Talent & Community Outreach Recruiter

IES Communications; Tempe (AZ); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

IES Communications is seeking a Talent & Community Outreach Recruiter to build a nontraditional talent pipeline across military/veteran channels, trade and vocational schools, apprenticeship programs, and community sources. This role focuses on proactive outreach, relationship-building, and translating diverse backgrounds into role fit, while shaping outreach strategy for a growing recruiting team.

If you thrive in connecting with nontraditional communities and driving early talent pipelines, we

Qualifications

• Minimum of three (3) years of full-cycle recruiting or sourcing experience, with strong passive/outbound sourcing.
• Experience recruiting in a corporate/in-house environment preferred.
• Demonstrated experience building relationships with nontraditional talent pipelines — military/veteran, trade schools, apprenticeship programs, or workforce development organizations.
• Working knowledge of military rank structures and ability to translate MOS/occupational codes into civilian job requirements preferred.
• Familiarity with DoD transition programs, veteran hiring platforms, or trade/vocational education pathways.
• Advanced sourcing techniques across multiple talent communities.
• Ability to travel to recruiting events, base transition events, trade school visits, and job fairs as needed.
• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, or related field preferred; military service or veteran status a strong plus.

Responsibilities

• Own proactive, outbound sourcing and outreach strategy to build pipelines ahead of hiring need across technical and field roles.
• Build and maintain relationships with military transition offices, veteran service organizations, and DoD transition programs to create a consistent pipeline of transitioning military talent.
• Build and maintain relationships with trade schools, vocational/technical high schools, community colleges, and union apprenticeship programs to create a pipeline of trained, entry-level technical talent.
• Translate military occupational specialties and vocational program credentials into equivalent role qualifications to identify candidates for technical and field roles.
• Source and engage veteran-specific platforms and networks alongside trade school career centers and workforce development boards.
• Proactively source and engage passive candidates more broadly using LinkedIn, direct sourcing, networking, referrals, employee networks, and creative outreach methods.
• Leverage advanced and AI-enabled sourcing tools to identify and engage qualified talent across all outreach efforts.
• Partner with hiring managers and recruiters to understand upcoming staffing needs and build pipelines in advance of open reqs.
• Represent IES at recruiting events, career fairs, base transition events, trade school career days, apprenticeship program events, and other community/talent events.
• Build and nurture long-term talent communities and pipelines — not just active candidates, but future-hire relationships.
• Use applicant tracking systems (ATS), CRM tools, and recruiting software to manage candidates and maintain accurate records.
• Maintain confidentiality and professionalism when handling sensitive information.
• Contribute to recruiting process improvements and other responsibilities as assigned.

Skills

Passive sourcing

Relationship building

Military/veteran outreach

Sourcing across channels

Event recruitment

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, or related field

Tools

LinkedIn Sourcing

ATS (iCIMS)

CRM systems

Job description

IES is looking for a Talent & Community Outreach Recruiter to build our nontraditional talent pipeline — the candidates who don't show up through job postings alone. This role owns proactive outreach and relationship-building across military/veteran channels, trade and vocational schools, apprenticeship programs, and community talent sources, creating a steady pipeline of skilled, motivated candidates ahead of when we need them. If you're energized by building relationships in nontraditional talent communities, know how to translate different backgrounds into role fit, and want to shape outreach strategy for a growing team investing in modern recruiting tools, we want to talk to you.

General Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Own proactive, outbound sourcing and outreach strategy to build pipelines ahead of hiring need, across technical and field roles
• Build and maintain relationships with military transition offices, veteran service organizations, and DoD transition programs (e.g., SkillBridge) to create a consistent pipeline of transitioning military talent
• Build and maintain relationships with trade schools, vocational/technical high schools, community colleges, and union apprenticeship programs (e.g., IBEW) to create a pipeline of trained, entry-level technical talent
• Translate military occupational specialties (MOS/AFSC/NEC/Rate) and vocational/trade program credentials into equivalent role qualifications to identify candidates for technical and field roles
• Source and engage veteran-specific platforms and networks (RecruitMilitary, Hire Heroes USA, Military.com, Hiring Our Heroes, VA channels) alongside trade school career centers and workforce development boards
• Proactively source and engage passive candidates more broadly using LinkedIn, direct sourcing, networking, referrals, employee networks, and creative outreach methods
• Leverage advanced and AI-enabled sourcing tools to identify and engage qualified talent across all outreach efforts
• Partner with hiring managers and recruiters to understand upcoming staffing needs and build pipelines in advance of open reqs
• Represent IES at recruiting events, career fairs, base transition events, trade school career days, apprenticeship program events, and other community/talent events
• Build and nurture long-term talent communities and pipelines — not just active candidates, but future-hire relationships
• Use applicant tracking systems (ATS), CRM tools, and recruiting software to manage candidates and maintain accurate records
• Maintain compliance awareness around VEVRAA and other veteran hiring regulations where applicable
• Maintain confidentiality and professionalism when handling sensitive information
• Contribute to recruiting process improvements and other responsibilities as assigned

Education, Experience, and Skill Requirements

• Minimum of three (3) years of full-cycle recruiting or sourcing experience, with a strong emphasis on passive/outbound sourcing
• Experience recruiting in a corporate/in-house environment strongly preferred
• Demonstrated experience building relationships with nontraditional talent pipelines — military/veteran, trade schools, apprenticeship programs, or workforce development organizations
• Working knowledge of military rank structures and ability to translate MOS/occupational codes into civilian job requirements preferred
• Familiarity with DoD transition programs, veteran hiring platforms, or trade/vocational education pathways
• Expertise in traditional, advanced, and creative sourcing techniques across multiple talent communities
• Ability to build and nurture both active and long-term nurture pipelines
• Advanced experience using an applicant tracking system (ATS), including candidate pipeline management and reporting; iCIMS experience preferred
• Strong relationship-building skills across candidates, external organizations (schools, unions, veteran orgs), and internal hiring teams
• Proven ability to manage multiple sourcing initiatives simultaneously
• Customer-focused mindset with urgency, accountability, and follow-through
• Ability to travel to recruiting events, base transition events, trade school visits, and job fairs as needed
• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, or related field preferred; military service, veteran status, or trade/vocational background a strong plus