Talent Acquisition Specialist Jobs in Tucson, AZ
Talent acquisition specialists in Tucson build hiring pipelines for the region's hardest jobs to fill: mining engineers, aerospace technicians and physicians. Ausenco and World View have posted Tucson talent acquisition roles on their own careers sites this fall. Current openings are below, followed by who is hiring and what it pays.
Current Talent Acquisition Specialist Openings in Tucson, AZ
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Talent Acquisition Specialist Work in Tucson
Talent acquisition in Tucson follows the region's technical economy. The engineering consultancies that serve the copper mines south of town along I-19 compete for the same small pool of engineers, so Ausenco runs full-cycle recruiting from its Tucson office and asks for people who have hired mining and construction engineers before. World View recruits balloon manufacturing and launch technicians for its Tucson operation, Roche Tissue Diagnostics keeps a Human Resources function for its Oro Valley campus, and hospital systems recruit physicians as well as nurses: Carondelet has posted a Physician Recruiter role for its medical group.
The metro's biggest employers, including Raytheon (RTX), the University of Arizona, Banner Health, Pima County and the City of Tucson, post through their own careers portals, so check those directly alongside the list below. Spanish is a plus on some postings, Ausenco's among them.
Top Tucson Employers Hiring Talent Acquisition Specialists
These Tucson employers have posted talent acquisition and recruiting roles, or name the HR family they sit in, on their own careers sites:
- Ausenco - engineering consultancy with a Tucson office; its Talent Acquisition Specialist posting (Tucson or Denver, hybrid) wants 3 or more years of full-cycle recruiting for mining, construction or consulting engineers.
- World View - Talent Acquisition and Onboarding Director based in Tucson or Irvine, CA, hiring for balloon manufacturing, launch operations and engineering.
- Carondelet Health Network - Physician Recruiter for its Tucson medical group; the system runs St. Joseph's Hospital on Wilmot Road and St. Mary's on the west side.
- Roche Tissue Diagnostics - its Tucson careers site lists Human Resources among the job families at the Oro Valley campus.
Talent Acquisition Specialist Salaries in Tucson
- Entry level (recruiting coordinator, junior specialist): roughly $45,000 to $55,000 per year.
- Experienced (3 or more years of full-cycle recruiting): roughly $55,000 to $75,000 per year.
- Senior or lead talent acquisition: roughly $75,000 to $100,000 per year.
These are estimates that vary by employer and experience. Federal wage data puts the median Tucson human resources specialist, the group that includes recruiters, at about $29 an hour, or roughly $60,000 a year (May 2023). Technical, engineering and cleared recruiting pays toward the top of the bands, and talent acquisition director roles run above them.
How to Become a Talent Acquisition Specialist in Tucson
Most talent acquisition specialists start as recruiters or recruiting coordinators; Ausenco's Tucson posting, for example, asks for 3 or more years of full-cycle recruiting. A bachelor's degree is often preferred, and strong results can substitute. There is no Arizona license for recruiting work. Pima Community College's online Human Resources Certificate takes about one year full time and can be finished in nine months, and the SHRM-CP from SHRM and the PHR from HRCI are voluntary national credentials.
What the Job Involves
A talent acquisition specialist owns hiring from intake to offer: meeting the hiring manager to define the role, sourcing candidates before the job posts, screening and scheduling interviews, keeping the applicant tracking system clean, negotiating offers and handing new hires to onboarding. The job also means reporting time-to-fill and source-of-hire, running job fair booths and campus visits, and building a bench of candidates for the roles that open every year.
Skills Employers Look For
- Full-cycle recruiting from intake meeting to signed offer
- Sourcing technical candidates in engineering, mining, aerospace and health care
- Applicant tracking systems such as Workday, iCIMS and Lever
- Recruiting metrics and clear reporting to hiring managers
- Offer negotiation and discretion with confidential information
- Spanish, listed as a plus on some Tucson postings
Career Path and Advancement
The Tucson ladder usually runs recruiting coordinator, recruiter, talent acquisition specialist, senior specialist or talent partner, then talent acquisition manager and director. World View's Tucson or Irvine director posting shows where the top of that ladder sits at a growing local company. Many specialists also move sideways into HR generalist or HR business partner roles once they know the managers across an organization.
Related Careers in Tucson
These Tucson guides cover the closest alternatives for talent acquisition specialists:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a recruiter and a talent acquisition specialist?
A recruiter mostly fills the openings in front of them. A talent acquisition specialist also builds pipelines before roles open, works on onboarding and employer brand, and takes the hardest searches. In Tucson those are usually engineers, technicians and physicians.
How much does a talent acquisition specialist make in Tucson?
Estimates run from about $45,000 to $55,000 at entry level to $55,000 to $75,000 with experience, and $75,000 to $100,000 for senior and lead roles. The median Tucson human resources specialist earned about $29 an hour in May 2023 federal data. Technical and cleared recruiting pays more.
Do you need a license or certification for talent acquisition in Tucson?
No. Arizona does not license recruiters, and the SHRM-CP and PHR are voluntary. Pima Community College's online Human Resources Certificate is a local starting point, but a record of filled roles matters most to Tucson employers.
Which Tucson employers hire talent acquisition specialists?
Ausenco and World View have posted Tucson talent acquisition roles on their own sites, Carondelet has posted a Physician Recruiter role, and Roche lists Human Resources among its Oro Valley job families. Raytheon, the University of Arizona, Banner Health, Pima County and the City of Tucson post through their own portals.
Can talent acquisition specialists work hybrid in Tucson?
Some can. Ausenco's Tucson posting is hybrid with some work-from-home days, while World View's recruiting and HR roles are on-site. Expect to be in person for hiring events, campus visits and manager meetings either way.
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