Associate Talent Acquisition Specialist

Sfdbrands; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Smithfield Foods is seeking an Associate Talent Acquisition Specialist to drive full-cycle recruiting across multiple functions and locations. You will partner with HR and Hiring Managers to understand workforce needs, design sourcing strategies, and deliver an exceptional candidate experience from first contact to offer.

You’ll build a diverse pipeline, analyze labor market trends, and continuously improve processes while traveling up to 25% to support recruiting across sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Proficient with Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel.
• Strong sense of urgency, attention to detail, initiative and judgement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to build relationships and collaborate with internal/external partners.

Responsibilities

• Manage full recruitment lifecycle across multiple areas and locations.
• Ensure a smooth candidate experience with timely communication and feedback.
• Partner with Hiring Managers to develop strategies and provide guidance.
• Sourcing top talent using diverse channels and proactive pipelines.
• Build and maintain a diverse candidate pool for current and future roles.
• Monitor labor market trends to inform sourcing strategies and hiring plans.
• Improve recruitment processes to reduce time-to-hire and improve outcomes.
• Track candidates and report recruitment metrics to leadership.

Skills

Full-cycle recruitment

Candidate experience

Talent sourcing

Diversity & Inclusion

Labor market analysis

Data tracking (ATS)

Stakeholder collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Workday

Excel

Word

PowerPoint

Outlook

Job description

When you join Smithfield, you become part of something special – a company that's sustainably feeding people around the world, producing good food the right way with respect for our people, animals, communities and planet. With opportunities across locations and functions, a culture grounded in our Core Four values - gratitude, communication, respect and accountability - and a strong commitment to learning, collaboration, and innovation, Smithfield offers challenging and rewarding careers where you can grow, contribute and make a real impact.

THE VALUE YOU’LL BRING

The position summary states the general nature and purpose of the job. Overall accountabilities are defined in this section. As an Associate Talent Acquisition Specialist, you'll be vital to our recruitment strategy, finding innovative and bold ways to attract top talent. In this role, you'll partner closely with HR Managers and Hiring Managers to understand workforce needs and develop strategic approaches for building a pipeline of diverse and highly qualified candidates. As part of the Talent Acquisition team, you will play a key role in our mission to deliver an exceptional recruitment experience for both candidates and hiring managers. This is your opportunity to make a real impact and recruit the future of talent at Smithfield Foods!

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Full-Cycle Recruitment: Manage the entire recruitment lifecycle for all functional areas across multiple locations simultaneously, ensuring efficient and effective hiring outcomes.
• Candidate Experience: Ensure a smooth and engaging candidate experience through timely communication, clear feedback, and maintaining professionalism throughout the process.
• Hiring Manager Experience: Collaborate with department leaders and HR teams, offering expert guidance and consultation on recruitment strategies and delivering exceptional support and service throughout the hiring process.
• Talent Sourcing: Leverage various sourcing strategies to find and attract top talent.
• Proactively build and maintain a pipeline of qualified candidates for current and future roles.
• Diversity & Inclusion: Proactively source and engage diverse candidates and support the company’s goals to foster an inclusive workforce.
• Labor Market Analyst: Research labor market trends to strategically align sourcing strategy with current industry conditions.
• Business Acumen: Gain an understanding of various roles, including those in a corporate, farm and manufacturing environment, through job shadowing to improve hiring fit and reduce turnover.
• Process Improvement: Continuously evaluate and refine recruitment processes to enhance efficiency, reduce time-to-hire, and improve the candidate experience, while ensuring alignment with business goals and best practices.
• Data Tracking and Reporting: Use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to manage candidates and provide regular recruitment updates and metrics to leadership. Maintain accurate and up-to-date recruitment records to meet regulatory standards.

WHAT WE’RE SEEKING

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four‑year college or university, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Company will consider a currently enrolled college student with an anticipated graduation by end of current school year as qualified.
• Proficient in computer applications (i.e., Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel).
• Demonstrates a strong sense of urgency, attention to detail, initiative and sound judgement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Leverages emotional intelligence to build and foster relationships both internally and externally.
• Excels in fast‑paced, dynamic environments, maintaining a respectful, approachable, and team‑oriented demeanor while cultivating a positive and collaborative work atmosphere.
• Strong multi‑tasking and organizational skills.
• Must possess a high level of professionalism, discretion and ability to handle sensitive information.
• Energized by collaboration through travel to other locations (25% of the time). Some travel may be at short notice or require overnight stays. While traveling, must self‑manage their time and daily tasks.

OTHER SKILLS THAT MAKE YOU STAND OUT

• Experience in recruiting across all levels and functional areas.
• Experience with passive candidate recruiting and utilizing creative sourcing strategies to attract high‑quality talent such as indeed & LinkedIn.
• Strong knowledge of Federal, State, and employment regulations and policies.
• Proficiency in using a server‑based applicant tracking system (Workday preferred).
• Proven experience working under recruiting KPIs, consistently meeting or exceeding performance targets.
• Experience in handling administrative duties related to recruitment and compliance.
• Prior experience recruiting for government contractors, including familiarity with relevant regulations and requirements.
• Project management skills, with the ability to plan and manage multiple recruitment initiatives and deadlines simultaneously.

EEO Information

Smithfield is an equal opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, gender identity, protected veterans status, status as a disabled individual or any other protected group status or non‑job characteristic as directed by law. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment selection process, please call us at 757‑357‑1595.

At Smithfield, good food starts with good people. "Good food. Responsibly.®" is more than just our tagline; it's what we do. We provide good jobs. We take good care of our animals. We are good stewards of the environment. We do good in our local communities. Smithfield is proud to offer robust, flexible and affordable benefit plans and programs to support our team members and their loved ones, and with out‑of‑pocket costs, on average, 20 percent less than plans offered by other employers. Beyond our medical plans, our Be Well programs offer tools and resources to enhance your quality of life, at no additional cost. These programs are uniquely tailored to our Smithfield team and provide support for elective surgeries, weight loss, mental health, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, smoking cessation, asthma, maternity management and more. Our company invests in your future. We offer comprehensive training and professional development programs designed to help you reach your full potential. Through LinkedIn Learning, employees can access on‑demand courses, professional certificates, and skill‑based training to build capabilities aligned with career and business needs. Our partnership with Guild supports your continuing education with tuition assistance covering English language learning, high school completion, and degree programs, while our leadership development initiatives nurture high‑potential talent. We also offer unique benefits like our Smithfield Scholarship Program for employees’ children.

Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with a leading position in packaged meats and fresh pork products. With a diverse brand portfolio and strong relationships with U.S. farmers and customers, we responsibly meet demand for quality protein around the world. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to our communities. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high‑quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®, Eckrich® and Nathan's Famous®, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com and connect with us on Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.