Human Resources Specialist, Talent Acquisition

Pan American Health Organization Inc; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 71,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Pan American Health Organization seeks a Human Resources Specialist, Talent Acquisition in Washington, DC to attract, engage, and select top talent and support PAHO’s mission across the Americas.

You will contribute to workforce planning, recruitment excellence, and the delivery of high-quality talent acquisition services, coordinating end-to-end lifecycle, and advising on HR policies.

Qualifications

• Essential: A bachelor’s degree in human resources management, psychology, business administration or any other field related to the functions of the post from a recognized university.
• Seven years of combined national and international experience in human resources management with strong focus on talent acquisition and recruitment, with at least two years’ experience in supervising and coordinating work of HR teams.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the end-to-end talent acquisition lifecycle, including sourcing, assessment, interviewing, and selection activities aligned with workforce plans and recruitment strategies.
• Manage recruitment operations, including vacancy announcements, candidate evaluations, interview processes, selection documentation, and reporting while ensuring compliance with established practices.
• Provide guidance on the interpretation and application of HR policies, procedures, exceptions, and governance frameworks related to staff and non-staff recruitment.
• Administer and review recruitment and selection processes to ensure quality, consistency, accuracy, and compliance with organizational requirements.
• Monitor recruitment and contingent workforce activities through data analysis, reporting, HR systems management, and process improvement initiatives.
• Build collaborative relationships with hiring managers, HR partners, technical units, academic institutions, and external organizations, while supporting internship, talent pipeline, and contingent workforce programs.

Skills

Talent acquisition

Sourcing

Assessment

Interviewing

Data analytics

Education

Bachelor's degree in HRM/psychology/business

Tools

HRIS

ERP

Microsoft Excel

Outlook

PowerPoint

Teams

SharePoint

Word

Job description

Grade: P-3

Salary - Annually: Step I - 71,335.00 USD

Post Adjustment - Annually: 38,948.91 USD

Contractual Agreement: Staff - Professional

Post Job Posting: September 10, 2026

Closing Date: October 1, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Primary Location: Washington, D.C.

Organization: HRM Human Resources Management

Schedule: Full time

Description of Duties

Human Resources Specialist, Talent Acquisition Join the Human Resources Management Department and play a key role in attracting, engaging, and selecting top talent to support PAHO’s mission across the Americas. This position contributes to strategic workforce planning, recruitment excellence, and the delivery of high-quality talent acquisition services.

Summary of Responsibilities

• Coordinate the end-to-end talent acquisition lifecycle, including sourcing, assessment, interviewing, and selection activities aligned with workforce plans and recruitment strategies.
• Manage recruitment operations, including vacancy announcements, candidate evaluations, interview processes, selection documentation, and reporting while ensuring compliance with established practices.
• Provide guidance on the interpretation and application of HR policies, procedures, exceptions, and governance frameworks related to staff and non-staff recruitment.
• Administer and review recruitment and selection processes to ensure quality, consistency, accuracy, and compliance with organizational requirements.
• Monitor recruitment and contingent workforce activities through data analysis, reporting, HR systems management, and process improvement initiatives.
• Build collaborative relationships with hiring managers, HR partners, technical units, academic institutions, and external organizations, while supporting internship, talent pipeline, and contingent workforce programs.
• For a complete list of functions, please see the post description.

Education

Essential: A bachelor’s degree in human resources management, psychology, business administration or any other field related to the functions of the post from a recognized university.

Experience

Essential: Seven years of combined national and international experience in human resources management with strong focus on talent acquisition and recruitment, with at least two years’ experience in supervising and coordinating work of HR teams.

Languages

Fluency in English or Spanish with working knowledge of the other language. Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese would be an asset.

IT Skills

Demonstrated ability to effectively use current technology and software, as well as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Proficiency in HR Information Systems for recruitment, onboarding and workforce data management. Other IT skills and knowledge of software programs such as Microsoft Excel, Outlook, OneDrive, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, and Word are considered essential.

Competencies and Skills

For a complete list of competencies and skills, please refer to the post description. The skills required are:

• Advanced knowledge of end-to-end talent acquisition processes, including sourcing, assessment, and selection methodologies.
• Strong understanding of HR policies, staff rules, and regulatory frameworks, with the ability to interpret and apply them effectively.
• Experience in workforce planning and the development of strategic recruitment plans aligned with organizational needs.
• Proficiency in competency-based interviewing, assessment tools, and selection methodologies.
• Strong analytical skills with experience in HR metrics, reporting, and data-driven decision-making.
• Ability to analyze and optimize recruitment processes and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Expertise in HR information systems, recruitment platforms, and workforce data management.
• Experience managing internship and contingent workforce programs, including compliance and reporting.
• Ability to develop HR guidelines, standard operating procedures, and policy recommendations.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to build productive stakeholder relationships and communicate complex HR matters effectively.
• Strong teamwork, collaboration, adaptability, accountability, and commitment to organizational values.

Duration of Contract

Post of limited duration. First year probitionary period.

Disclaimer

This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade and level.

PAHO, considers official higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in one of the following databases:

• World Higher Education Database (WHED), list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be assessed through the link: http://whed.net/
• Council for Higher Education Accreditation chea.org
• College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, nces.gov to support the validation process.

Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and e-Manual.

PAHO/WHO is committed to

PAHO supports an environment of mutual respect and dignity for all applicants.

Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process.

Maintaining high standards of integrity and accountability. People joining PAHO are required to maintain these standards both in their professional work and personal activities.

Promoting a work environment that is free from harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and other types of abusive behavior.

PAHO conducts background checks and will not hire anyone who has a substantiated history of misconduct.

Providing a smoke-free environment. Protecting the people in the communities we serve. Therefore, we have zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. People who commit serious wrongdoing will be terminated and may also face criminal prosecution.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is the specialized international health agency for the Americas. It works with countries throughout the region to improve and protect people's health. PAHO wears two institutional hats: it is the specialized health agency of the Inter-American System and also serves as Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO), the specialized health agency of the United Nations. PAHO engages in technical cooperation with its member countries to fight communicable and noncommunicable diseases and their causes, to strengthen health systems, and to respond to emergencies and disasters. PAHO is committed to ensuring that all people have access to the health care they need, when they need it, with quality and without fear of falling into poverty. Through its work, PAHO promotes and supports the right of everyone to good health. To advance these goals, PAHO promotes technical cooperation between countries and works in partnership with ministries of health and other government agencies, civil society organizations, other international agencies, universities, social security agencies, community groups, and other partners. PAHO promotes the inclusion of health in all public policies and the engagement of all sectors in efforts to ensure that people live longer, healthier lives, with good health as their most valuable resource. Under the leadership of its 51 member countries and territories, PAHO sets regional health priorities and mobilizes action to address health problems that respect no borders and that, in many cases, jeopardize the sustainability of health systems. From its Washington, D.C., headquarters, 27 country offices and three specialized centers in the region, PAHO promotes evidence-based decision-making to improve and promote health as a driver of sustainable development.