the onboarding team to ensure seamless sourcing, recruitment, and onboarding. Translate data into compelling narratives that inform TA approach, influence stakeholders, and demonstrate the impact of the function.
• AI-Enabled Recruiting: Champion the adoption of AI and technology tools across the recruiting lifecycle, from sourcing and screening to candidate communication and reporting. Continuously evaluate and introduce tools that increase recruiter efficiency, enhance candidate experience, and keep VSE Aviation at the forefront of modern talent acquisition.
• Full-Cycle Recruiting: Manage a senior leader requisition load end-to-end, modeling excellent recruiter standards and ensuring a seamless, high-quality experience for candidates and hiring teams alike.
• Compliance & Process Excellence: Ensure all recruitment activities adhere to applicable employment laws, EEO/OFCCP requirements, and company policies. Continuously improve processes to drive consistency, speed, and quality across the hiring lifecycle.
• Other duties as assigned

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.

• Or an additional 3 years of specific work experience in lieu of a degree

• 7+ years of progressive talent acquisition experience, with at least 4 years in a team lead or manager role.

• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute talent acquisition strategies aligned to business goals, not just fill requisitions.

• Proven track record building strong relationships with senior leaders and serving as a trusted advisor and liaison to the business.

• Demonstrated experience sourcing and recruiting for senior leadership roles, with strong negotiation skills and a proven ability to structure and close competitive total rewards packages (base, bonus, equity, relocation) with senior-level candidates.

• Strong command of recruiting metrics and the ability to build dashboards, tell compelling stories with data, and use insights to continuously improve the function.

• Hands-on experience with AI tools and recruiting technology; a genuine curiosity and enthusiasm for how technology can modernize and elevate the hiring process.

• Experience managing both corporate and high-volume recruiting, with the operational range to lead a team and personally carry a requisition load.

• Excellent communication and influencing skills; able to present confidently to senior leadership and translate complex talent data into clear, actionable recommendations.

• Strong understanding of employment law, EEO/OFCCP compliance, and recruitment best practices.

• Experience with Paycom ATS or similar HRIS/applicant tracking platforms.

• High sense of urgency with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS:

• PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP certification, preferred.
• Experience in a complex, multi-entity, global, or high-growth organization.
• Familiarity with recruitment marketing and employer branding strategies.
• Experience supporting change management and new system implementations.
• Proficiency in data analytics tools to track and report on recruiting metrics.
• Experience with organizations that grow via mergers and acquisitions, preferred.

OTHER:

• This job description isn't meant to be a complete list of responsibilities or all the things you'll do, as the organization is growing quickly and with agility.