Overview

We're excited about professionals who are fired up about our liberal arts program, positive approach to discipline, and commitment to serve all students. Join us as we foster innate curiosities, encourage discussion and debate, and guide students to think their own way through to answers.

Over the next five years of Ascend's growth, the network will recruit between 400 and 500 outstanding candidates each year to work at Ascend's high performing liberal arts, college-preparatory charter schools and network office. Reporting to the Chief People Officer and managing a growing team of four, the director of talent recruitment will develop a cohesive and best-of-sector strategy and vision, informed by research, for recruiting teachers, leaders, and all staff at Ascend's schools and the network office. He or she is responsible for building and maintaining pipelines for talent, and creating an exceptional candidate experience.

Why extraordinary professionals choose Ascend

Ascend is a network of K-12 public charter schools serving 5,500 students across 15 schools in Central Brooklyn. Our mission is to lead our students on a great intellectual journey, providing them with an exceptional education and placing them firmly on the path to success in college and beyond.

We guide our students to think critically and independently and to enjoy education as an end in itself. We teach a rich and rigorous liberal arts curriculum that nurtures students' natural curiosity about the world. We foster a positive, non-punitive school culture where students feel connected, empowered, and safe to take academic risks. Even our school buildings are designed to reflect our high aspirations for teaching and learning and the notable accomplishments that occur within our walls.

To create this kind of vibrant learning community, we invest heavily in our faculty by providing ongoing professional training and support, and encourage our educators to collaborate closely and push each other to achieve great outcomes.

Visit our website to learn more about the Ascend approach.

Responsibilities

The director of talent recruitment will ensure effective systems for investing and retaining top talent throughout the candidate lifecycle are implemented and monitored, and will partner with the director of talent outreach and director of talent data and operations to create new pathways to attract talented and passionate educators. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Talent acquisition

• Ensure that annual recruitment campaigns for teachers and leaders successfully result in the hiring of top quality educators for Ascend's schools
• Oversee the selection process and lifecycle of candidates; ensure all candidates are receiving an exceptional experience that is reflective of the organization's culture
• Ensure that recruitment systems and technology are state of the art and constantly improved, including systems for tracking, scheduling, screening, interviewing, monitoring, and cultivating potential applicants to identify the best prospects
• Manage and oversee the successful maintenance of the applicant tracking system
• Vet the development of interview guidelines, evaluation methods, and training for making the hire to ensure that all school and network teams are equipped with the resources to identify and hire top-tier talent
• Review and analyze post-hire evaluation tools to consistently improve the quality of hires and search processes
• Identify, build, and maintain relationships internally and externally with partners and individuals with the goal of attracting high-caliber candidates
• Support the outreach team by sourcing candidates and boosting the brand by identifying and attending public engagements, networking events, conferences and job fairs
• Evaluate and ensure talent recruitment strategy and policies, practices, and systems to support Ascend's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism
• Provide support to the Chief People Officer with the implementation of crucial organizational processes when necessary
• Support recruiters with resume review and phone screens as necessary

Performance management

• Manage a growing recruitment team (currently numbering three), scaling and growing the department to meet Ascend's growing talent needs
• Lead team on meeting aggressive deadlines for all open positions while ensuring top of the line customer service and communication to all potential employees and internal stakeholders
• Train and give constant feedback to staff on recruiting and interviewing best practices
• Manage and train external recruitment partners and consultants, as necessary
• Build strong relationships with hiring managers across the network and support their growth as hiring managers

Staff and Reporting Relationships

The director of talent recruitment works in close partnership with the director of talent outreach, the director of talent data and operations, and reports to the chief people officer.

Qualifications

• Masters degree preferred
• Previous recruitment experience
• Previous charter school teaching or school leadership experience preferred
• Management experience preferred

A successful director of talent recruitment will demonstrate

• Ability to lead and take initiative, maintain flexibility, and creatively and collaboratively solve problems
• Strong ability to motivate a team to achieve its objectives
• High energy and a deep excitement to identify top talent
• Superior organizational skills and attention to detail; ability to work in a fast-paced environment and effectively manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Exceptionally high standards for the quality of work and a strong growth mindset to improve continuously
• Ability to develop strong relationships and authentically connect with candidates, prospects, and colleagues
• Alignment with the educational philosophy and core beliefs of Ascend and ability to inspire excellent candidates to join
• Superior written, verbal, and communication skills

Diversity at Ascend

Ascend is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community, both through our hiring practices and our focus on creating a culture and environment where diverse perspectives, ideas, and identities are valued and integrated into our way of working and educating students. Ascend staff represent a wide diversity of racial, socio-economic, gender, religious, and national identities-opening a window to the entire Ascend community on the richness of humanity. We welcome all applicants who share our mission and vision to join us in our deeply consequential work.

Compensation

Ascend offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.