Talent Acquisition Specialist

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We continually strive for a workforce that reflects the growing diversity within the State of Illinois. A variety of employee backgrounds, perspectives, ideas and experiences are crucial to our ability to most effectively serve the public. Bilingual skills welcome

Reasonable Accommodation Statement

The State of Illinois is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. Further, federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job, interview for a job, or for any other activity related to the hiring process. Examples of reasonable accommodation include, but are not limited to, making a change to the application process (if possible), providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.

To be provided a Reasonable Accommodation during the hiring process, you will need to provide a certification of disability from a physician, psychiatrist, school official or an Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Counselor. Supporting documentation should be uploaded under My Documents → Additional Documents section for each application.

Any questions on Reasonable Accommodations can be directed to Central Management Services Disability Resource Center at or call for further information and to request or discuss an accommodation.

Sponsorship for Employment

The State of Illinois does not provide sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g. H-1B visa status), nor is the State able to provide extensions of optional practical training (OPT) under the STEM-designated degree program for F-1 students. To be considered for permanent employment with the State of Illinois, applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Disclosure of Salary Information

In compliance with the Illinois Equal Pay Act, 820 ILCS 112/1 et seq., the State does not seek, request, or require a job applicant’s wage or salary history. Employment decisions are not made based on an applicant’s wage or salary history. To that end, please do not include wage or salary information in your resume or other profile or application materials.

Job Requisition ID: 59790
Opening Date:
Closing Date:
Agency: Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois
Class Title: HUMAN RESOURCES ADMINISTRATOR - 75612
Salary: $70,243-$109,579 (Springfield) or $73,555-$115,058 (Lisle)
Job Type: Salaried
Category: Full Time
Number of Vacancies: 1
Merit Comp Code: Agency Excluded from Collective Bargaining Coverage
Work Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm M-F
Headquarter Location: 2815 W. Washington St., Springfield, IL
Work County: Sangamon or DuPage
Agency Contact:

The Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois (TRS) is one of the largest public pension systems in the United States. We provide retirement, disability and survivor benefits to teachers, administrators and other public‑school personnel employed outside the city of Chicago.

TRS serves over 456,000 members and manages a multi-billion-dollar investment portfolio for the exclusive benefit of the membership.

TRS is governed by a Board of Trustees. Full- and part-time employees are eligible for the State of Illinois comprehensive benefits program which includes medical, dental and vision coverage. All employees hired after August 17, 2001 participate in the TRS retirement pension plan. Employees also have the option to contribute to additional State of Illinois deferred compensation plans. The TRS pension plan is a participating reciprocal system under the Illinois Pension Code Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act.

Under the direction of the Human Resources Manager, this position collaborates closely with hiring managers focusing on attracting and hiring top talent to meet TRS’s strategic goals. The primary focus is on creating and implementing effective recruitment strategies, identifying job requirements, building a pipeline of qualified candidates, and conducting initial screening and/or interviewing. Responsible for managing both the internal and external recruiting processes. This role requires strong research skills, excellent communication, and a passion for connecting with people.

Essential Functions

• In collaboration with the Human Resource Manager and TRS hiring managers, develops long‑term talent strategies and processes focusing on recruiting and optimizing TRS’s overall talent acquisition function.
• Develop talent‑related processes, practices, and strategies with an emphasis on diverse recruitment activities.
• Manage candidate expectations and engage with talent throughout the hiring process, communicating regularly with candidates to ensure a positive experience.
• Works with the HR Business partner to calculate, analyze, and interpret various types of recruitment metrics (time to fill, vacancy rate, offer acceptance rates, declination reasons, etc.) to advise leaders on recruitment strategies and set realistic expectations on time to fill, compensation, candidate pool quality, and market feedback.
• Collaborate closely with HR Business Partners to understand workforce needs, role priorities, and organizational objectives, ensuring alignment between talent acquisition efforts and broader HR strategies.
• Source and engage with active and passive talent and connect them to current job opportunities.
• Develop strong relationships with leaders to gain a deep understanding of recruitment needs and work to develop pools of candidates to fill vacancies.
• Track sourcing metrics and provide regular reports on candidate pipelines, outreach success, and hiring progress.
• Screen resumes and applications for key qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.
• Conduct initial candidate outreach and prescreening interviews to assess skills, interest, and availability.

Essential Functions (Contin