Lead Talent Acquisition Partner

Alliance Defending Freedom; Lansdowne (VA); On-site; USD 89,000 - 128,000; Full time

Job summary

Alliance Defending Freedom in Lansdowne, VA seeks a senior Talent Acquisition professional to lead full lifecycle recruiting for 15+ requisitions, including legal and executive roles. You will source, screen, interview, and extend offers, while managing background checks and compensation decisions.

You’ll partner with senior leaders, design tailored interview questions, and ensure a positive candidate experience. The role emphasizes strategic staffing, collaboration, and brand promotion.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in business, communications, HR management, or related field.
• 6+ years of full life-cycle recruiting experience, including senior leadership and niche roles.
• Proficient in ATS management with Greenhouse/Workday/Ashby.
• Skilled in sourcing strategies and building pipelines for hard-to-fill roles.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with senior stakeholders.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-growing organization and exercise sound judgment.

Responsibilities

• Own full-cycle Talent Acquisition for 15+ requisitions at a time, including complex roles.
• Communicate professionally on behalf of Talent Acquisition and build relationships with leaders.
• Advocate for candidates by articulating qualifications and fit for compensation decisions.
• Match candidates to organizational needs beyond simply filling roles.
• Design role-specific interview questions and gather insights for decision-making.
• Deliver high-quality candidate interview experiences for top searches.
• Maintain accurate candidate and requisition records in Greenhouse.
• Lead compensation negotiations aligned with internal budgets and offers.
• Expand ADF's TA brand through networks, events, and outreach.
• Seek process improvements and leverage tech for efficiency.
• Mentor other TA team members and share sourcing techniques.

Skills

Full life-cycle recruiting

Stakeholder communication

Sourcing & pipeline

ATS proficiency

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business/HR

Tools

Greenhouse

Workday

Ashby

Job description

Make a difference with us! At Alliance Defending Freedom, we believe God has brought you here for His purpose—to stand for truth and defend the God-given right to live and speak it. Together, we protect religious freedom, free speech, the sanctity of life, marriage and family, and parental rights. Review our Statement of Faith to ensure we’re a fit for you.

Locations:

Lansdowne, VA / Dallas, TX

Team Overview

As the world's largest Christian, non-profit, legal organization, Alliance Defending Freedom depends on a Talent Acquisition function that can identify and secure mission-aligned talent at every level of the organization — from entry-level support roles to the litigation attorneys, senior leaders, and executives who carry ADF's advocacy forward. The Talent Acquisition team manages the full hiring lifecycle end to end: sourcing and screening candidates for cultural, technical, and behavioral alignment; partnering directly with Team Leaders, Senior Leadership, and the Executive Leadership Team on requisition strategy, workforce planning, and compensation decisions; and guiding every new hire through offer, background and reference checks, and onboarding.

Key Responsibilities

• Own full-cycle Talent Acquisition for 15+ requisitions at a time, focused on complex roles such as litigation attorney and non-litigation attorney recruiting — sourcing, screening, interviewing, offer extension, and background/reference checks.
• Communicate with confidence and professionalism on behalf of the Talent Acquisition function, while building collaborative relationships with leaders and partners across the organization.
• Navigate a fast-growing, evolving organization with tenacity — building relationships with key stakeholders, determining how decisions get made, and advocating persuasively for candidates by clearly articulating their qualifications, expertise, and cultural, technical, and behavioral fit to support hiring, leveling, and compensation decisions.
• Understand talent needs at every level of the organization — from broad organizational priorities down to the specific needs of an individual team — and match candidates strategically to meet those needs, going beyond simply filling an open requisition.
• Serve as a trusted advisor throughout the hiring process by designing thoughtful, role-specific interview questions for each candidate and search, and gathering the insight needed to form a well-supported view of a candidate's technical, behavioral, and cultural fit.
• Deliver excellent candidate interview experiences for the organization's most complex and highest-visibility searches.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date candidate and requisition records in Greenhouse, including interview scorecards and disposition status.
• Lead compensation negotiations for assigned requisitions in line with internal budgets, ensuring competitive offers and candidate satisfaction.
• Proactively expand and promote ADF's Talent Acquisition brand through professional networks, events, and outreach channels.
• Continuously seek ways to improve Talent Acquisition processes, utilize technology for efficiency, and enhance the candidate experience.
• Mentor and assist other Talent Acquisition team members, including sharing sourcing initiatives, interviewing techniques, and process knowledge.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Communications, Human Resources Management, or a related field.
• 6+ years of full life-cycle recruiting experience, including experience recruiting for senior leadership and specialized roles, such as legal, niche technical positions, or other hard-to-fill roles.
• Proficient in Applicant Tracking Systems (e.g., Greenhouse, Workday, Ashby) for maintaining accurate, well-organized candidate and requisition records.
• Skilled in sourcing strategies and pipeline-building for hard-to-fill and recurring specialized roles.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, including confident, persuasive communication with senior stakeholders.
• Ability to navigate a fast-growing, evolving organization with tenacity, sound judgment, and resourcefulness.

Preferred Qualifications

• 8+ years of full life-cycle recruiting experience.
• 2+ years of legal, executive, and/or staffing agency recruiting experience.
• Experience with Greenhouse

Pay & Benefits

At Alliance Defending Freedom, we offer a competitive compensation and benefits package to support your well-being and growth. While we do not disclose specific salary ranges, our compensation is competitive with top non-profit law firms. Our benefits include 100% covered medical and dental insurance, medical and dependent care reimbursement, paid disability, long-term care, life insurance, and a 401(k) plan with a 4% company match. We prioritize work-life balance with paid time off and 12 paid holidays each year.

Want to Know More About ADF?

This salary range is reflective of a position based in Lansdowne, VA. This range is a good-faith estimate, and the actual salary may vary based on the candidate’s experience, skills, qualifications, and office location.

Virginia Salary Range

$89,000—$128,100 USD