Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist - University Relations & Early Career Development

Job Title: Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist - University Relations & Early Career Development

Department: Talent Acquisition

Location: Johnstown, Ohio or Versova locations

Reports To: Director, Talent Acquisition

Job Type: Full Time; non exempt

Travel: 10-50% (travel increased during college fairs and industry events)

Job Summary

The Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist - University Relations &Early Career Development is responsible for developing and executing strategic talent acquisition initiatives that support both immediate hiring needs and long-term workforce planning objectives. This role leads manager-level and above recruiting efforts, oversees university and early-career talent programs, and develops partnerships with colleges, technical schools, agricultural universities, trade schools, and industry organizations to build sustainable talent pipelines. The Senior Partner serves as a strategic advisor to business leaders, driving employer branding, recruiting process improvements, workforce planning initiatives, internship program management, and talent acquisition projects that strengthen Versova's ability to attract, develop, and retain top talent.

Essential Job Functions

• Lead full-cycle recruitment for manager-level, professional, and critical business positions across the organization
• Develop and execute strategic sourcing strategies to build pipelines of passive and active candidates for current and future workforce needs
• Partner with hiring managers and leadership teams to understand workforce requirements and develop proactive recruiting plans
• Design, implement, and manage enterprise internship, co-op, and early-career talent programs
• Develop and maintain relationships with colleges, universities, technical schools, agricultural programs, trade schools, and industry organizations
• Serve as the primary liaison for FFA, agricultural university, and workforce development partnerships
• Lead campus recruiting efforts, including career fairs, information sessions, on-campus interviews, and student engagement initiatives
• Develop strategies to convert interns and early-career talent into full-time employees and future organizational leaders
• Build talent pipelines for critical and hard-to-fill positions, including future leadership and succession planning needs
• Develop and execute employer branding initiatives that strengthen Versova's reputation as an employer of choice
• Create and maintain recruiting metrics, dashboards, and reports to measure recruiting effectiveness and program success
• Review and approve job advertisements, recruiting campaigns, and candidate outreach strategies
• Evaluate resumes, conduct candidate screenings, participate in interview panels, and facilitate candidate selection processes
• Extend employment offers, support compensation discussions, and guide candidates through the hiring process
• Lead talent acquisition process improvement initiatives, standardization efforts, and recruiting best practice implementation
• Develop and implement talent acquisition programs, projects, and workforce planning initiatives aligned with organizational objectives
• Maintain awareness of labor market trends, talent availability, and competitive recruiting practices
• Support onboarding activities and collaborate with People Operations to ensure a positive candidate and new hire experience
• Represent the organization at industry events, career fairs, networking functions, and workforce development programs
• Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Communications, Agricultural Business, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 6+ years of progressive talent acquisition, recruiting, workforce planning, or university relations experience
• Experience recruiting professional, leadership, or manager-level positions
• Demonstrated experience developing talent pipelines and sourcing passive candidates
• Experience building partnerships with colle