Talent Acquisition Specialist

Aurora University (AU) is committed to the transformative power of learning by creating a student-centered environment and an equity of experience and opportunity, to ensure that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel welcome and included. Our culture of collaboration, generosity, and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty, and staff.

AU is grounded in the transformative opportunity it provides to a diverse student body. As a private university with a public mission and a commitment to making a difference in peoples’ lives, AU has a long history of resilience and of providing access to an education that values innovation, focuses on continuous improvement, and has a positive impact on the communities we serve. We are proud of our service to and economic impact on the state of Illinois, where over 80% of our students stay to live and work, where 90% of our students come from, and where we foster strong community partnerships to develop the workforce in areas such as nursing, education, business, technology, and social work.

We are looking for passionate and purposeful individuals who represent the full diversity of Aurora and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, ability, identity, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at AU, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative, and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice requiring broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students, and community partners.

At AU we believe that continuous learning is a fundamental part of working life, and our goal is for all colleagues on our campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support our community by providing all employees with opportunities to engage in professional development activities, as well as a range of tuition and employee benefits that can be found

Position Purpose

Why This Role Matters

The Talent Acquisition Specialist plays a key role in helping to elevate Aurora University’s recruitment efforts and employer brand by coordinating talent acquisition programs and activities that support a diverse, mission-aligned workforce. This position is central to the implementation of the Aurora University’s Talent Acquisition program, translating strategy into day-to-day recruiting practice.

This is a great opportunity for someone who truly enjoys recruitment and wants to lean into the full recruitment life cycle—from sourcing and screening through interview coordination and hiring—while applying professional judgment to support hiring managers, search committees, and candidates. The Talent Acquisition Specialist leads recruitment, ensures a smooth and positive hiring experience, and partners closely with stakeholders to promote consistent, high-quality, and equitable hiring practices.

As part of the Office of People and Culture, this role is execution-focused with meaningful opportunity to influence how recruitment processes work in practice, making it ideal for someone who enjoys hands-on recruiting, problem-solving, and helping others navigate the hiring process effectively while contributing to continuous improvement of the recruitment function.

Essential Job Functions

What You’ll Do

As a Talent Acquisition Specialist, you will manage and support recruitment activities across the university.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Manage assigned searches across the full recruitment life cycle—from requisition and posting through screening, interviews, and hire.
• Source and identify qualified candidates, including for hard-to-fill roles, using approved sourcing tools, targeted outreach, and re-engagement of prior applicants or pipelines.
• Review applications and conduct or support screening activities to assess qualifications and move candidates forward appropriately.
• Coordinate interviews and hiring steps, resolving scheduling, communication, or documentation issues to keep searches moving.
• Support selection, offers, and pre-employment processing, exercising judgment to identify issues and escalate when needed.
• Serve as a trusted point of contact for hiring managers, search committees, and candidates throughout the recruitment process.
• Provide practical guidance and training to hiring managers and search committees on recruitment processes, expectations, and system use.
• Maintain accurate records and data in the applicant tracking system and ensure recruitment activities comply with employment laws and university policy.
• Monitor recruitment activity and basic metrics to support operational insight and continuous improvement.
• Contribute to process refinements, templates, training resources, and recruitment initiatives that support effective implementation of the Talent Acquisition program.
  
  

Essential Job Requirements

What We’re Looking For

We’re seeking someone who is experienced, steady, and service-oriented—someone who knows how recruiting works and can apply good judgment day to day.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 3–5 years of experience supporting recruitment or HR operations.
• Experience coordinating applicant tracking systems and interview processes.
• Working knowledge of employment laws and regulations related to hiring.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and move work forward in a dynamic environment.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience sourcing candidates using platforms such as LinkedIn or similar tools.
• Experience providing procedural or system-based guidance or training to managers or staff.
• Higher education experience.
  
  

The anticipated pay rate for this position is $65,000-$70,000 per year. This compensation is subject to change at the sole discretion of the university, based on institutional needs.

The pay range referenced in the job posting is the budgeted amount the university reasonably expects to pay for this position. The final pay rate will not be below the lowest pay rate listed herein.

Benefit-eligible positions offer excellent benefits including health, dental, life, vision, long term disability, a 403(b) retirement plan through TIAA, and tuition remission.

Aurora University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Aurora University offers competitive, flexible benefits to eligible employees.

• Health Insurance Choice of HMO or PPO offered through BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois.
• Dental and Vision Insurance Choice of two dental plans and vision insurance offered through Blue Cross Blue Shield.
• Life Insurance and AD&D 1.5 times annual salary, dependent on age. Additional life insurance also may be purchased for self, spouse, and children.
• Long Term Disability 60% of salary, taxable and nontaxable options.
• TIAA Retirement Account The University offers a 403b retirement plan, administered by TIAA. Matching contributions offered first day of employment to eligible employees, at the discretion of the University and Board of Directors.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) FSAs are available for medical costs and dependent care costs.
• Paid Time Off Vacation, personal, and sick leave are provided to eligible employees.
• Holidays The university observes nine major holidays where the university is closed.
• Tuition Assistance Tuition assistance for AU undergraduate courses is available to eligible employees and eligible family members beginning the term following one (1) year of regular, full-time employment. Tuition assistance for graduate programs paid at 60% for employee following Senior Leadership approval.
• Tuition Exchange Consortiums AU is a member of the Tuition Exchange (TE) and the Council of Independent Colleges Tuition Exchange Program (CIC-TEP) enabling full-time employees and eligible family members to be eligible for tuition assistance at more than 600 universities nationwide. Eligibility for the CIC-TEP and TE programs is one (1) year of regular, full-time employment as of 8/31.
  
  

To see more benefits details and breakdowns please see our benefits guide

01

Which statement below best describes the highest level of education you have completed?

• High school graduate, diploma or the equivalent (GED)
• Associate degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• Doctorate degree
  
  

02

How many years of Talent Acquisition or Recruitment experience do you have?

• No experience
• Less than 3 years of experience
• 3 years but less than 5 years experience
• 5 of more years of experience
  
  

03

Briefly describe how you stay organized and detail-oriented while managing competing deadlines and multiple stakeholders.

04

What does "customer service" mean to you in a Talent Acquisition role?

Required Question