Manager, Talent Acquisition

Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance (DZCA) is a leader in animal care, wildlife conservation, and education. We are passionate about our commitment to excellence in support of our mission of Inspiring Communities to Save Wildlife for Future Generations. 

DZCA honors our animals, staff, and guests by conducting ourselves at the highest level of integrity through our Core Actions -- Inspire Awe: Safety, Care, Connect and by embracing our Core Values of: Welcoming, Curious, United, Courageous, and Transformative in all that we do.

The Manager, Talent Acquisition (TA Manager) supports Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance’s talent acquisition function by helping deliver a high-quality, efficient, inclusive, and mission-aligned hiring experience. This role partners with hiring managers, candidates, and the Human Resources team to attract, assess, hire, and onboard talent in support of animal care, conservation, education, guest engagement, operations, and organizational excellence.

This position is responsible for full-cycle recruitment support while also helping strengthen hiring discipline, candidate experience, onboarding readiness, recruitment processes, and workforce visibility across the organization. The TA Manager plays a key role in ensuring DZCA’s hiring practices are proactive, consistent, compliant, and aligned to the organization’s strategy.

Our staff is a dedicated and diverse group of individuals committed to providing quality care to our animals while creating moments of awe for guests.  If you are a like-minded individual and thrive in a dynamic, fast paced and innovative culture, Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance is the place for you!

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

Talent Acquisition & Hiring Support

• Support full-cycle recruitment for a wide range of positions across the organization, including operations, guest experience, animal care, conservation, facilities, education, administrative, and leadership roles.
• Partner with hiring managers and HR to clarify hiring needs, candidate profiles, selection criteria, timelines, and interview processes before roles are posted.
• Coordinate key steps in the hiring process, including job postings, application review, candidate screening, interview scheduling, candidate communication, offer preparation, and onboarding handoff.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for candidates, ensuring a timely, professional, welcoming, and inclusive hiring experience.
• Support proactive sourcing and outreach efforts for high-volume, hard-to-fill, seasonal, specialized, and mission-critical roles.
• Coordinate pre-employment activities, including background checks, reference checks, screenings, I-9 documentation, and onboarding documentation.
• Maintain accurate applicant tracking system records, recruitment documentation, hiring reports, and candidate communication records.

Onboarding & New Hire Experience

• Support New Staff Orientation and onboarding processes to ensure new employees feel welcomed, informed, and connected to DZCA’s mission, culture, and operational expectations.
• Ensure a smooth transition from accepted offer to onboarding, including timely completion of required pre-employment steps and documentation.
• Partner with hiring managers and HR to improve onboarding readiness, communication, and new hire experience.

Compliance & Employment Practices

• Ensure recruitment, selection, hiring, and onboarding practices align with federal, state, and local employment laws, organizational policies, and HR best practices.
• Maintain accurate recruitment, onboarding, personnel, and compliance records while ensuring confidentiality and proper document management practices.
• Support consistent documentation of hiring decisions, interview processes, candidate dispositioning, and employment-related records.
• Stay current on recruitment trends, employment practices, regulatory changes, and technology tools that may strengthen DZCA’s hiring practices.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Act as a resource for candidates, employees, hiring managers, and HR team members regarding recruitment processes, onboarding requirements, hiring procedures, and employment-related questions.
• Build positive working relationships with hiring managers, candidates, employees, volunteers, and cross-functional partners.
• Demonstrate responsiveness, professionalism, sound judgment, and follow-through in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities.
• Act in accordance with DZCA’s Core Values of Welcoming, United, Curious, Courageous, and Transformative in all interactions with staff,