Lead Talent Acquisition-Government

Cricket Wireless LLC.; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 119,000 - 178,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision coverage

401(k) plan

Tuition reimbursement program

Paid Time Off and Holidays

Paid Parental Leave

Adoption Reimbursement

Disability Benefits

Life Insurance

Job summary

AT&T is seeking a Lead Talent Acquisition professional to drive full-cycle recruiting for federal and government-focused roles, partnering with hiring leaders to align recruiting with workforce plans and critical program needs.

You will lead sourcing strategies, build pipelines for specialized roles requiring security clearances, guide interview processes, and manage offers while collaborating with security, onboarding, and HR teams. Chantilly, VA area and Columbia, MD region are involved.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of talent acquisition or full-cycle recruiting experience for government/defense/mission-critical organizations.
• Proven success sourcing and hiring for hard-to-fill roles.
• Strong candidate assessment, interviewing, and offer negotiation skills.
• Experience partnering with hiring leaders and influencing talent decisions.
• Knowledge of employment laws, recruiting compliance requirements, and hiring best practices.
• Experience recruiting candidates with active security clearances.
• Experience using advanced sourcing tools and recruiting analytics preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead full-cycle recruiting activities for domestic roles supporting Federal Solutions teams.
• Partner with leaders to develop recruiting strategies aligned with workforce plans.
• Recruit for highly specialized positions requiring security clearances up to Full Scope Polygraph.
• Develop and execute innovative sourcing strategies to identify active and passive candidates.
• Build and maintain talent pipelines for critical skill sets and growth initiatives.
• Conduct candidate assessments, behavioral interviews, and qualification reviews.

Skills

Full-cycle recruiting

Government recruiting

Candidate assessment

Interviewing

Offer negotiations

Sourcing strategies

Stakeholder management

Security clearances

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR / related field

Tools

Advanced sourcing tools

Talent intelligence platforms

Recruiting analytics

Job description

Are you a strategic talent acquisition professional with experience recruiting for mission-critical, cleared, and government-focused organizations? We are seeking a Lead Talent Acquisition professional to drive full-cycle recruiting efforts that support critical business objectives and organizational growth. In this role, you will serve as a trusted advisor to hiring leaders, develop innovative sourcing strategies, build talent pipelines for highly specialized positions, and lead recruiting efforts for complex, security-cleared opportunities. You will play a key role in helping mission-focused teams attract and hire exceptional talent.

What You’ll Do

• Lead full-cycle recruiting activities from intake through onboarding for domestic roles supporting our Federal Solutions teams.
• Partner with business leaders, program managers, and hiring teams to develop recruiting strategies that align with workforce plans and organizational goals.
• Recruit for highly specialized and mission-critical positions requiring active security clearances up to and including Full Scope Polygraph.
• Develop and execute innovative sourcing strategies to identify and engage active and passive candidates.
• Build and maintain talent pipelines for critical skill sets and future growth initiatives.
• Conduct candidate assessments, behavioral interviews, and qualification reviews, including evaluation of technical expertise, clearance status, and mission alignment.
• Guide hiring teams through structured interview and selection processes to ensure objective, compliant hiring decisions.
• Manage offer development and negotiations while delivering an exceptional candidate experience.
• Collaborate with security, onboarding, compliance, and HR teams to ensure a seamless hiring process.
• Provide insights on recruiting performance, pipeline health, hiring risks, and labor market trends.
• Mentor and support recruiting team members while contributing to continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws, government contracting requirements, OFCCP guidelines, and internal policies.

What You’ll Need

• 5+ years of talent acquisition or full-cycle recruiting experience for government, defense, national security, or mission-critical organizations.
• Proven success sourcing and hiring candidates for hard-to-fill and specialized positions.
• Strong candidate assessment, interviewing, and offer negotiation skills.
• Experience partnering with hiring leaders and influencing talent decisions.
• Knowledge of employment laws, recruiting compliance requirements, and hiring best practices.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience recruiting candidates with active security clearances.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field preferred.
• Knowledge of federal contracting environments and government hiring requirements.
• Experience using advanced sourcing tools, talent intelligence platforms, and recruiting analytics preferred.

What You'll Bring

• Strategic thinking and workforce planning expertise.
• Ability to manage complex searches with minimal direction.
• Strong consulting and advisory skills.
• Data-driven decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
• Passion for delivering exceptional candidate and hiring manager experiences.
• Commitment to mentoring others and driving recruiting excellence.

Why Join Us?

You will have the opportunity to influence hiring strategies that support critical business initiatives, work alongside senior leaders, and help build high-performing teams that make a meaningful impact. This role offers significant autonomy, strategic visibility, and the opportunity to shape talent acquisition outcomes across the organization.

Our Lead Talent Acquisition jobs earn between $118,800.00 - $178,200.00 USD Annual. Not to mention all the other amazing rewards that working at AT&T offers. Individual starting salary within this range may depend on geography, experience, expertise, and education/training.

Joining our team comes with amazing perks and benefits:

• Medical/Dental/Vision coverage
• 401(k) plan
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Paid Time Off and Holidays (based on date of hire, at least 23 days of vacation each year and 9 company-designated holidays)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Caregiver Leave
• Additional sick leave beyond what state and local law require may be available but is unprotected
• Adoption Reimbursement
• Disability Benefits (short term and long term)
• Life and Accidental Death Insurance
• Supplemental benefit programs: critical illness/accident hospital indemnity/group legal
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
• Extensive employee wellness programs
• Employee discounts up to 50% off on eligible AT&T mobility plans and accessories, AT&T internet (and fiber where available) and AT&T phone
• Weekly Hours: 40
• Time Type: Regular
• Location: Columbia, Maryland, USA:VA:Chantilly / Stonecroft Blvd - Adm:4807 Stonecroft Blvd
• Salary Range: $118,800.00 - $178,200.00

AT&T and its subsidiaries are committed to equal employment opportunity. All hiring, promotion, and other employment decisions remain merit-based and free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical disability, mental disability, pregnancy, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. In addition, AT&T will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. AT&T is a fair chance employer and does not initiate a background check until an offer is made.

We are pioneers of making connections and have been ever since Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone and founded our company. That was nearly 150 years ago, and we haven’t stopped innovating since. At our core, we help bring families, communities, and businesses together with the products and services they need to thrive every day. From the widespread and growing availability of 5G and Fiber to working on things we once only dreamed of—at AT&T, we create connections that change the world.