Early Talent Acquisition Associate (Hybrid - Reston, VA)

ICF; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 81,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

ICF is seeking an Early Talent Acquisition Associate to help shape the next generation of talent. You will manage full lifecycle recruitment for interns, early-career, and emerging talent pipelines while partnering with hiring managers to deliver a strong Early Talent experience.

You’ll apply data, technology, and market insights to sourcing and hiring, collaborate with the Early Talent Manager and stakeholders, and participate in campus events to build robust pipelines across the globe.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum 2 years recruiting experience in early talent/university/campus recruiting.

Responsibilities

• Manage Early Talent requisitions from intake through start, supporting high-impact and high-volume hiring needs.
• Coordinate multiple stakeholders, timelines, and deliverables in a fast-paced environment.
• Create compliant job postings, sourcing strategies, and interview plans.
• Follow all Workday workflows and employment laws while maintaining audit-ready documentation.
• Use dashboards and analytics to strengthen sourcing strategies and improve processes.

Skills

Early Talent Recruiting

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Workday

Beamery

Job description

About The Role

We’re looking for an Early Talent Acquisition Associate to help shape the next generation of talent at ICF. In this role, you’ll manage full lifecycle recruitment for intern, early-career, and emerging talent pipelines while partnering with hiring managers and other stakeholders to deliver a strong Early Talent experience. You’ll contribute to recruiting strategies, build relationships across the organization, and grow your expertise in university and early talent recruiting.

This is an ideal opportunity for an individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys building collaborative relationships, and is eager to apply data, technology, and new ideas to sourcing and hiring.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage Early Talent requisitions from intake through start, supporting high-impact and high-volume hiring needs.
• Facilitate early talent hiring with a high degree of accuracy, coordinating multiple stakeholders, timelines, and deliverables in a fast-paced environment.
• Create compliant job postings, sourcing strategies, and interview plans using internal frameworks.
• Follow all Workday workflows, employment law requirements, and internal standards while maintaining accurate, audit-ready documentation.
• Ensure timely, transparent communication that reflects ICF values and delivers a best-in-class candidate experience.
• Guide candidates with professionalism, empathy, and a high-touch approach tailored to early-career needs while delivering clear and consistent updates throughout the hiring process.
• Partner with the Early Talent Manager and other stakeholders to support early talent hiring strategies and demand planning using data, market intelligence, and workforce insights.
• Collaborate with Hiring Managers, Business Leaders, and HR partners to understand workforce needs, align expectations, and support informed hiring decisions.
• Gather and share competitive intelligence and Early Talent market trends to support recruiting strategy and stakeholder decisions.
• Use dashboards, analytics, and recruiting trends to strengthen sourcing strategies and improve process efficiency.
• Learn and use approved AI and emerging technologies responsibly to support sourcing, candidate engagement, data synthesis, and process improvement, while applying appropriate human judgment and following organizational policies.
• Proactively build and maintain pipelines of intern and early-career talent using ICF HR technology and tools.
• Execute targeted outreach and nurturing campaigns to engage early-career talent; use available tools to streamline sourcing and tailor messaging to candidates’ interests, motivators, and long-term development goals.
• Collaborate with and share effective early talent sourcing and hiring practices across the global talent team.
• Serve as a visible and enthusiastic ambassador of the ICF Early Talent brand with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Travel and attend various college and university campuses for career fairs, networking events, and other Early-Talent programming.
• Represent ICF and Early Talent at community events.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum 2 years of recruiting experience in early talent, university recruiting, campus recruiting, or a related area.

Preferred Qualifications

• Willingness to travel up to 50% during fall and spring recruiting cycles.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships and communicate data and market insights to stakeholders.
• Strong judgment, organization, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent communication, storytelling, and candidate engagement skills.
• Sourcing expertise, especially with Early Talent initiatives, including proactive outreach and passive talent engagement.
• Experience using ATS/CRM systems (i.e. Workday, Beamery) and analytics tools.
• Demonstrated curiosity with AI-enabled recruiting technologies and helping to incorporate approved capabilities into team processes.
• Experience using Early Talent platforms such as Handshake, 12Twenty, Simplicity, etc.

Working at ICF

ICF is a global advisory and technology services provider, but we’re not your typical consultants. We combine unmatched expertise with cutting‑edge technology to help clients solve their most complex challenges, navigate change, and shape the future.

We can only solve the world’s toughest challenges by building a workplace that allows everyone to thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer. Together, our employees are empowered to share their expertise and collaborate with others to achieve personal and professional goals. For more information, please read our EEO policy.

We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Reasonable Accommodations are available, including, but not limited to, for disabled veterans, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs, in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation, please [e-mail] we will be happy to assist. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.

Read more about workplace discrimination rights or our benefit offerings which are included in the Transparency in (Benefits) Coverage Act.

Candidate AI Usage Policy

At ICF, we are committed to ensuring a fair interview process for all candidates based on their own skills and knowledge. As part of this commitment, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate or assist with responses during interviews (whether in-person or virtual) is not permitted. This policy is in place to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the interview process.

However, we understand that some candidates may require accommodation that involves the use of AI. If such an accommodation is needed, candidates are instructed to contact us in advance at [e-mail]. We are dedicated to providing the necessary support to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity to succeed.

Pay Range

$81,147.00 - $137,949.00 Reston, VA (VA30)