Strategic Early Talent Programs & Operations Lead

Belk; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Belk in Charlotte, NC is seeking an Early Talent Operations and Programs Lead to plan and run university recruiting initiatives and internships, while guiding the operational backbone of the early talent function.

You will partner with recruiters, business leaders, and external partners to optimize processes, manage calendars and budgets, and deliver engaging campus programs and events across a fast-paced retail environment.

Qualifications

• 3+ years supporting university recruiting, early careers, internship, or talent development programs.
• Strong project and program management capabilities.
• Experience managing complex recruiting events and operational logistics.
• Knowledge of recruiting systems such as Workday, Handshake, Yello, or CRM platforms.
• Experience with Microsoft Power Platform, SharePoint, Excel, Power BI, or similar reporting tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational planning and execution of enterprise early career recruiting and development programs.
• Develop and manage annual recruiting calendars and program timelines; including project plans, milestones, and communications.
• Manage monthly and annual operational budgets by tracking recruiting expenses and program costs.
• Support the operational strategy and execution of early talent programs from planning through post-program evaluation.
• Facilitate in-person and virtual workshops, seminars, and training sessions for early talent programs; including content creation and measuring effectiveness and participant engagement.
• Partner with stakeholders and subject matter experts to refine program effectiveness and participant readiness.
• Coordinate venue logistics, travel, catering, technology, and materials for early talent programs.
• Oversee preboarding and onboarding logistics for early talent programs inclusive of Belk U Summit, summer internship program, and bi-annual retail development programs.
• Manage end-to-end logistics for interview processes, including Super Days, industry conferences, and regional career fairs.
• Coordinate venue logistics, travel, catering, technology, registration, university communication campaigns, and event materials for campus initiatives.
• Maintain recruiting documentation, interview guides, scorecards, and operational playbooks aligned to enterprise and role-based capabilities.
• Partner with internal teams to develop recruitment collateral, presentation materials, digital content, and event marketing assets.
• Coordinate university marketing campaigns and campus engagement strategies.

Skills

Project management

Program management

Stakeholder management

Event logistics

University recruiting

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Workday

Handshake

Yello

CRM platforms

Power Platform

SharePoint

Excel

Power BI

Job description

Belk in Charlotte, NC is seeking an Early Talent Operations and Programs Lead to plan and run university recruiting initiatives and internships, while guiding the operational backbone of the early talent function.

You will partner with recruiters, business leaders, and external partners to optimize processes, manage calendars and budgets, and deliver engaging campus programs and events across a fast-paced retail environment.