Talent Acquisition Manager/Specialist

About the role

Salem Five is a growing regional financial services organization with over 170 years of history, operating as an independent bank with more than 30 retail branches across Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk and Suffolk counties, plus business banking, insurance, wealth management & trust, and mortgage divisions. The Talent Acquisition Manager/Specialist (TA Manager) leads the hiring function and acts as a hands‑on recruiter, responsible for sourcing, interviewing, and hiring candidates, developing hiring strategies, overseeing the recruitment process, mentoring the recruitment team, and ensuring compliance with labor laws and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Create the company's overall plan for attracting talent and improving the hiring brand.
• Establish meaningful metrics to improve the hiring process (e.g., time‑to‑hire, candidate satisfaction, cost‑per‑hire, source quality).
• Manage, oversee and direct the use and strategy of hiring software/applicant tracking system, job boards, and recruitment budgets, including use of external recruiters, search firms and contract recruiters.
• Work closely with division heads and hiring managers to understand future hiring needs and position requirements to establish proactive sourcing.
• Develop a talent pipeline and pool of qualified candidates in advance of need.
• Lead the creation of a recruiting and interviewing plan for each open position.
• Continuously evaluate the entire hiring process, from initial contact with a potential candidate through onboarding.
• Guide and develop direct report(s) by providing direction, coaching and support that drives strong performance and development.
• Define team objectives, monitor results against established metrics and deliver regular feedback to reinforce accountability and service quality.
• Provide day‑to‑day leadership for the Talent Acquisition team, including assigning work, prioritizing recruiting activity, removing obstacles and ensuring timely follow‑through on hiring commitments.
• Foster a collaborative and service‑oriented team environment that supports employee engagement, professional growth and accountability.
• Conduct regular one‑on‑one meetings, team meetings and performance discussions to communicate priorities, provide feedback and align individual contributions with departmental and organizational goals.
• Actively search for qualified people on LinkedIn, job boards, portfolio sites and professional networks.
• Review applicants to evaluate if they meet position requirements, forward qualified applications to hiring managers, conduct initial phone interviews to filter candidates.
• Coordinate and participate in interviews independently or alongside hiring managers if required.
• Negotiate salaries, benefits, and start dates with final candidates.
• Network through industry contacts, association memberships, trade groups and employees.
• Attend career fairs for recruiting and company recognition; develop working relationships within colleges, veterans’ agencies, and other agencies to aid in recruiting a diverse workforce.
• Demonstrates compliance with banking business laws and regulations as defined in company policies and procedures pertinent to the position.
• Maintain regular attendance and willingness/ability to travel to other Salem Five locations as necessary.
• Manage one direct report.

Requirements

• 6 to 8 years of people management, leading a team and recruiting experience at all organizational levels, preferably in financial services or banking.
• Bachelor's degree.
• Demonstrated track record of success and proficiency in candidate sourcing, including success sourcing hard‑to‑find candidates.
• Experience in a fast‑paced recruiting environment working with demanding professionals.
• Proven experience leveraging various recruitment technology and techniques (social media, open web sourcing, etc.) to identify and engage talent.
• Strong knowledge of Talent Acquisition Systems and