Director, Talent Acquisition

UNAVAILABLE; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

L5 Mission Critical is seeking a Director, Talent Acquisition to build and lead the recruiting function from the ground up in Chicago. This leader will design strategy, hire the team, select ATS and sourcing tools, and establish interview standards while remaining hands-on for critical roles.

The role demands 10+ years in TA, 4+ years leading teams, and a track record in trades/technical staffing at scale. Travel across North America is expected.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in talent acquisition, including 4+ years leading recruiting teams.
• Experience hiring skilled trades or technical field workforces at volume.
• Startup or high-growth experience building a recruiting function from scratch.
• Proven pipelines with schools, apprenticeships, workforce boards, or military programs.
• Hands-on ATS and sourcing tools experience; data-driven approaches.
• Strong influence with senior leaders and hiring managers.
• Willingness to travel across North America.
• Recruiting experience in data centers, construction, energy, or utilities preferred.
• Experience with union and non-union labor markets preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Design and own L5's talent acquisition strategy, tied to the company's growth plan, project pipeline, and client commitments.
• Partner with leadership on workforce planning so hiring happens ahead of project starts.
• Map the market for critical skilled roles: where the talent is, who competes for it, and what it takes to win.
• Hire, lead, and develop a recruiting team scaled to hiring demand.
• Select and implement the applicant tracking system (ATS) and sourcing tools.
• Create interview standards and skills assessments.
• Build a recruiting scorecard to track performance and run the function on data.
• Tell the L5 story in the trades and data center communities: career paths, standards, stability, and growth.
• Build a candidate experience that is fast and respectful.
• Keep hiring compliant with employment law, background, and safety requirements.
• A repeatable, scalable recruiting function that supports L5's national growth.
• Critical roles filled ahead of project starts, with a strong pipeline of skilled trades and technical talent.

Skills

Talent acquisition

Leadership

Strategic planning

Data-driven recruiting

Employer branding

Stakeholder management

Travel willingness

Union labor market experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or Business

Tools

ATS

Sourcing tools

Job description

Overview

The Director, Talent Acquisition is L5's first senior recruiting leader and is responsible for building the talent acquisition function from the ground up. This role sets the strategy, hires the team, and puts the systems in place to staff L5's commissioning, facilities management and operations, and project management and retrofit service lines. The Director will also stay hands-on, recruiting for critical roles directly while the function grows. This role suits a builder who likes ambiguity, moves fast, and wants to own the outcome.

Responsibilities

Build the Strategy

• Design and own L5's talent acquisition strategy, tied to the company's growth plan, project pipeline, and
• client commitments.
• Partner with leadership on workforce planning so hiring happens ahead of project starts, not behind them.
• Map the market for critical skilled roles: where the talent is, who competes for it, and what it takes to win.

Build the Team and the Function

• Hire, lead, and develop a recruiting team scaled to hiring demand.
• Select and implement the applicant tracking system (ATS) and sourcing tools.
• Create interview standards and skills assessments.
• Build a recruiting scorecard to track performance and run the function on data.

Build the Employer Brand

• Tell the L5 story in the trades and data center communities: career paths, standards, stability, and growth.
• Build a candidate experience that is fast and respectful.
• Keep hiring compliant with employment law, background, and safety requirements.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in talent acquisition, including 4+ years leading recruiting teams.
• Track record of hiring skilled trades or technical field workforces at volume.
• Experience building a recruiting function from scratch or scaling one fast in a startup or high-growth company.
• Proven pipeline programs with schools, apprenticeships, workforce boards, or military transition groups.
• Hands-on experience with ATS and sourcing tools, and comfortable running the function on data.
• Strong judgment and influence with senior leaders and hiring managers.
• Willingness to travel to sites, schools, and events across North America.
• Recruiting experience in data centers, construction, energy, or utilities strongly preferred.
• Experience with union and non-union labor markets preferred.
• Experience setting up recruiting in new geographic markets preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

What Success Looks Like

• A repeatable, scalable recruiting function that supports L5's national growth.
• Critical roles filled ahead of project starts, with a strong pipeline of skilled trades and technical talent.
• Strong, trusted working relationships across HR, operations, finance, and executive leadership.

EEO/AA Employer M/F/D/V

L5 Mission Critical is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.