Talent Acquisition Specialist (Technical & Product Recruiting)

Zs Associates; Princeton (NJ); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working model

Travel opportunities

Total rewards package

Job summary

ZS is a management consulting and technology firm focused on improving life and how we live it. The Human Resources group seeks an HR Specialist – Talent Acquisition to own the full lifecycle for technical roles across North America, including AI/ML, data science, and software engineering.

The role requires 10+ years of progressive recruiting experience, strong sourcing skills, and the ability to partner with senior stakeholders.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive full-lifecycle recruiting experience in professional services, consulting, technology, life sciences, or similar hard-to-fill markets.
• Ability to read technical job descriptions and translate jargon into searchable keywords and adjacencies.
• Proven sourcing craft using Boolean, X-ray, GitHub/open-source signals, referrals, and niche communities.

Responsibilities

• Own a heavy portfolio of specialty searches end to end from intake to offer close and post-search follow-up.
• Lead complex searches across consulting, technology, AI/ML, analytics, life sciences, and engineering roles with direct access to senior stakeholders.
• Run intake and calibration discussions to align on problem, level, scope, and must-have vs nice-to-have skills.
• Translate requirements into practical recruiting strategy and create targeted search plans with talent maps and outreach angles.
• Source with purpose using diverse channels and tailor messaging to credible, role-specific narratives.
• Maintain ATS cleanliness, manage interview logistics, and provide pipeline updates to stakeholders.
• Act as trusted advisor to hiring managers, challenging assumptions and driving accountability.

Skills

Full lifecycle recruiting

Technical recruiting

Stakeholder management

Sourcing

Job description

ZS is a place where passion changes lives. As a management consulting and technology firm focused on improving life and how we live it, we transform ideas into impact by bringing together data, science, technology and human ingenuity to deliver better outcomes for all. Here you’ll work side-by-side with a powerful collective of thinkers and experts shaping life-changing solutions for patients, caregivers and consumers, worldwide. ZSers drive impact by bringing a client-first mentality to each and every engagement. We partner collaboratively with our clients to develop custom solutions and technology products that create value and deliver company results across critical areas of their business. Bring your curiosity for learning, bold ideas, courage and passion to drive life-changing impact to ZS.

The Human Resources Group

The Human Resources group develops and executes successful recruiting programs, learning and expertise-development initiatives, strategic staffing assignments, effective reporting and analytics, performance management processes, and work-life benefits and operations.

HR Specialist – Talent Acquisition

We're looking for an experienced technical recruiter who is equal parts operator, strategist, and hunter - someone who thrives on cracking tough searches, carrying a meaningful requisition load, and building relationships that move the needle. As part of ZS's In-Market Talent Acquisition team, this person will own the full lifecycle for technical and expertise-driven roles across North America, including AI/ML, GenAI, advanced analytics, data science, data engineering, software/cloud engineering, statistics/biostatistics, life sciences consulting, and practice-specific expert roles.

These are not easy fills. They require technical calibration, market intelligence, creative sourcing, disciplined execution, and the ability to tell ZS's story to passive talent who may never have heard of us - or who think they are not looking. At the CON/SR. CON level, this person will still be expected to deliver directly on a heavy portfolio of requisitions, while also bringing more independent problem solving, stronger stakeholder advisory skills, and a more proactive approach to improving technical search outcomes.

What You’ll Do

• Own a heavy portfolio of specialty searches end to end - from intake and technical calibration through sourcing, candidate engagement, interview management, offer close, and post-search follow-up. This is a hands-on individual contributor role, not a coordination-only or strategy-only role.
• Lead complex, business-critical searches across consulting, technology, AI/ML, analytics, life sciences, statistics, engineering, and practice-specific roles. You will have real ownership and direct access to senior stakeholders - this is not a "post and pray" shop.
• Run sharp intake and calibration discussions. Clarify the business problem the hire will solve, distinguish must-have technical skills from trainable or nice-to-have skills, align on level and scope, and help hiring teams separate domain expertise from technical capability.
• Translate technical requirements into practical recruiting strategy. For example, distinguish between AI strategy consultant, data scientist, ML engineer, MLOps/data engineering, software engineer, statistician/biostatistician, and life sciences analytics profiles when building a search.
• Build targeted search strategies for each role. Convert intake notes into talent maps, competitor targets, title/keyword adjacencies, Boolean and X-ray strings, outreach angles, calibration slates, and timeline commitments.
• Source with purpose. Go beyond LinkedIn InMails by using Boolean, X-ray, GitHub or open-source signals where relevant, publications/conference lists where relevant, competitor mapping, referral networks, niche technical communities, events, talent intelligence, and direct market engagement.
• Engage passive technical talent with credible, tailored messaging. Adapt ZS's story for engineers, data scientists, statisticians, AI practitioners, analytics consultants, and life sciences experts by connecting the role to problem complexity, client impact, growth, and technical/business challenge.
• Manage requisition execution with discipline. Keep the ATS clean, track candidate movement, maintain clear next steps, manage interview logistics across offices and time zones, and be ready to speak to pipeline health at any point.
• Be a trusted advisor to hiring managers. Challenge assumptions on candidate profiles, bring technical market data to calibration conversations, and drive accountability on both the recruiting and business sides.
• Problem-solve in real time. When a technical search stalls, diagnose why - profile, skill stack, level, location, compensation, candidate messaging, interview latency, feedback quality, or stakeholder alignment - and bring practical options to move the search forward.
• Use data to drive decisions. Track funnel metrics, source effectiveness, response rates, qualified conversion, interview pass-through, offer acceptance, and candidate drop-off, then translate the data into recommendations that shape strategy.
• Collaborate across a high-performing TA team. Share technical talent maps, search strings, outreach examples, market intel, and lessons learned to help the team build repeatable approaches for hard-to-fill technical roles.
• Contribute to team effectiveness while remaining delivery-oriented. At the SR. CON level, this may include mentoring junior recruiters, leading a sourcing experiment, improving a workflow, or creating reusable technical recruiting tools - without stepping away from core requisition ownership.

What You’ll Bring

• 10+ yrs of progressive full-lifecycle recruiting experience, ideally in professional services, consulting, technology, life sciences, AI/ML, analytics, engineering, statistics, or other hard-to-fill technical talent markets.
• A proven ability to carry and deliver against a heavy requisition load while maintaining quality, responsiveness, candidate experience, and stakeholder confidence.
• Technical recruiting fluency across at least some of the following areas: AI/ML, GenAI, data science, advanced analytics, data engineering, software engineering, cloud platforms, statistics/biostatistics, life sciences technology, or technical consulting. You do not need to be a technical expert, but you should know how to learn a role quickly and ask the right questions.
• Ability to read technical job descriptions, translate jargon into searchable keywords, identify title and skill adjacencies, and distinguish true requirements from nice-to-have preferences.
• Sourcing as a craft, not a checkbox. You have a toolkit that may include Boolean, X-ray, GitHub/open-source signals, niche technical communities, competitor intelligence, referrals, conference/event mapping, publication or patent research where relevant, and personalized outreach - and you know when to use what.
• Candidate engagement strength in competitive technical markets. You can craft messaging that feels specific, credible, and relevant rather than generic recruiter outreach.
• Business curiosity. You want to understand why a role exists, how it fits the business, what problem the hire will solve, and what "great" actually looks like beyond the job description.
• Stakeholder fluency. You are comfortable pushing back on unrealistic profiles, coaching interviewers on process expectations, and adjusting your communication style for different audiences without lowering standards.
• A problem-solving mindset. You do not just flag issues; you come with options. When a search is not working, you are already thinking about what to test next.
• Operational discipline. You track your work, keep your ATS accurate, manage follow-ups, and can walk anyone through your pipeline without scrambling.
• Communication range. You can move from a quick Teams nudge to a polished leadership update while keeping the message clear, practical, and client-first.
• Data orientation. You can interpret funnel metrics, explain where a technical search is breaking down, and recommend actions based on evidence and market context.
• Comfort with ambiguity. Specialty and technical roles do not always come with a clear playbook. You are energized, not frustrated, by searches that require you to figure things out as you go.
• Collaborative team mindset. You are willing to share technical market intelligence, help peers think through hard searches, and contribute to repeatable recruiting practices.

How you’ll grow:

• Cross-functional skills development & custom learning pathways
• Milestone training programs aligned to career progression opportunities
• Internal mobility paths that empower growth via s-curves, individual contribution and role expansions

Perks & Benefits:

At ZS, your growth matters. We offer a comprehensive total rewards package that supports your health and well‑being, financial future, time away, and professional development. With robust skills‑building programs, multiple career progression paths, internal mobility, and a deeply collaborative culture, you’ll have the opportunity to do meaningful work, expand your capabilities, and thrive as part of a global community. For details on total rewards in United States, visit United States ZS US office locations | Where we work | ZS

Hybrid working model:

We are committed to giving our employees a flexible and connected way of working. A flexible and connected ZS allows us to combine work from home and on-site presence at clients/ZS offices for the majority of our week. The magic of ZS culture and innovation thrives in both planned and spontaneous face-to-face connections.

Travel:

Travel is a requirement at ZS for client facing ZSers; business needs of your project and client are the priority. While some projects may be local, all client-facing ZSers should be prepared to travel as needed. Travel provides opportunities to strengthen client relationships, gain diverse experiences, and enhance professional growth by working in different environments and cultures.

ZS is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment and advancement opportunities without regard to any class protected by applicable law.

Work Authorization:

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States that does not now or in the future require employer sponsorship.