Part-Time Recruiter/Search Coordinator

George Mason University; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 55,000; Part time

Job summary

George Mason University’s Mason Executive Search Group seeks a Recruiter / Search Coordinator to join the in-house executive search function, supporting cabinet, dean, and senior administrator searches with the rigor of a retained firm. The position is part-time (28 hours per week) and on-site in Fairfax, VA.

You will read market intelligence, build target lists for national searches, initiate outreach to sitting deans and vice presidents, and manage scheduling and data discipline to run

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Strong attention to detail in scheduling, data entry, and candidate communications.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with professional outreach experience to senior leaders.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and take ownership of tasks.
• Interest in research, institutional dynamics, and talent markets.

Responsibilities

• Research & Sourcing: Build target lists of prospective candidates for cabinet, dean, and senior administrator searches; research candidate backgrounds; track competitor searches.
• Outreach & Candidate Engagement: Conduct initial outreach to prospective candidates and qualify interest with the Executive Search Leader; maintain high-quality candidate communication.
• Scheduling & Coordination: Coordinate interview scheduling and logistics across multiple concurrent searches; manage multi-party calendars; coordinate campus visit logistics.
• Data & Reporting: Maintain candidate records; produce progress reports and pipeline summaries; support MESG outreach and sourcing tracker.

Skills

Attention to detail

Excellent communication

Multitasking

Independent

Intellectual curiosity

Professional outreach

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

CRM / ATS experience

Job description

Department: Human Resources/Talent Acquisition

Classification: GMU Worker

Job Category: Part-Time / Hourly Wage

Work Schedule: 28 hours/week

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: On Site Required

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department: George Mason University is Virginia's largest public research university, designated an R1 institution by the Carnegie Classification in 2016 and recognized as an Opportunity University in 2025. Located in Fairfax, Virginia in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Mason serves more than 40,000 students across 200+ degree programs and is on a trajectory toward AAU membership.

Colleges & Schools at Mason

• Antonin Scalia Law School
• Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution
• College of Education and Human Development
• College of Engineering and Computing
• College of Humanities and Social Sciences
• College of Public Health
• College of Science
• College of Visual and Performing Arts
• Costello College of Business
• Schar School of Policy and Government
• Honors College

About the Position

Mason Executive Search Group (MESG) is George Mason University's newly established in-house executive search function, built to run cabinet, dean, and senior administrator searches with the rigor of a retained search firm and the accountability of an internal team. MESG is seeking a Recruiter / Search Coordinator to join at a foundational moment: the first dedicated support hire inside the function, working directly with MESG's Executive Search Leader across every active search.

This is a part-time position (28 hours per week). It is not a back-office logistics role. The person in this seat will read market intelligence on peer institutions, help build target lists for national searches, make first contact with sitting deans and vice presidents, and manage the scheduling and data discipline that lets a small team run searches at the standard of a national search firm.

The ideal candidate has spent time inside a search firm environment, whether as a research associate, coordinator, or recruiter, and understands the rhythm of confidential, high-stakes searches: the discipline of a tracker that has to be right, the judgment required in a first outreach message to a sitting executive, and the reality that priorities shift by the hour. They are comfortable being the person who knows where every search stands at any given moment, and equally comfortable digging into a candidate's career history to understand why a move might make sense. They want to build something, not just maintain it.

Responsibilities

This is a ground-floor seat inside a search function GMU is building from scratch. You will help shape how MESG researches, engages, and tracks candidates for some of the university's most consequential hires. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Research & Sourcing

• Build and maintain target lists of prospective candidates for cabinet, dean, and senior administrator searches, drawing on peer institution mapping, professional associations, and market intelligence;
• Research candidate backgrounds, career trajectories, and institutional context ahead of outreach and interviews; and
• Track competitive searches at peer R1 and R2 institutions to inform sourcing strategy.

Outreach & Candidate Engagement

• Conduct initial outreach to prospective candidates identified through research, representing MESG and the university professionally in first-touch conversations;
• Support the Executive Search Leader in qualifying candidate interest and availability before deeper engagement; and
• Maintain consistent, high-quality candidate communication throughout the search lifecycle.

Scheduling & Coordination

• Coordinate interview scheduling and logistics between candidates, search committees, and internal stakeholders across multiple concurrent searches;
• Manage complex, multi-party calendars under tight timelines, anticipating conflicts before they become delays; and
• Coordinate campus visit logistics, travel, and committee touchpoints for finalist candidates.

Data & Reporting

• Maintain accurate, current candidate and search records for every active search;
• Produce regular progress reports and pipeline summaries for the Executive Search Leader and university stakeholders; and
• Support the build-out of MESG's outreach and sourcing tracker, ensuring data integrity across searches.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience;
• Demonstrated experience in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment requiring the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously;
• Strong attention to detail, particularly in scheduling, data entry, and candidate-facing communication;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the judgment to represent a search function professionally in outreach to senior leaders;
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and take ownership of tasks with minimal oversight; and
• Genuine intellectual curiosity and interest in research, institutional dynamics, and talent markets.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience at an executive search firm (retained search, in-house search function, or search‑adjacent research/coordination role);
• Experience with a CRM or applicant tracking system;
• Experience producing reports, dashboards, or pipeline summaries for stakeholders; and
• Familiarity with higher education administration or academic governance structures.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Posting Open Date: October 1, 2026

For Full Consideration, Apply by: October 15, 2026

Open Until Filled: Yes

Mason Ad Statement

George Mason University is a nationally ranked R1 research university committed to creating a more just, free, and prosperous world. With 40,000 enrolled students, George Mason is the largest and most diverse public research university in Virginia, offering degree programs at the master's, doctoral, and professional level, along with certificates and credentials.

George Mason fosters an All Together Different environment for students, faculty, and staff, driven by our core beliefs. We believe in inclusivity over exclusivity; we believe in advancing our mission by being willing to take risks, not avoiding them; and we believe our best work is possible when we apply our diversity of origin, identity, circumstance, and thought.

Equity Statement

George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in its community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.

Campus Safety Information

Mason’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available at http://police.gmu.edu/annual-security-report/