Director, Talent Acquisition (Contract)

ZN001 Zeno US; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 171,924,000 - 214,906,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan

Headspace subscription

Paid time off

Job summary

Zeno Group is seeking a Freelance Director, Talent Acquisition to lead full-cycle recruiting across multiple disciplines, partnering with hiring managers and the Talent team. You will develop sourcing strategies, manage candidate experiences, and influence the evolution of Zeno's talent acquisition practice.

You will build trusted relationships with senior leaders, guide searches, and strengthen recruiting practices in a fast-paced, inclusive environment, aligning with our Fearless Pursuit of

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in talent acquisition or related fields within an agency or staffing firm.
• Experience leading full-cycle recruiting across multiple functions and levels.
• Experience sourcing talent across communications, marketing, digital, and related disciplines.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships with hiring managers and senior leaders.
• Strong sourcing using LinkedIn, networks, referrals, and social channels.

Responsibilities

• Lead full-cycle recruiting across diverse functions and levels.
• Advise hiring managers and senior leaders on role requirements and interview structure.
• Develop proactive sourcing strategies to build diverse candidate pipelines.
• Guide candidates and teams through interviews, offers, and onboarding.
• Ensure equitable interview practices and data-driven hiring decisions.

Skills

Full-cycle recruiting

Talent sourcing

Relationship building

Stakeholder management

LinkedIn sourcing

Interview coordination

Tools

Workday

Job description

Zeno Group is the fiercely independent and global, integrated communications agency, born from PR. We bring together the boldest and brightest talent to help clients across industries and sectors unleash the power of strategic communications. Guided by our "Fearless Pursuit of the Unexpected," we push the boundaries to achieve real business value and societal impact for clients. Winner of the industry’s most coveted awards including the 2024 PRWeek U.S. Outstanding Large Agency of the Year, 2023 PRWeek Purpose Agency of the Year, 2022 PRWeek Global Agency of the Year, 2022 PRovoke Best Large Agency to Work For in North America and a three-time winner of PRWeek’s Best Places to Work. Zeno has also been previously recognized by the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Zeno is a DJE Holdings Company.

Job Description:

Director, Talent Acquisition (Contract) Do you enjoy connecting talented people with opportunities where they can make an impact? Are you energized by building trusted relationships with hiring leaders, developing creative sourcing strategies and creating thoughtful candidate experiences? As a Freelance Director, Talent Acquisition at Zeno, you will lead full-cycle recruiting across a diverse range of disciplines, including public relations, creative, digital, social, paid media, creator marketing, strategy, AI, research and analytics. Working closely with hiring managers, senior leaders and the broader Talent team, you will develop recruiting strategies that help Zeno attract and hire talent while supporting an inclusive and engaging candidate experience. This role is ideal for an experienced recruiter who combines strong relationship-building skills with strategic thinking and hands‑on execution. You'll have the opportunity to lead searches, advise hiring teams, strengthen recruiting practices and contribute to the continued evolution of Zeno's talent acquisition strategy.

About the Role:

Talent Acquisition & Recruiting Strategy: Lead full-cycle recruiting across a variety of functions and levels, developing thoughtful approaches that align talent needs with business priorities.

Hiring Manager Partnership & Counsel: Serve as a trusted advisor to hiring managers and senior leaders, helping define role requirements, develop sourcing strategies, structure interview processes and navigate hiring decisions.

Sourcing & Talent Engagement: Develop proactive sourcing strategies across professional networks, referrals, social channels, industry events, career fairs and other talent communities to build diverse candidate pipelines.

Candidate Experience & Interview Management: Guide candidates and hiring teams throughout the interview process, ensuring timely communication, clear expectations and a consistent, engaging experience from initial outreach through offer.

Inclusive Hiring & Interview Practices: Partner with hiring teams to ensure thoughtful interview processes, encourage diverse candidate pipelines and support consistent, equitable evaluation practices aligned with company and legal requirements.

Talent Intelligence & Recruiting Insights: Monitor talent markets, candidate trends and recruiting data to provide insights that inform sourcing strategies and hiring decisions.

About You:

6+ years of experience in talent acquisition, recruiting or related fields within a PR, Digital Media, or Integrated Communications agency or staffing firm representing these industries.

Experience leading full-cycle recruiting across multiple functions and levels, from sourcing through offer.

Experience recruiting talent across communications, marketing, creative, digital, media, healthcare, technology or related disciplines.

Proven ability to build trusted relationships with hiring managers and senior leaders while providing thoughtful recruiting guidance and recommendations.

Strong sourcing expertise with experience using LinkedIn, professional networks, referrals, social channels and other approaches to identify and engage talent.

Strong communication and relationship-building skills with experience guiding candidates and stakeholders through complex hiring processes.

Strong organizational and project management skills with experience managing multiple searches, priorities and stakeholders simultaneously.

Experience using recruiting data, market insights or talent intelligence to inform hiring strategies and recommendations.

Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information with professionalism and discretion.

Collaborative and adaptable mindset with curiosity about evolving talent markets, recruiting practices and candidate expectations.

Preferred Qualifications:

Familiarity with applicant tracking systems and recruiting technologies, including Workday or similar platforms.

Experience contributing to early career recruiting or talent pipeline initiatives.

Pay Range:

$60.00 - $75.00 USD/hr.

Level 06 An employee’s pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, travel requirements, revenue‑based metrics, any contractual agreements, and business or organizational needs. The range listed is just one component of DJEH's total compensation package for employees. Other rewards may include annual bonuses, a Paid Time Off policy, and region‑specific benefits.

About Our Benefits:

Healthy, happy employees make Zeno better, so we have programs that support physical, mental and financial wellness. Our culture and benefits are designed to promote flexibility, celebrate diversity and support work/life balance. We offer a variety of medical, dental and vision insurance with prescription plans, as well as short and long‑term disability. Our Be Kind to Your Mind program focuses on mental health, providing a paid subscription to Headspace and access to mental health providers and other services through a best‑in‑class employee assistance program. Employees are encouraged to bring their authentic self to Zeno and participate in our employee resource groups which build communities for sharing and support. And while we love our work, we believe in the restorative power of time off with generous vacation, paid holidays and self‑care time. Employees are supported in their pursuit of financial wellness with a 401(k) plan, pretax flexible spending accounts, tuition assistance, life insurance and free access to a certified financial coach. And our unique ZenoFit program provides a monthly allowance to fund activities in your personal life that bring you joy and keep you healthy. These and other benefits are available to non‑temporary employees in the US.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Zeno Group, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees. Employment decisions are made on the basis of job‑related criteria without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, genetic information, national origin, disability, military, or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

We invite all applicants to voluntarily self‑identify their race, ethnicity, and gender. Submission of the information on this form is strictly voluntary and refusal to provide it will not subject you to any adverse treatment. Information obtained will be retained in a confidential file and separate from personnel records. This information may only be used in accordance with the provision of applicable federal laws, executive orders, and regulations. If you want more information about any of the sections, please check with a company representative.

Company Culture:

We are a rapidly‑growing agency that provides opportunities to learn, develop skills and collaborate with colleagues at all levels across our global network. Ask us about Zeno’s Day of Play, Zeno Gives Back (our global day of service), Fearless University, office happy hours and more. We are always looking for diverse talent who can bring great energy to our teams and our business. Zeno is the place where careers are built and lives are lived.

A Fiercely Independent Agency: Zeno is an award‑winning, global integrated communications agency, born from PR, operating across North America, Europe and Asia. Zeno is – and always will be – for everyone. We are committed to fostering a global, diverse workforce where all employees feel valued, included and empowered. What sets Zeno apart is the people who comprise the agency – the unique perspectives, the varied worldviews and the impactful empathy – who are dedicated to driving positive change. To support our diverse workforce, we created safe‑space communities to connect with others who share similar backgrounds, experiences, identities, etc. These resources include: Black Voices, Zin Miedo (Latinx), PRide at Zeno (LGBTQ+), Asian‑cy (Asian and Pacific Islander), Zeno Village (working parents), Freshmen Homeroom (Intern, AAE, AE) and Healthy Minds (mental wellbeing).

To reinforce our commitments to DE&I and take action against systemic racism, Zeno launched ‘Act Together’ in 2020. The initiative is reflective of our shared responsibility to undertake the hard work that brings about real, positive outcomes within Zeno and the broader communications industry. The strengthened infrastructure and resources we put in place ensures DE&I effectively informs everything we do. Act Together remains central to who we are and how we show up with the goal of lasting change. We will not waver in prioritizing this important work.