Sr TA Operations Manager

Cengage; Lake Township (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Cengage is seeking a skilled Talent Acquisition Operations leader in the United States to own end-to-end TA process development, dashboards, and continuous improvement. You will manage vendor relationships, optimize recruiting workflows, and drive data-driven decisions for leadership and workforce planning.

You will serve as the primary administrator for the ATS (Workday) and related TA tools, aligning technology with hiring goals.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in talent acquisition operations or related HR ops.
• Hands-on administrator-level experience with Workday and TA tech stack.
• Experience managing external vendor and RPO relationships, including negotiation and SLAs.
• Strong analytical skills with recruiting dashboards and executive reporting.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in HR, Business, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end TA process build, documentation, and continuous improvement.
• Build and maintain recruiting dashboards and reporting for TA leadership and HR/business teams.
• Identify bottlenecks and lead cross-functional initiatives to resolve them.
• Establish and monitor SLAs and quality standards throughout the recruiting process.
• Partner with Head of TA for data, insights, and reporting for quarterly business reviews and workforce planning.
• Serve as the primary administrator for the ATS (Workday) and adjacent TA tech stack.
• Manage system configuration, workflow automation, integrations, and data integrity.
• Evaluate, pilot, and implement new recruiting technology and AI-enabled tools.
• Partner with IT/HRIS on system upgrades, troubleshooting, and permissions management.
• Own vendor relationships for outsourced TA operations services; negotiate contracts; monitor SLAs and budget.

Skills

Talent Acquisition

Recruiting operations

Vendor & RPO management

TA analytics

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business

Tools

Workday

CRM tools

Job description

We believe in the power and joy of learning At Cengage, our employees have a direct impact in helping learners around the world discover the power and joy of learning. We are bonded by our shared purpose - driving innovation that helps millions of learners improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.

What you'll do here:

Process & Reporting

• Own end-to-end TA process build, documentation, and continuous improvement throughout the hiring journey.
• Build and maintain recruiting dashboards and reporting (pipeline health, time-to-fill, source effectiveness, funnel conversion, DEI metrics) for TA leadership and HR/business team members.
• Identify process bottlenecks and inefficiencies, and lead cross-functional initiatives to resolve them.
• Establish and monitor SLAs and quality standards throughout the recruiting process.
• Partner with the Head of TA to prepare data, insights, and reporting for quarterly business reviews (QBRs) and workforce planning discussions.

TA Systems & Technology

• Serve as the primary administrator and subject-matter expert for the ATS (e.g., Workday) and adjacent TA tech stack (sourcing, scheduling, assessment, and CRM tools).
• Manage system configuration, workflow automation, integrations, and data integrity across TA platforms.
• Evaluate, pilot, and implement new recruiting technology and AI-enabled tools to improve efficiency and candidate experience.
• Partner with IT/HRIS on system upgrades, troubleshooting, and access/permissions management.

Vendor & Outsourced Operations Management

• Own vendor relationships for outsourced TA operations services (e.g., interview scheduling, sourcing support, RPO coordination), ensuring consistent quality and candidate experience.
• Negotiate contracts, pricing, and statements of work with TA vendors and RPO partners; monitor performance against SLAs and budget.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for outsourced TA functions, handling customer issues and driving continuous performance improvement.
• Lead periodic vendor/RPO performance reviews and build-vs-buy evaluations for TA operational services.

Compliance & Documentation

• Ensure TA processes and recordkeeping meet compliance requirements (e.g., OFCCP, EEO/affirmative action, and applicable data privacy regulations).
• Maintain audit-ready documentation across the recruiting lifecycle, including job postings, interview records, and offer approvals.
• Partner with Legal and HR Compliance on policy updates, audits, and recordkeeping requirements affecting the TA function.

Employer Branding & Reputation Management

• Own and evolve Cengage's employer brand presence across career sites, job postings, and social/professional channels.
• Monitor and lead employer reputation on platforms such as Glassdoor and LinkedIn, coordinating response strategy with HR and Communications.
• Partner with Marketing/Communications to develop employer branding content, campaigns, and candidate-facing collateral.
• Audit and maintain consistency and quality across all external-facing recruiting touchpoints.

Team Training & Enablement

• Design and deliver onboarding, systems, and process training for recruiters and hiring managers.
• Build enablement resources (playbooks, templates, job aids) that standardize procedures across the TA team.
• Act as a coach for TA process and systems questions, driving adoption of new tools and workflows.
• - Partner with TA leadership to identify skill gaps and build ongoing learning and development programming for the team.[enter responsibilities]

Skills you will need here:

• 7+ years of experience and demonstrated ability in talent acquisition operations, recruiting operations, or a related HR operations role.
• Hands-on administrator-level experience with an ATS (Workday preferred) and broader TA technology stack.
• Experience leading external vendor and RPO relationships, including contract negotiation, SLA management, and performance evaluation - ideally for outsourced services such as interview scheduling or sourcing support.
• Solid understanding of TA legal standards (e.g., OFCCP, EEO/affirmative action, data privacy) and experience maintaining audit-ready documentation n.
• Strong analytical skills with demonstrated experience building recruiting reports/dashboards and translating data into actionable recommendations, including support for executive-level reviews (e.g., QBRs).
• Experience with employer branding, reputation management, or recruitment marketing.
• Proven ability to design training and enablement programs and drive adoption across a team.
• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to lead multiple concurrent workstreams independently; experience mentoring or guiding junior team members or coordinators is a plus.
• Strong communication skills, with experience partnering across HR, IT, Legal, Marketing, and business leadership.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Human Resources, Business, or related field

Cengage is committed to working with broad talent po