Talent Acquisition Specialist

Talent Acquisition Specialist

The Talent Acquisition Specialist is responsible for attracting, sourcing, selecting, and onboarding top talent to support Seaway's strategic growth across all divisions. This position partners closely with hiring managers to understand workforce needs, develop recruiting strategies, build talent pipelines, and deliver an exceptional candidate experience. The Talent Acquisition Specialist serves as a brand ambassador for Seaway, ensuring timely, compliant, and effective hiring practices while supporting workforce planning initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage full-cycle recruitment for hourly, technical, professional, and leadership positions
• Develop proactive sourcing strategies to build diverse talent pipelines
• Partner with hiring managers to identify staffing needs and recruitment priorities
• Coordinate and facilitate all stages of the hiring process from requisition through onboarding
• Promote Seaway's employment brand through community outreach, network, career fairs, and social media
• Track recruiting metrics and recommend continuous improvements to hiring processes
• Ensure compliance with all employment laws and company hiring practices
• Collaborate with the Director of Organizational Development and leaders across all Seaway divisions to understand workforce needs, develop strategic recruiting plans, and align talent acquisition initiatives with organizational objectives.
• Create compelling job postings and maintain accurate job descriptions
• Source qualified candidates through online recruiting platforms, networking, employee referrals, career fairs, colleges, technical schools, and community partnerships.
• Partner with approved staffing agencies to support temporary workforce needs, ensuring timely fulfillment of staffing requirements while maintaining quality standards and positive vendor relationships.
• Coordinate with executive search firms on specialized or leadership-level searches, serving as the primary point of contact throughout the search process and ensuring alignment with Seaway's hiring expectations.
• Screen resumes, conduct phone interviews, coordinate interviews, and facilitate candidate selection.
• Guide hiring managers through interview best practices and selection recommendations.
• Manage candidate communications throughout the recruitment process while providing an exceptional candidate experience
• Coordinate pre-employment activities including background checks, drug screenings, employment verification, and onboarding documentation.
• Maintain applicant tracking system (ATS) data accuracy and ensure recruiting documentation complies with company policy and employment regulations.
• Develop and maintain talent pipelines for critical and high-volume positions.
• Analyze recruiting metrics including time-to-fill, source effectiveness, turnover trends, and hiring success rates.
• Collaborate closely with the Director of Organizational Development to develop and execute talent acquisition strategies that support organizational growth, succession planning, and workforce planning initiatives
• Partner with the Director of Organizational Development to evaluate recruiting metrics, identify process improvement opportunities, and implement continuous improvement initiatives that enhance recruiting effectiveness, candidate experience, and hiring manager satisfaction.
• Participate in the development and implementation of innovative sourcing strategies and recruiting technologies to strengthen Seaway's competitive position in attracting top talent.
• Assist in developing standardized interview processes, selection tools, and hiring manager training to promote consistency and best hiring practices across all Seaway locations.
• Represent Seaway at career fairs, hiring events, workforce development initiatives, and community networking opportunities.
• Support employer branding initiatives through social media, recruitment marketing, and community engagement.
• Assist with onboarding activities to ensure a smooth transition for new employees
• Stay current on recruiting trends, employment law, labor market conditions, and best practices.

Qualities for Success:

• Demonstrates Seaway Plastics Core Values: We are customer focused; We execute; We win together; We are respectful.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of five years of progressive experience in a dedicated Talent Acquisition or recruiting role required, including experience in either a corporate Talent Acquisition function or an agency recruiting environment.
• Demonstrated experience developing recruiting strategies, sourcing passive candidates, building talent pipelines, and managing full-cycle recruitment across multiple divisions.
• Experience utilizing multiple sourcing methodologies, including networking, community partnerships, social recruiting, applicant tracking systems, staffing agencies, and executive search firms.
• Experience recruiting for production, skilled trades, engineering, operations, and professional manufacturing positions preferred
• Strong knowledge of employment laws and hiring compliance
• Experience utilizing Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and HRIS platforms; Dayforce experience preferred.
• Proficiency with LinkedIn, Indeed, and other sourcing platforms
• Excellent interviewing, relationship-building, and candidate assessment skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence hiring decisions through data and consultation
• Ability to build credibility and maintain effective working relationships across all organizational levels
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple openings and competing priorities
• Strong analytical skills with experience utilizing recruiting metrics to drive decision making
• Demonstrated ability to proactively source passive candidates and develop long term talent pipelines
• Ability to maintain confidentiality while exercising sound judgement and professionalism
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Willingness to travel between Seaway facilities and recruiting evens as needed
• Valid identification and the ability to legally work in the United States; meets ITAR's definition of a U.S. Person.
• Well organized, self-motivated, and results oriented.
• Competitive spirit while maintaining the highest standards of ethics and professionalism.