Talent Acquisition and Fellowship Manager

About SailFuture

SailFuture is a nationally recognized youth development organization serving system-involved and at-risk youth through long-term residential care, private education, vocational training, and global sailing expeditions. Our model blends housing, workforce development, adventure-based learning, and intensive mentorship to create durable life outcomes for young people who have experienced foster care, homelessness, or justice involvement.

We are entering a growth phase—expanding our residential programs, launching new education initiatives, and building a professional leadership pipeline to scale impact statewide and beyond.

Position Overview

The Talent Acquisition & Fellowship Program Manager will design and lead SailFuture’s full-cycle talent strategy while building a high-caliber Fellowship Program that recruits recent college graduates into high impact career pathways. 

This role is both strategic and operational. It will:

• Build a comprehensive leadership pipeline through a competitive Fellowship Program

• Strengthen organizational culture and retention

• Align hiring with SailFuture’s mission-driven, high-accountability model
  

This is a high-impact leadership position for someone who believes that who we hire determines how many lives we change.

Core Responsibilities

1. Talent Acquisition Strategy & Execution

• Design and implement a comprehensive recruitment strategy across:

  • Social Enterprises 

  • Residential care

  • Education (SailFuture Academy)

  • Maritime operations

  • Administration & leadership

• Build structured hiring processes:

  • Competency-based interview frameworks

  • Behavioral assessments

  • Reference & background protocols

• Develop recruiting pipelines with:

  • Universities (education, social work, maritime academies)

  • Fellowship networks (Teach For America, AmeriCorps, etc.)

  • Military veteran transition programs
    

• Own employer branding and talent marketing materials

• Track KPIs: time-to-hire, quality-of-hire, retention rates, value contribution

2. Fellowship Program Design & Management

Design and lead SailFuture’s Social Innovation Fellows Program, which places early-career professionals into 1–2 year immersive roles in youth development.

Responsibilities include:

• Program architecture and curriculum development

• Recruitment of high-potential candidates nationwide

• Selection process management

• Onboarding and structured professional development

• Performance evaluation systems

• Mentorship matching and leadership coaching

• Alumni engagement strategy
  

The Fellowship will serve as a long-term leadership pipeline for:

• Residential program directors

• School leaders

• Maritime program officers

• Social enterprise managers

3. Organizational Culture & Retention

• Develop onboarding systems that reinforce mission, accountability, and professional standards

• Implement structured performance review frameworks

• Support department leaders with coaching and hiring decisions

• Help codify SailFuture’s leadership expectations and values

• Design retention initiatives for high-performing team members

4. Systems & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with child welfare hiring requirements

• Oversee background checks and licensing requirements

• Maintain personnel documentation standards

• Coordinate with Finance for payroll onboarding and HR systems