Recruitment & Development Specialist

The Recruitment & Development Specialist is responsible for full-cycle recruitment, new employee onboarding, and the training development of new hires entering the Agency. The position serves as the primary recruitment partner to the WHA Hiring Managers and leads recruitment activities from initial intake through accepted offer, including job description development, candidate sourcing and screening, interview coordination, internal job bidding and employee movement.

The Specialist also coordinates the new-hire onboarding experience, participates in New Employee Orientation, and builds relationships with colleges, vocational and technical programs, workforce organizations, and community partners to strengthen WHA's pipeline of entry-level and emerging talent. Once new employees join WHA, the Specailist with be hands-on with their development through their first year of employment as they settle into the workforce.

This is a hands-on role requiring strong candidate engagement, time management, organization, follow-through, and collaboration across the Agency. This position is onsite in Worcester, Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm.

Recruitment & Internal Movement
- Approximately 60%

• Own the full-cycle recruitment process for assigned positions, from hiring-manager intake through accepted offer.
• Partner with Hiring Managers to understand staffing needs, create a recruitment toolkit for managers with interview guides and assessment tools, update job descriptions where appropriate, and develop effective recruitment strategies.
• Post WHA job opportunities, review applications and resumes daily, and identify qualified candidates for consideration.
• Conduct initial candidate interviews and maintain a high level of candidate outreach and engagement, with a target of approximately 20-30 candidate conversations per week based on hiring volume.
• Provide sourcing support by engaging passive candidates through professional networks, online platforms, referrals, and other recruitment channels.
• Present qualified candidates to Hiring Managers, coordinate interviews, and maintain timely communication with candidates and managers throughout the selection process.
• Prepare and extend employment offers in coordination with HR leadership and maintain candidate engagement through the employee's start date.
• Coordinate union job postings and bidding processes, as well as internal promotions, transfers, and other employee movement, in accordance with applicable collective bargaining agreements and HR procedures.
• Create engaging marketing material to showcase opening and grow candidate engagement across the agency with the support of HR and the Marketing & Communications teams.

Onboarding & New-Hire Experience
- Approximately 25%

• Coordinate preboarding and onboarding activities with new employees, Hiring Managers, and internal departments to ensure a smooth transition into WHA.
• Serve as a primary HR point of contact for incoming employees from offer acceptance through the initial onboarding period.
• Facilitate designated portions of New Employee Orientation and present HR and organizational information to new employees.
• Lead new hire check-in process at 1, 3, and 6 months of employment.
• Along with other members of the HR team, provide training and development support to new associates entering the Agency.

Talent Pipeline & Outreach
- Approximately 15%

• Build and maintain relationships with colleges, universities, vocational and technical programs, workforce organizations, and community partners to develop sustainable candidate pipelines.
• Represent WHA at career fairs, campus programs, networking events, hiring events, and other recruitment and community outreach activities.
• Develop and maintain pipelines of entry-level, emerging, and passive talent for recurring and anticipated hiring needs, while supporting recruitment marketing and outreach initiatives.
• Performs similar job-related duties, as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in recruiting, talent acquisition, Human Resources, or a related field, with demonstrated experience supporting full-cycle recruitment.
• Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish is preferred, but not required.
• Experience conducting candidate screening interviews, evaluating qualifications, and…