Description

VCU Human Resources is excited to announce an opportunity for a Senior Talent Strategy Recruiter.

The Senior Talent Strategy Recruiter is a key member of VCU HR’s Executive Search Team (EST), supporting a broad portfolio of senior and executivelevel faculty and staff searches. The EST is an internal team of recruitment professionals dedicated to finding and engaging exceptional senior and executivelevel talent. Grounded in a deep understanding of VCU’s culture and priorities, the team collaborates closely with campus partners to provide focused, highquality search support. Each search is approached with care, partnership, and a tailored strategy that reflects the needs of the role and the institution.

At VCU, we are UNCOMMON and UNLIKE any other university. A premier, urban, public research university nationally recognized as one of the best employers in Virginia. VCU is a great place to work. It’s a place of opportunity where your success is supported and your career can thrive. VCU offers employees a generous leave package, career paths for advancement, competitive pay, and an opportunity to do mission-driven work.

About Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University is a public research institution committed to serving the needs of students and patients and our passionate community isn't afraid to tackle difficult challenges others can't, or won't. We’re home to creativity, teaching, discovery and healing. Our location in the heart of downtown Richmond, Virginia, means the nonstop energy of our city ignites our innovation and provides unlimited opportunities. We know that the unique backgrounds and experiences of the VCU community are what drive the university forward. Together, we’re forging a future that is built by us. Here, artists and engineers, healthcare professionals and designers come together to reimagine the human experience and tackle the problems of tomorrow.

Through our network of Health Sciences schools, we lead the commonwealth in advancing the health and well-being of Virginians through education, research, and patient care. Our six schools and colleges combined with our leading academic medical system are shaping the future of the health care workforce in critical fields and delivering care and hope across communities. We are located in the capital of Virginia and our impact can be felt across the commonwealth and beyond.

For more information, visit: https://www.vcu.edu/

Duties & Responsibilities:

The Senior Talent Strategy Recruiter is a key member of VCU HR’s Executive Search Team (EST), supporting a broad portfolio of senior and executivelevel faculty and staff searches. The EST is an internal team of recruitment professionals dedicated to finding and engaging exceptional senior and executivelevel talent. Grounded in a deep understanding of VCU’s culture and priorities, the team collaborates closely with campus partners to provide focused, highquality search support. Each search is approached with care, partnership, and a tailored strategy that reflects the needs of the role and the institution. 

In partnership with the Director, Talent Strategy and Vice Provost, Faculty Recruitment, the Coordinator, this role develops and executes innovative recruitment strategies to attract highquality passive and active candidates for missioncritical leadership positions across the university. The role enhances VCU’s leadership talent pipeline by delivering a wellcoordinated, impartial search process and providing an exceptional, hightouch experience for candidates and campus partners.

Key responsibilities of this position include:

• Support recruitment for executive and strategic faculty hires and when needed, executive staff positions, ensuring consistency and alignment with institutional priorities.
• Lead seniorlevel, critical, and niche searches through fullcycle recruitment for executive and high impact roles.
• Develop search plans collaboratively with leadership, hiring managers, and HR partners to ensure clarity, alignment, and strategic direction.
• Research and conduct personalized, strategic outreach to engage passive candidates whose backgrounds align with the role, fostering meaningful connections and cultivating genuine interest in VCU opportunities.
• Validate candidate credentials and screen applicants to provide informed, rolealigned recommendations to search committees and hiring managers.
• Lead executive search meetings and participate or lead interview forums with the search committee as needed to ensure clarity, coordination, and consistency across the evaluation process.
• Provide outstanding communication and a welcoming, hightouch experience for candidates, leadership, hiring managers, HR partners, and key stakeholders to ensure a supportive and wellaligned search environment.
• Develop strong, authentic connections with candidates and internal partners while delivering hightouch support that enhances the search experience from start to finish.
• Draft highquality search communications including correspondence, memos, announcements, and other materials that support a seamless and professional search process.
• Draft and edit position profiles and prospectuses as needed.
• Actively participates in professional and industry events in order to grow network and represent VCU.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business, Public Administration, Psychology or Communications, or related field or relevant professional experience.
• A minimum of five years of executive search or talent acquisition experience with a demonstrated focus on executive-level recruitment in higher education, academic medical systems, or similarly complex environments.
• Demonstrated commitment to objective hiring practices and fullcycle senior-level recruitment, including sourcing, screening, interviewing, resume evaluation, and candidate mapping.
• Experience creating and refining recruitment advertisements to attract highly qualified applicants.
• Exceptional communication and relationship-management skills with the ability to partner effectively with hiring managers to plan and execute recruitment strategies.
• Ability to thrive in fastpaced, evolving environments while fostering longterm candidate relationships and maintaining engagement throughout the search lifecycle.
• Demonstrated discretion and professionalism in handling confidential information, supported by strong time management, organization, and followthrough.
• Collaborative team orientation with the ability to work independently and deliver highquality, servicefocused results.
  Proficient with applicant tracking systems and skilled in Google Docs and Microsoft Office, with the ability to produce presentations and reports.
• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Psychology, Communications, or a related field.
• Seven years of executive search or talent acquisition experience with a demonstrated focus on executive-level recruitment in higher education, academic medical systems, or similarly complex environments.
• Expertise in advanced recruiting methodologies.
• Relevant certifications in the fields of Human Resources (e.g., PHR or SHRM-CP) and/or executive search (e.g., AESC, AIRS).

Benefits: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Hours per Week: 40

Restricted Position: No

ORP Eligible: No

Flexible Work Arrangement: Hybrid

University Job Title: 2321S - Sr HR Specialist Senior