About UMass Amherst
The flagship of the Commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a nationally ranked public land-grant research university that seeks to expand educational access, fuel innovation and creativity, and share and use its knowledge for the common good. Founded in 1863, UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450-acres in scenic Western Massachusetts and boasts state-of-the-art facilities for teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity. The institution advances a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where everyone feels connected and valued—and thrives, and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges, and 100 undergraduate majors. We believe every member of our university community can contribute to our ongoing success by striving for the highest level of excellence as we seek breakthrough solutions to mounting environmental, social, economic, and technological challenges in our world.
Job Summary
The Talent Acquisition Manager leads a high-performing Talent Acquisition (TA) team, drives modern recruiting and sourcing strategies, and ensures an exceptional candidate and hiring manager experience. This role advances UMass’s talent brand, builds proactive pipelines for critical roles (including research, academic, student support, and administrative talent), and partners with campus stakeholders to deliver equitable and efficient hiring outcomes.
The Talent Acquisition Manager champions innovative and equitable hiring practices, leverages data to drive decisions, and implements technology-enabled recruitment, including the UMass Applicant Tracking System (PageUp).
Essential Functions
Strategic Talent Acquisition Leadership
- Collaborates with the Director of Compensation and Talent Acquisition to develop and execute a University-wide talent acquisition strategy aligned to institutional priorities and workforce planning.
- Partners with HR Business Partners, hiring leaders, and Diversity & Inclusion partners to forecast and plan talent needs.
- Promotes UMass’s employer brand and employee value proposition in local, regional, and national talent markets.
Team Leadership & Development
- Supervises, coaches, and develops the TA team, including Talent Acquisition Consultants and coordinators, to support full-cycle recruitment excellence.
- Fosters a collaborative culture focused on service, innovation, equity, and continuous improvement.
- Supports professional development, workload prioritization, and consistent recruitment standards across campus.
Recruitment & Sourcing Excellence
- Leads modern sourcing strategies across digital platforms, universities, professional associations, and networking channels.
- Builds and maintains sourcing pipelines for critical, hard-to-fill, and high-volume positions, including research & academic talent.
- Oversees campus recruitment initiatives and workforce development partnerships.
- Ensures scalable, accessible hiring practices that promote diversity, equity, and belonging.
- Conducts proactive talent mapping and competitor intelligence in higher-ed and related sectors.
Process & Technology Optimization
- Serves as a strategic leader in implementing and optimizing PageUp and future HR technology integrations.
- Creates recruitment process efficiencies through automation, technology, and standardized workflows.
- Ensures compliance with federal/state employment laws and campus hiring policies.
Data & Reporting
- Establishes and tracks key talent acquisition metrics (time to fill, candidate experience, cycle efficiency, quality of hire, diversity outcomes).
- Provides insights and recommendations to campus leadership using TA data analytics and market intelligence.
Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
- Bachelor’s degree and 6+ years of progressive recruitment experience, including leading a talent acquisition team.
- Demonstrated experience building talent pipelines and sourcing strategies.
- Expertise with Applicant Tracking System platforms (PageUp or similar preferred).
- Experience in equity-centered hiring practices and EEO compliance.
- Strong communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder-management skills.
- Ability to utilize data to guide strategy and decision-making.
Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
- Experience in higher education or large, matrixed public-sector environments.
- Knowledge of Massachusetts state hiring policies and labor frameworks.
- AIRS, SHRM-CP/SCP, or HRCI certification.
- Experience supporting unionized environments.
Physical Demands/Working Conditions
Typical office environment activities.
Additional Details
Key Competencies
- Strategic talent mindset and market fluency.
- Operational excellence and process innovation.
- Ability to influence, collaborate, and build trust.
- Data literacy and ROI-focused HR mindset.
- Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
- Technology-forward approach to hiring and sourcing.
Work Schedule
- Monday-Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm.
- Occasional travel for recruitment events, conferences, and partnership engagement.
- This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee’s work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position is non-unit, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees Non-Unit (Professional/or Classified) Employee Personnel Policy.
Salary Information
Salary Level 30.
Exempt Hiring Ranges.
Special Instructions to Applicants
Along with the application please submit a resume. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide the names and contact information for three (3) professional references.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst welcomes all qualified applicants and complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.