Director, Early Talent Programs

Acuity Brands, Inc.; Atlanta, Northern (GA, KY); Hybrid; USD 136,000 - 269,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental coverage

Vision plans

401K benefits

Commissions/incentive compensation

Job summary

Acuity Inc. seeks a Director of Early Talent Programs to lead global university partnerships, internships, co-ops, and leadership rotations. You will shape and execute the strategy across the US, Mexico, and Ireland, expanding to new locations over time.

You will collaborate with business leaders, HR teams, and academic partners to attract, develop, and retain early-career talent worldwide, travel as needed, with a preference for Atlanta-area candidates.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Education, or related field; Master’s preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in global talent acquisition or early-career program leadership in a multinational.
• Proven ability to design and scale early-talent programs across regions.

Responsibilities

• Develop global early talent strategy aligned with long-term workforce needs.
• Expand undergraduate and advanced-degree programs, internships, co-ops, and leadership rotations.

Skills

Global talent acquisition

University relations

Early-career program leadership

HR technologies

ATS platforms

Campus recruiting tools

Stakeholder management

Relationship building

Travel readiness

Strategic workforce planning

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR/Business/Education

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

HR technologies

ATS platforms

Campus recruiting tools

Job description

Acuity Inc. (NYSE: AYI) is a market-leading industrial technology company. We use technology to solve problems in spaces, light and more things to come. Through our two business segments, Acuity Brands Lighting (ABL) and Acuity Intelligent Spaces (AIS), we design, manufacture, and bring to market products and services that make a valuable difference in people’s lives.

We achieve growth through the development of innovative new products and services, including lighting, lighting controls, building management solutions, and an audio, video and control platform. We focus on customer outcomes and drive growth and productivity to increase market share and deliver superior returns. We look to aggressively deploy capital to grow the business and to enter attractive new verticals.

Acuity Inc. is based in Atlanta, Georgia, with operations across North America, Europe and Asia. The Company is powered by approximately 13,000 dedicated and talented associates. Visit us at www.acuityinc.com .

Work location:

• This position may be based anywhere in the United Statesand includes travel as part of the responsibilities.

Job Summary

The Director of Early Talent Programs plays a critical role in shaping the future workforce of Acuity’s global organization. This leader drives the strategy to attract, develop, and retain early-career talent across key regions—initially focused on the U.S., Mexico, and Ireland, with expansion to additional global locations over time.

In this role, you will oversee early-career pipelines including university partnerships, internship and co‑op programs, and rotational leadership development programs. You will work closely with business leaders, HR teams, and academic partners to position the company as an employer of choice for emerging talent around the world.

This position may be located anywhere within the United States, with a preference for candidates residing in the Atlanta, GA area.

Key Tasks & Responsibilities (Essential Functions)

• Develop and execute a global early talent strategy aligned with long-term workforce needs, collaborating with senior business leaders and HR partners across regions.
• Develop and expand early-career programs for undergraduate and advanced‑degree candidates, including internships, co‑ops, and leadership rotations, to support business objectives.
• Monitor and improve talent pipeline effectiveness, ensuring high-quality candidate and employee experiences from recruitment through conversion.
• Establish and maintain strategic relationships with universities, colleges, professional associations, and student groups in key areas.
• Represent the company at academic events, advisory boards, and recruitment summits.'
• Lead global campus recruiting strategies that strengthen our employer brand and increase visibility across targeted institutions.
• Partner with Marketing/Communications teams to develop engaging campus marketing campaigns, social media outreach, and digital content that reflect our global employer brand and associate value proposition.
• Oversee the planning and execution of campus events, on‑site experiences, competitions, and other engagement activities.
• Enable and influence business leaders globally to engage with early talent initiatives and support program success.
• Implement performance management, mentorship, training sessions, and development experiences for interns and early‑career leadership hires.
• Drive conversion strategies that help transition top interns and program participants into full‑time roles across global business units.

Skills and Minimum Experience Required

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Education, or related field. Master’s degree in HR, Organizational Development, Business, or related field preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive career experience, with strong preference for prior experience in global talent acquisition, university relations, or early‑career program leadership within a multinational organization.
• Proven ability to design, scale, and manage early‑talent and leadership development programs across multiple regions.
• Experience working with HR technologies, ATS platforms, and campus recruiting tools.
• Proven ability to build strong relationships with universities and external partners.
• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, including influencing across cultures and time zones.
• Willingness and ability to travel for campus events and global partnership.
• Strategic thinking & global workforce planning
• Relationship building & stakeholder influence
• Employer branding & marketing insight
• Matrixed organization navigation

The range for this position is$135,500.00to$268,500.00. Placement within this range may vary, depending on the applicant’s experience and geographic location. Acuity offers generous benefits including health care, dental coverage, vision plans, 401K benefits, and commissions/incentive compensation depending on the role. For a list of our benefits,

We value diversity and are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regards to race, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, ethnicity or national origin, disability, pregnancy, religion, covered veteran status, protected genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Accommodation in the Application Process: Acuity Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. It complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws requiring reasonable accommodation of persons with disabilities in employment. This includes the provision of reasonable accommodation in the application process. If you believe you need reasonable accommodation to assist with our online application system or any aspect of the application process, please contact Human Resources at [phone], and select option 4. Please be prepared to identify the requisition / position applied for and the aspect of the application process for which you believe accommodation is needed. The company will engage in an interactive process with you to better understand the request and to determine whether reasonable accommodation is needed and available.

Any unsolicited resumes sent to Acuity Inc. from a third party, such as an Agency recruiter, including unsolicited resumes sent to an Acuity Inc. mailing address, fax machine or email address, directly to Acuity Inc. employees, or to Acuity Inc. resume database will be considered Acuity Inc. property. Acuity Inc. will NOT pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume.

Acuity Inc. will consider any candidate for whom an Agency has submitted an unsolicited resume to have been referred by the Agency free of any charges or fees. This includes any Agency that is an approved/engaged vendor, but does not have the appropriate approvals to be engaged on a search.