Job Summary

Under the general direction of the Associate Director of Talent Acquisition, the Lead Talent Acquisition Specialist provides advanced, confidential, and complex administrative and analytical support for campus-wide staff and Management Personnel Plan (MPP) recruitment activities. The position serves as a functional lead within Talent Acquisition, independently coordinating high-impact and sensitive projects and acting as a first-level escalation point for recruitment-related compliance, procedural, and risk-management issues.

The role supports and advises hiring authorities, senior administrators, and search committees on recruitment processes, and equitable hiring practices within the University. The Lead Talent Acquisition Specialist exercises independent judgment and discretion in handling confidential personnel information, communications, and recruitment documentation, while ensuring alignment with CSU systemwide policies, collective bargaining agreements, and campus procedures.

This position provides technical guidance and workflow coordination to Senior Talent Acquisition Specialists and other recruitment staff. Operating under established policies and management direction, the role focuses on implementation, coordination, and quality control. The position plays a critical role in maintaining consistent, compliant, and effective recruitment practices across the University.

Department Summary

The Human Resources (HR) department within University Personnel at Cal Poly leads workplace strategies that enable our approximately 3000 employees (staff, faculty and management) to thrive in their roles.  Through traditional practices like recruitment, benefits, employee relations, information systems and performance management to strategic practices like professional development, organization development, workforce planning, and engagement, Human Resources is dedicated to cultivating the excellence of all employees.

Key Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to apply and integrate CSU staff collective bargaining agreements and Management Personnel Plan (MPP) recruitment requirements across complex and high-impact searches, including those involving executive leadership, equity considerations, and compensation-related documentation.
• Expert skill and demonstrated ability to independently identify recruitment compliance risks, procedural irregularities, or policy conflicts; resolve issues at the operational level when appropriate; and elevate matters to management with clear analysis and solution recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to provide expert-level technical guidance, workflow coordination, and quality control for recruitment activities performed by senior specialists and other staff, ensuring consistency and adherence to CSU standards without exercising formal supervisory responsibilities.
• Ability to analyze recruitment data, applicant pool composition, time-to-fill trends, and process effectiveness for staff and MPP searches, and to translate findings into actionable insights to support management decision-making.
• Ability to independently manage the most complex, confidential, or institutionally sensitive recruitment activities, including executive-level searches and high-risk positions, under general direction and with minimal oversight.
• Demonstrated customer service experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism.

Education and Experience

• Equivalent to a bachelor's degree in a related field and five years of relevant experience. Additional experience which demonstrates acquired and successfully applied knowledge and abilities may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis. An advanced degree in a related field may be substituted for the required experience on a year-for-year basis.

Salary and Benefits

Anticipated Hiring Range: $79,680 - $101,052 per year

Classification Range: $76,584 - $111,564 per year

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Anticipated Hiring Range referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Classification Range may be broader than what the University anticipates paying for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).

Cal Poly offers a best-in-class benefits program, including health, dental and vision insurance, retirement participation in the Public Employees' Retirement System, and educational benefits for eligible employees. See our benefits website for additional information. 

Cal Poly

Cal Poly is a nationally-ranked public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, and known for its Learn by Doing philosophy. Each year more than 20,000 top-tier students come to San Luis Obispo to put knowledge into action, taking their learning outside the classroom as they prepare for careers in engineering, agriculture, science, business, humanities and the built environment. Cal Poly’s hands-on philosophy, small class sizes and close student-faculty mentorships result in graduates ready from day one to impact their communities, California and the world. For more information, visit calpoly.edu.

Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and Employment

This position is open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, Cal Poly provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. Cal Poly complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.

Cal Poly is a diverse community of individuals who represent many perspectives, beliefs and identities, committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually vibrant environment. We cultivate a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect, and belonging to support educational excellence and student success. Through academic programs, student organizations and activities, faculty initiatives, and community partnerships, we encourage meaningful engagement with diverse perspectives. As a higher education institution, we are dedicated to advancing knowledge and empowering individuals to reach their full potential by prioritizing inclusive curriculum development, faculty and staff training, student mentorship, and comprehensive support programs. At Cal Poly, excellence is built on merit, talent, diversity, accessibility, and equal opportunity for all.

Supplemental Information

Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. Cal Poly will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Current employees who are offered positions on campus will be required to undergo a background check for any position where a background check is required by law or that Cal Poly has designated as sensitive. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

The person holding this position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo is not a sponsoring agency for staff or management positions. Applicants for staff and management positions must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Positions are posted for a minimum of 14 calendar days.