Talent and Development Specialist

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Manage full-cycle recruiting for assigned requisitions, including sourcing, screening, interviewing, and extending offers to qualified candidates. 

• Partner with hiring managers to understand staffing needs, define role requirements, and build effective sourcing and interview strategies. 

• Build and maintain relationships with universities, staffing vendors, and other talent pipelines (e.g., collegiate partnerships, temporary staffing programs) to support ongoing hiring needs. 

• Assist in the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of training and development programs, including product/process training and leadership development. 

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in the HRIS/ATS (e.g., Workday), including requisitions, candidate pipelines, and job descriptions. 

• Support career development and succession-planning initiatives, helping identify and track high-potential employees for future growth opportunities. 

• Track and report on recruiting and training metrics (e.g., time-to-fill, retention, completion rates) to identify trends and opportunities for improvement. 

• Ensure compliance with employment laws and internal policies throughout the recruiting and onboarding process. 

• Partner cross-functionally with HR, department leaders, and Executive Leadership to standardize best practices and improve talent and development workflows. 

PREBOARDING & ONBOARDING RESPONSIBILITIES 

Own the candidate and new-hire experience from offer acceptance through the first days on the job, including: 

• Manage the preboarding process for new hires, serving as the main point of contact between offer acceptance and start date. 

• Initiate and track background checks for all new hires, following up on results and escalating any concerns per company policy. 

• Coordinate pre-employment and DOT/non-DOT drug testing, ensuring results are received and cleared prior to start date. 

• Prepare and send offer letters and new-hire paperwork, ensuring accuracy and timely completion. 

• Collect and process required new-hire documentation, including I-9s and other employment eligibility verification. 

• Set up new hires in the HRIS/ATS (e.g., Workday) and coordinate with IT, Operations, and other departments to ensure equipment, systems access, and workspace are ready before day one. 

• Communicate proactively with new hires throughout the preboarding period to confirm start details, answer questions, and reduce pre-start drop-off. 

• Facilitate new-hire orientation and the first-day/first-week onboarding experience, ensuring a smooth transition into the role. 

• Track preboarding and onboarding milestones (background check status, drug test results, paperwork completion) and report on bottlenecks or delays. 

• Ensure all preboarding and onboarding activities comply with employment law and internal company policy. 

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS 

• A bachelor's degree is preferred. 

• 1+ years of experience in talent acquisition, recruiting, training, or human resources preferred, but not required; experience in a logistics, distribution, or fast-paced operational environment a plus. 

• Strong work ethic with a high level of ownership, reliability, and follow-through. 

• Experience managing full-cycle recruiting and/or developing and delivering training content. 

• Familiarity with HRIS/ATS platforms (e.g., Workday) and Learning Management Systems preferred. 

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build relationships with candidates, employees, and leaders at all levels. 

• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple requisitions and projects simultaneously. 

• Ability to prioritize requests and handle changing priorities seamlessly. 

• Strong attention to detail and follow-through. 

• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and comfortable learning new systems and tools. 

• Open to travel as needed.