Senior Talent Acquisition Lead – Skilled Trades

Seattle City Light; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Seattle City Light is seeking a seasoned recruiter to lead full-cycle hiring for skilled trades and apprenticeship roles. You will source, screen, interview, and develop offers while building strong partnerships with hiring managers and labor partners.

You will drive targeted strategies across union halls and technical programs, ensure compliance with public-sector standards, and maintain candidate experience from outreach to onboarding in a fast-paced utility environment.

Qualifications

• Three or more years of full-cycle recruiting experience in technical/high-volume/public-sector hiring.
• Experience recruiting journey-level skilled trades or craft workers in utilities, construction, energy, or transportation.
• Proficiency with NeoGov or similar applicant tracking system.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience in unionized settings and familiarity with collective bargaining agreements.
• Knowledge of employment law, public-sector HR practices, and structured hiring methods.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Strong judgment, initiative, and ability to work independently with minimal direction.
• Experience developing sourcing strategies and pipelines for hard-to-fill roles.
• Ability to interpret recruitment data and apply insights to improve processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead full-cycle recruitment for skilled trades, apprenticeship roles, including intake meetings, sourcing, screening, interviews, and offer development.
• Recruit journey-level craft talent such as lineworkers, electrician constructors, cable splicers, and meter electricians.
• Develop and implement recruiting strategies to attract diverse and qualified talent across job families.
• Develop targeted sourcing strategies reaching skilled-trade talent through unions, trade schools, military pipelines, and regional hubs.
• Build relationships with hiring managers and advise on postings, assessments, interview processes, and labor-market trends.
• Conduct proactive outreach using social media, talent databases, community networks, and workforce partners.
• Represent Seattle City Light at skilled-trade events and apprenticeship outreach activities.
• Build and maintain partnerships with IBEW and regional training centers to support hiring needs.
• Ensure recruitment processes comply with public-sector hiring standards and policies.
• Facilitate written exams, working tests, and structured interviews for fair evaluation.
• Promote a positive candidate experience through clear communication and onboarding coordination.
• Coordinate pre-employment requirements such as background checks and physical assessments.
• Track hiring activity in HRIS and ATS; analyze recruitment metrics and recommend improvements.

Skills

Full-cycle recruiting

Trade/union recruiting

NeoGov / ATS

Public-sector HR basics

Education

Bachelor’s degree in social sciences or related field

Tools

Applicant tracking systems

Job description

Seattle City Light is seeking a seasoned recruiter to lead full-cycle hiring for skilled trades and apprenticeship roles. You will source, screen, interview, and develop offers while building strong partnerships with hiring managers and labor partners.

You will drive targeted strategies across union halls and technical programs, ensure compliance with public-sector standards, and maintain candidate experience from outreach to onboarding in a fast-paced utility environment.