Talent Acquisition Specialist - Public Safety

City of Aurora, CO; Aurora (CO); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 81,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Aurora, Colorado is hiring a Talent Acquisition Specialist – Public Safety to lead recruiting, hiring, and retention for Police, Fire, 911, Courts, and Detentions. You’ll be the main liaison for applicants, manage communications, and support onboarding while ensuring a smooth process for public safety positions.

Ideal candidates hold a Bachelor’s degree in HR or related field, at least 3 years in HR, and strong MS Excel and data-entry skills. Experience with Workday ATS is preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business/public administration, or related field.
• At least 3 years in the human resources profession.
• Proficient with MS Excel and data entry.

Responsibilities

• Act as main contact for all public safety applicants and timelines.
• Coordinate onboarding for public safety candidates.
• Maintain applicant tracking systems and records.
• Prepare job advertisements and listings.
• Review and evaluate job applications.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws and regulations.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Managerial skills

Customer service

Public speaking

Media relations

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR/Business Administration

Tools

MS Excel

Workday ATS

Job description

JOB LOCATION

15151 E Alameda Pkwy Aurora, Colorado 80012-1555

City of Aurora, Colorado

It is an exciting time to work for the City of Aurora, we're growing and looking for dedicated and collaborative individuals to join our team of talented and valued employees. Excellent organizations have a set of principles, or core values, that are used to implement their mission and vision. Those values represent the touchstone for the organization, guiding the decisions of the individuals and the organization. At the City of Aurora, we demonstrate our excellence by modeling the CORE 4 Values of: Integrity, Respect, Professionalism, and Customer Service, and we welcome all who share these values to apply.
Why Work for Aurora?

• Make a difference in the lives of real people every day
• Diverse community
• Competitive total compensation package
• Well-Funded General Employees Retirement Plan
• Light rail station minutes away
• On-site fitness center and overall employee well-being programs Internal educational programs to assist with career advancement
• Access to innovation workspaces

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Salary to be commensurate with experience

The hiring range for this position is $64,615 - $80,768/annually

The deadline to submit applications is October 27, 2026. The initial screening of applications will commence October 20, 2026. Please note, The City of Aurora will conduct ongoing screenings of applications on a first come, first-serve basis; as soon as we determine to have a qualified pool of applicants, this position may close quickly and without notice.

The Talent Acquisition Specialist – Public Safety will have experience in all functions of recruiting, hiring, and retention and will serve as the primary liaison for applicant support and guidance throughout the recruiting process of public safety positions. This position provides the highest levels of customer service by fostering positive relationships with internal and external customers. This specialist has a passion for growing the organization and has a desire to ensure a smooth recruiting process for public safety applicants.

• Acts as main point of contact for all public safety applicants: assisting with questions, communicating important deadlines, providing updates as to the status of the recruitment and information on city’s employment processes
• Maintains constant and clear communication between applicants and hiring managers within the public safety departments (Police, Fire, 911, Courts, and Detentions) and Human Resources
• Coordinates and facilitates onboarding activities for public safety candidates
• Maintains applicant tracking systems and records
• Assesses applicants and prepares certification lists for referral to hiring managers
• Writes and places employment advertisements
• Prepares and compiles job opportunity listings
• Reviews and evaluates job applications
• Ensures compliance with all federal and state employment laws and regulations
• Completes special projects and reports related to recruitment history, trends and employment data
• Performs other related duties as assigned

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & WORKING CONDITIONS

An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that demonstrates the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business/public administration, or related field

Experience

• At least 3 years in the human resources profession
• Proficient with MS Excel program and data entry

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in or with judicial or public safety environment.
• Experience with Workday ATS System.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of human resources processes and procedures; personal computer and related software applications including word processing, data base and spreadsheet applications

Skills

• Strong interpersonal and managerial skills
• Skill in the use of windows-based programs
• Strong customer service skills
• Skill in customer relations, crisis communications management, public speaking and media relations
• Skill in checking information for accuracy and completeness and correcting errors

Abilities

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, all levels of management including executive staff, citizens, and elected officials
• Handle sensitive situations with tact and diplomacy Communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• Direct and effectively supervise a diverse workforce
• Administer budgets
• Creatively solve problems, negotiate and handle stressful situations in a positive manner

Essential Personnel

• When a local announcement of emergency or disaster is declared by the city, all City of Aurora employees may be required to work as essential personnel

Physical Demands

• Sedentary Physical Work lifting up to 10 pounds with our without assistance
• Frequent lifting, carrying, walking and standing
• Frequent hand/eye coordination for operation of office equipment
• Vision for reading and interpreting reports and data analysis and preparation
• Frequent speech communication, hearing and listening to maintain communication with employees and citizens

Work Environment

• Hybrid position
• Works primarily in clean, comfortable environment

Equipment Used

• Uses standard office equipment including personal computer and common office software such as email, internet, Word, Excel and menu driven databases
• This position may require the incumbent to use personal equipment (e.g. vehicle, cell phone, tools, etc.) in the course of their employment

The city of Aurora will implement furlough days (unpaid days off) for most employees in 2026. The scheduled furlough dates are January 16, April 10, July 2, and December 24.

For Veterans preference: Please show all of your employment history, including military service and related documentation (DD214) on the application.
The City of Aurora is an equal opportunity employer. We are required by state and federal agencies to keep certain statistical records on applicants. It will not be used in any way to discriminate against you because of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, creed, national origin, disability or military status, gender identity, unless related to a bona fide occupational qualification as defined by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunity Commission.
Despite the changes in Colorado law, the City of Aurora maintains a drug-free workplace. A positive test of marijuana is grounds for disqualification and ineligibility for employment with the city for one year or termination once hired.

Drug Testing, Thorough Criminal Background Check, and Employment References

As a condition of employment, all applicants selected for employment with the City of Aurora must undergo a thorough criminal background check.

Applicants selected for safety-sensitive positions are required to complete and pass a drug screening as a condition of employment. Safety sensitive positions include Civil Service positions within Police and Fire Departments and positions where their job responsibilities have direct and substantial responsibility that would impact the health and safety of others.

Employment references will be conducted on finalists for City of Aurora vacancies.