Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois (TRS) is seeking a Talent Acquisition Specialist to support the Human Resources Manager and partner with hiring managers across the organization. This onsite role in Springfield, IL focuses on building effective recruitment strategies, managing the full candidate experience, and strengthening TRS’s talent acquisition capabilities through data-driven insights.

Role overview

Working under the direction of the Human Resources Manager, the Talent Acquisition Specialist collaborates with TRS leaders to develop and implement long-term recruiting strategies. The role supports sourcing, initial screening and interviewing, and the coordination of internal and external recruiting processes to help fill vacancies efficiently and consistently.

Key responsibilities

Collaborate with the Human Resource Manager and TRS hiring managers to develop long-term talent strategies and improve the overall talent acquisition function.
Create recruiting-focused processes and practices with an emphasis on diverse recruitment activities.
Manage candidate expectations throughout the hiring process, including regular communication to support a positive candidate experience.
Partner with the HR Business partner to calculate, analyze, and interpret recruitment metrics (such as time to fill, vacancy rate, offer acceptance rates, and declination reasons) to inform recruitment strategy and set realistic expectations.
Work closely with HR Business Partners to understand workforce needs, role priorities, and organizational objectives, ensuring alignment with broader HR strategies.
Source and engage active and passive talent and connect candidates to current job opportunities.
Build relationships with leaders to understand recruitment needs and develop candidate pools for open roles.
Track sourcing metrics and provide regular reporting on candidate pipelines, outreach success, and hiring progress.
Screen resumes and applications for key qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.
Conduct initial candidate outreach and prescreening interviews to assess skills, interest, and availability.
Act as a talent advisor by creating meaningful candidate interactions that reflect TRS culture, values, and long-term career opportunities.
Schedule interviews and manage candidate communications throughout the hiring process.
Maintain candidate databases and ensure accurate, up-to-date records in the applicant tracking system (ATS).
Support employer branding initiatives to promote TRS as an employer of choice.
Stay current on labor market trends, competitive hiring practices, sourcing tools, recruiting technologies, and talent availability.
Create job requisitions and monitor approvals in the HRIS system to support timely position fulfillment across the organization.
Market open positions through the agency’s careers page and job boards including Indeed and LinkedIn, and attend recruitment events and career fairs as needed.
Work with Communications to develop advertisement materials, including flyers, digital media, and promotional products.
Source candidates using social media, resume databases, Boolean searches, industry contacts, and professional networks, including creative sourcing approaches for hard-to-fill roles.
Partner with hiring managers to identify competency questions that support interview consistency and quality.
Assist with creating job postings with clarity, inclusivity, and alignment to company values.
Draft and use templates for talent acquisition communications, including application received messages, knockout notices, interview requests, rejection emails, and offer letters.
Support diverse, inclusive, and equitable hiring practices.
Assist with talent acquisition projects and initiatives, including internship programs and internal career pathing.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience in lieu of a degree. Master’s Degree preferred.
Five (5) years of experience in Talent Acquisition, including recruiting and/or sourcing top talent.

Tools and technologies

Applicant tracking system (ATS)
HRIS
Indeed
LinkedIn

Compensation and location

Location: Springfield, IL (onsite)
Salary range: USD 70,243 to 109,579 per year

Benefits

All employees hired after August 17, 2001 participate in the TRS retirement pension plan.
Full- and part-time employees are eligible for the State of Illinois comprehensive benefits program, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
Employees may contribute to additional State of Illinois deferred compensation plans.

Reasonable accommodation

The State of Illinois is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities.
Applicants should indicate if they require an accommodation to apply, interview, or participate in any hiring-related activity.
To receive an accommodation during the hiring process, certification of disability may be required from a physician, psychiatrist, school official, or an Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Counselor.
Supporting documentation should be uploaded under My Documents Additional Documents for each application.
Questions may be directed to Central Management Services Disability Resource Center at [email protected] or by phone at (217) 524-7514.

Employment sponsorship and eligibility

The State of Illinois does not provide sponsorship for employment visa status (for example, H-1B).
The State cannot provide extensions of optional practical training (OPT) under the STEM-designated degree program for F-1 students.
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis to be considered for permanent employment.

Application instructions

Apply through the TRS Careers Website: Careers | Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois.
Do not click the Apply button.
Follow all instructions and include all required documents.
Applications with CMS100, CMS100b, or other documents attached in lieu of a resume or CV will not be considered.
TRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
For reasonable accommodation during application, interviewing, or pre-employment testing, contact Human Resources at (217) 814-2111 or [email protected].
Hiring decisions are not based on or affected by political factors, including political sponsorship, affiliation, or support.

Salary history disclosure

In accordance with the Illinois Equal Pay Act, the State does not request or require wage or salary history.
Applicants should not include wage or salary information in their resume or other application materials.

Talent Acquisition Specialist

Job Description