Talent Acquisition Specialist

Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo; Calgary; On-site; CAD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation and vacation

Flexible benefits plan and health care

RRSP employer matching

Discounts on food, beverages, and gift

Staff Pass Benefit

Positive, inclusive work environment

Job summary

The Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo is seeking a Regular Full Time Talent Acquisition Specialist to lead full-cycle recruitment for permanent and high-volume seasonal roles, and manage employment contracts. You will collaborate with hiring managers, develop sourcing strategies, screen candidates, coordinate interviews, and guide onboarding while integrating IDEA principles.

This role requires strong relationship-building, organizational skills, and proficiency with Microsoft 365 and recruitment

Qualifications

• Proven experience in full cycle recruitment for permanent and high-volume seasonal roles.
• Knowledge of recruitment best practices, sourcing techniques, and candidate assessment methods.
• Excellent relationship-building, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong organizational and project management abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficient with Microsoft 365 applications and recruitment reporting tools.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end recruitment processes for a variety of positions across the organization.
• Collaborate with hiring managers to understand hiring needs and workforce plans.
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies to attract qualified and diverse candidates.
• Screen, assess, and shortlist candidates using established criteria.
• Coordinate interviews, evaluations, reference checks, and offers.
• Facilitate positive candidate experiences throughout the recruitment lifecycle.
• Represent the organization at career fairs and networking events.
• Facilitate onboarding activities and first-day orientation.
• Review candidate experience and ensure inclusive recruitment practices (IDEA).
• Support contract administration, including extension discussions with leaders and documentation.

Skills

Full cycle recruitment

Sourcing strategies

Candidate assessment

Relationship building

Stakeholder management

Organizational & project management

Microsoft 365 & reporting tools

Tools

ADP

Job description

Join our team at the Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo and grow your experience at one of the most unique sites in Calgary! The Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo is seeking a Regular Full Time Talent Acquisition Specialist who will focus on full cycle recruitment for both large volume seasonal and permanent positions as well as employment contract management. The Talent Specialist plays a pivotal role in sourcing, attracting, and retaining talent to support the business needs.

Our Purpose | We act for wildlife; saving species and inspiring people to join us.

Our Core Values | Drive impact, nurture connection, cultivate hope, and be bold.

What you will do

Full-Cycle Recruitment

Manage end-to-end recruitment processes for a variety of positions across the organization such as:

• Collaborate with hiring managers to understand hiring needs, position requirements, and workforce plans
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies to attract qualified and diverse candidate pools
• Screen, assess, and shortlist candidates using established selection criteria
• Coordinate interviews, candidate evaluations, reference checks, and offer processes
• Facilitate positive candidate experiences throughout the recruitment lifecycles
• Collaborate with other teams to coordinate work integrated learning
• Represent the organization at career fairs, networking events, and community engagement opportunities
• Facilitate onboarding activities such as first day orientation
• Review and evaluate the candidate experience to ensure a positive recruitment and preboarding experience
• Ensure Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) are integrated within all aspects of the recruitment process

Hiring Manager Support & Collaboration

• Partner with hiring managers to develop effective recruitment strategies and support hiring decisions.
• Provide guidance on interviewing, candidate evaluation, and selection processes.
• Build collaborative relationships across the organization to support timely and successful recruitment outcomes.

Employment Contract Administration

• Monitor employee contract end dates and proactively initiate extension discussions with leaders
• Partner with hiring managers to assess ongoing business requirements, budgets, workforce needs, and extension recommendations
• Coordinate approvals through appropriate leadership channels and ensure adherence to organizational policies
• Prepare and process contract extension documentation while maintaining accuracy and compliance with employment legislation and internal procedures
• Maintain accurate employment contract records within HRIS and SharePoint

Additional Responsibilities

• Support People & Culture events, initiatives, and ad hoc projects, providing flexible support across the department and assisting with coverage and priority needs as required
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Working with Volunteers

As Wilder Institute is a non-profit with an extensive volunteer program, all staff may work alongside volunteers and may support work assignment, coaching, and day-to-day supervision depending on the volunteer project. Overall management of volunteers, including recruitment, placement, and volunteer relations, remains the responsibility of the Volunteer Relations team.

What you will bring

• Proven experience in full cycle recruitment including permanent and high volume seasonal recruitment
• Strong knowledge of recruitment best practices, sourcing techniques, and candidate assessment methods
• Excellent relationship-building, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• Strong organizational and project management abilities
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications and recruitment reporting tools

Desirable/Advantageous

• Demonstrated knowledge of and commitment to applying IDEA practices across all stages of the talent acquisition lifecycle.
• Experience working in ADP

Working Conditions

• Works primarily Monday to Friday during regular daytime hours, with occasional evening and weekend work as required.
• Periods of stress due to time sensitive deadlines with conflicting priorities
• Dynamic and evolving environment Team oriented working environment
• Office environment with intermittent outdoor mobility across the zoo

The Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo is an outdoor facility and all staff working at the zoo must be comfortable working in a large variety of outdoor conditions. The Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo follows the advice of Environment Canada when responding to temperature and air quality issues.

What the Zoo Offers

• Competitive compensation, vacation and flex days entitlement
• Flexible benefits plan, including a health spending account
• Employer matching RRSP program
• Discounts on food, beverage, and merchandise
• Participation in the Staff Pass Benefit plan
• A fun, rewarding work environment and the opportunity to work in a park full of wild animals

Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada.

The Wilder Institute strives to cultivate a workplace in which everyone feels welcome and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. As a conservation organization, we respect and value the diversity of all life and come together as individuals and teammates to achieve the organization’s mission and vision. We recognize the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and work to advance our culture to ensure diverse viewpoints are heard, and everyone has an equitable chance to succeed and thrive.

This position is an existing vacancy within our organization. The Wilder Institute uses basic knockout questions in application to support screening; applications are otherwise assessed and selected by real humans.

All candidates are thanked for their applications and advised that they will be contacted once applications have been reviewed, and a final decision has been made.