Recruiting/Sourcing Outreach and Candidate Experience Specialist

Department: Applied Research Laboratories – HR Operations (HRO) | Location: Pickle Research Campus, North Austin, TX | FLSA Status: Exempt | Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40 | Position Duration: Ongoing, start immediately.

About the role

The role supports talent acquisition and candidate experience for student, support, and early‑career research positions. It works closely with hiring managers, the ARL HR Strategies department, and reports to the HRO Manager.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with hiring managers and recruiting staff to define sourcing criteria and generate qualified prospect pools.
• Develop and use engagement methods to attract candidates to ARL positions posted in Workday.
• Advise managers on best practices for recruiting, interviewing, and selection.
• Review, draft, and revise job requisitions in Workday; obtain final approval from managers and directors.
• Manage all pre‑hire Workday actions (posting, un‑posting, closing, canceling, dispositioning applicants).
• Maintain a thorough understanding of the UT Austin Workday candidate database.
• Travel to recruiting events; coordinate and participate in university and veteran career fairs.
• Maintain ARL’s presence on sourcing sites (Indeed, LinkedIn) and advertise via university channels.
• Research market trends and sourcing platforms; present ROI analyses and recommendations.
• Provide data and metrics on recruiting activity for leadership review.
• Develop tracking mechanisms for sourcing activity and hiring manager discussions.
• Foster positive customer experience for applicants, managers, and directors.
• Ensure job postings remain current and communicate regularly with hiring managers about posting activity.
• Perform other related functions as assigned.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Communications, Marketing, or a related field.
• Five years of relevant experience, including direct sourcing.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to summarize key points clearly.
• Excellent tracking, monitoring, and summarizing abilities for stakeholder reporting.
• Meticulous attention to detail; ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Calm under pressure, maintain confidentiality, and balance empathy with objectivity.
• Diagnostic and problem‑solving skills with multiple resolution options.
• Self‑directed results orientation; ability to prioritize multiple projects.
• Organizational skills to manage rapidly changing, deadline‑driven environment.
• Adaptability to ARL’s unique processes as a University‑Affiliated Research Center.
• Experience with Workday or a comparable HCM system.
• Professional, collaborative communication style.
• Demonstrated commitment to excellent customer service.
• Proficiency in MS Office, especially Excel and SharePoint.
• U.S. citizenship; ability to pass a government security investigation for classified access.

Preferred qualifications

• Advanced research/sourcing skills, including use of cutting‑edge tools and professional networks (e.g., LinkedIn).
• Familiarity with UT HR policies, Workday, and research‑position policies, or comparable experience.
• Experience recruiting for organizations with large science and engineering staff.

Benefits

• 100% employer‑paid basic medical coverage.
• Retirement contributions (Teacher Retirement System of Texas, subject to eligibility).
• Paid vacation and sick time.
• Paid holidays.
• Additional benefits detailed on the university HR website.

Pay

Salary range: $68,000 – $73,000+ (negotiable based on qualifications).

Schedule

Full‑time, 40 hours per week. Standard office hours with occasional weekend, evening, or holiday work as needed.

Working conditions

• Standard office environment.
• Repetitive keyboard use and manual dexterity required.
• Potential travel for recruiting events (interstate/intrastate).