Recruitment & Outreach Specialist (Level 2)

The Recruitment & Outreach Specialist (Level 2) will support the National Ocean Service (NOS) in its recruitment and outreach efforts with a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). This role involves collaborating with internal teams and external partners to develop talent pipelines, execute outreach strategies, and identify and engage a diverse pool of candidates for NOS positions. The specialist will play a key role in enhancing recruitment processes, targeting diverse communities, and ensuring alignment with DEIA goals. 

Talent Acquisition & Diversity Outreach: 

• Collaborate with the Workforce Management Diversity and Inclusion Division to understand NOS’s workforce gaps, diversity goals, and recruitment needs. 
• Develop and implement DEIA Talent Data Strategies to identify workforce trends and target diverse candidate pools for administrative and scientific positions. 
• Establish and maintain a centralized repository for NOS’s outreach and recruitment efforts, tracking initiatives and ensuring alignment with equity and diversity objectives. 
• Identify and engage with external organizations, such as Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), to ensure that information about career opportunities reaches a broad, diverse audience. 

Diverse Talent Recruitment & Pipeline Development: 

• Lead recruitment efforts that prioritize outreach to diverse communities, particularly through partnerships with HBCUs, MSIs, and other organizations supporting underrepresented groups in STEM fields. This includes creating equitable recruitment processes and addressing barriers to entry for diverse candidates.
• Support the development and execution of recruitment events, including job fairs, targeted outreach, and collaboration sessions with internal and external stakeholders. 
• Identify and engage qualified candidates eligible for hire under special appointing authorities, including veterans, individuals with disabilities, and diverse candidates. 
• Assist in establishing and maintaining talent pipelines for entry-level positions, focusing on key skill gaps and diversity targets in NOS’s administrative and STEM workforce. 
• Support the creation and management of NOS’s internship and work-study programs, ensuring alignment with workforce development and DEIA goals. 

Candidate Engagement & Relationship Management: 

• Use social media platforms (e.g., LinkedIn, X, Facebook) and other recruitment tools to identify passive candidates and convert them into active applicants. 
• Maintain ongoing communication with external candidates, respond to inquiries, and ensure positive candidate engagement throughout the recruitment process. 
• Build relationships with key external organizations to promote NOS’s hiring needs and strengthen recruitment outreach efforts. 

Tracking & Reporting: 

• Develop and maintain tracking systems to measure the outcomes of outreach and recruitment efforts, ensuring progress toward DEIA goals. 
• Regularly report on recruitment progress, candidate engagement metrics, and outcomes of outreach initiatives to NOS leadership. 
• Analyze data to refine recruitment strategies, enhance diversity outcomes, and optimize candidate sourcing and engagement processes. 

Collaboration & DEIA Integration: 

• Work with internal DEIA Program representatives and other diversity stakeholders to align recruitment efforts with NOS’s broader DEIA strategies. 
• Participate in cross-functional strategy sessions to develop and refine recruitment priorities, ensuring a clear focus on enhancing diversity within NOS’s workforce. 
• Assist in implementing DEIA-related initiatives identified through recent studies, surveys, and NOS workforce planning efforts. 
• Establish and maintain DEIA-focused KPIs and recruitment metrics to track the progress of NOS’s hiring initiatives. You will be responsible for continuously evaluating and improving recruitment strategies to ensure that NOS meets its DEIA hiring goals, fostering a workforce representative of the communities it serves. 

Required Qualifications 

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, public administration, or a related field. 

Experience: 

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in recruitment, talent acquisition, or outreach, with a focus on diversity recruitment and DEIA initiatives. 
• Experience managing or supporting recruitment pipelines, talent outreach efforts, or job fairs, ideally in the public sector. 
• Familiarity with recruitment tools such as LinkedIn, CRM platforms, and social media for sourcing passive candidates. 

Technical Skills: 

• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and applicant tracking systems (ATS) or CRM tools. 
• Experience using data tracking and reporting tools to analyze recruitment outcomes. 

Communication: 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage candidates and external organizations. 
• Ability to develop outreach materials and presentations that clearly communicate NOS’s recruitment goals and initiatives. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Knowledge of DEIA principles and practices in recruitment and outreach, especially within the federal government. 
• Experience engaging with Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and other diverse talent sources. 
• Certification in HR or recruitment-related areas (e.g., SHRM-CP, PHR). 
• Experience supporting STEM-related recruitment and diversity outreach programs. 

Key Competencies: 

• Collaboration & Relationship Building: Ability to work effectively with internal teams and external partners to enhance recruitment outcomes, build pipelines, and foster relationships with diverse candidates. 
• Analytical Thinking: Strong skills in tracking recruitment data, analyzing trends, and making data-driven decisions to optimize outreach and recruitment strategies. 
• Communication: Strong interpersonal skills to engage with a broad spectrum of stakeholders and candidates, clearly communicating recruitment strategies and NOS hiring needs. 
• Flexibility & Adaptability: Ability to handle multiple priorities and rapidly changing recruitment needs, adjusting strategies to meet evolving DEIA and workforce goals. 
• Problem-Solving: Ability to identify challenges in recruitment processes and propose solutions that align with DEIA objectives and strategic priorities. 

Work Environment: 

DEIA-Focused Recruitment: Riverside and NOS are committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. In this role, you will actively participate in developing DEIA recruitment strategies, focusing on attracting talent from underrepresented communities and building inclusive talent pipelines. You will work closely with HBCUs, MSIs, and other organizations to ensure that NOS’s recruitment processes reflect DEIA principles. 

The primary place of performance is NOAA’s NOS facility in Silver Spring, MD, with the potential for telework on a limited basis as approved. 

Occasional travel may be required for job fairs, recruitment events, and engagement with external partners. 

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Training & Development