Talent Acquisition & Retention Specialist

Talent Acquisition & Retention Specialist

The Talent Acquisition & Retention Specialist owns the full employee lifecycle at Ayoroa Simmons, LLC (A|S), from sourcing and hiring through onboarding, development, and retention. The role reports to the CEO and supports a 30+ person team of licensed surveyors, geomatics technologists, BIM and architectural technicians, UAV operators, and project managers across Lexington, KY, Nashville, TN, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.

A|S is growing through new offices, federal contract awards, and teaming partnerships, and this role builds the workforce capacity that growth requires. It suits a self‑directed HR generalist who builds programs from the ground up and represents the firm credibly to technical candidates in the AEC and federal contracting markets.

• Communicate regularly with executive leadership, project managers, and directors to monitor contract, client, and project requirements that will affect staffing needs, and respond with hiring timelines and headcount plans
• Translate the firm's growth plan, including new office openings, contract awards, task orders, and joint venture work, into workforce forecasts reviewed with the principals
• Build local candidate pipelines and recruiting relationships ahead of entry into new markets
• Develop staffing plans in support of RFQs and RFPs in coordination with executive leadership, project managers, and directors, including key personnel, contingent hires, and letters of commitment
• Maintain a current library of team resumes, organized and formatted (including SF 330 Section
  
  E) so marketing and proposal staff can access and use them in pursuits
• Research labor markets, compensation benchmarks, and licensing requirements in target geographies and advise the principals on workforce cost and availability
• Scale onboarding, EDP, and HR processes so each new office and remote team operates on the same standards
• Identify the point at which added HR or recruiting headcount is warranted and present the case to the CEO

• Partner with the principals and division leads to forecast hiring needs by office, service line, and contract
• Draft and maintain job descriptions aligned with the Employee Development Plan (EDP) career ladder
• Run sourcing and recruiting as an ongoing, year‑round effort through job boards, Linked In Recruiter, university programs, professional societies, and the employee referral program, with weekly performance metrics (outreach volume, new candidates added, screens completed, interviews scheduled, offers extended) tracked and met
• Maintain an active candidate pipeline for each recurring role, organized by position and location in the applicant tracking system and vetted through screening so qualified candidates are ready when a need opens
• Screen applicants, coordinate technical interviews with hiring managers, and keep candidates informed at each stage
• Prepare offer packages using the Total Compensation Calculation workbook and coordinate offer letters with the principals
• Manage the applicant tracking system, reference checks, and pre‑employment requirements, including eligibility documentation tied to federal and DoD work
• Represent A|S at career fairs, SAME and industry events, and campus recruiting visits

• Run the onboarding program for office, remote, and field staff, with 30, 60, and 90 day check‑ins
• Administer the EDP: maintain career ladder documentation and coordinate promotion reviews with division leads
• Coordinate the performance review cycle, including timelines, templates, and manager guidance
• Conduct stay interviews, exit interviews, and engagement surveys; recommend action to the principals
• Support…