Talent Acquisition Specialist at Rawlings Sporting Goods Company Inc – St. Louis, Missouri

Job Title: Talent Acquisition Specialist
Reports to: People & Culture Talent Acquisition Manager
Department: People & Culture
Location: St. Louis, MO - Corporate Office – Hybrid Work Schedule 3 days in office, 2 days from home
FLSA: Exempt

At Rawlings Sporting Goods, we’ve been shaping the future of sports for over a century. From the Major Leagues to local ballparks, athletes trust Rawlings for premium gear, cutting-edge innovation, and authentic craftsmanship. We’re passionate about performance- on the field and in our workplace- and we’re looking for a driven Talent Acquisition Specialist to help us build our next championship team.

General Overview: The Talent Acquisition Specialist is responsible for managing the full-cycle recruitment process—from job requisition to onboarding and orientation of new hires. This role plays a key part in attracting top talent and ensuring a smooth candidate experience. In addition to recruitment duties, the Talent Acquisition Specialist will support the corporate People & Culture team by providing general assistance as needed.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Partner with hiring managers and People & Culture Business Partners to understand staffing needs and develop job descriptions.
• Identify and attract qualified candidates using various channels such as job boards, social media, Boolean searches, referrals, and professional networks.
• Build and maintain a strong talent pipeline for current and future hiring needs.
• Leverage advanced sourcing tools (e.g., LinkedIn Recruiter, Indeed Resume, etc.) to find passive candidates.
• Manage applicant tracking systems (ATS) and ensure candidate data is up-to-date and accurate.
• Builds a network of contacts and pipeline for current and future opportunities.
• Create relationships with employment agencies, schools/universities, and organizations to help recruit top talent.
• Support employer branding initiatives and participate in job fairs or recruitment events.
• Manages, maintains, and supports recruiting processes and tools to ensure best practices and consistency.
• Track and report recruitment metrics.
• Creates, edits, updates and manages job postings.
• Screen resumes, conduct initial phone interviews, and coordinate interviews with hiring teams.
• Ensures a positive candidate experience through thorough communication and timely feedback, as well as interviewer preparedness and effective interview formats.
• Collaborate with Total Rewards team during the offer process including preparing offer recommendations considering market data, candidate experience, and internal equity comparisons.
• Owns pre-employment process including background checks and drug screens for selected candidate(s) and confirms results.
• Ensures all onboarding is complete within the HRIS system and all required screening protocols are performed including but not limited to interview notes/guides, background checks, drug screens, I-9 verification, and system processing.
• Manages and coordinates annual internship program.
• Assist with special projects and provide administrative People & Culture support as needed.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources Management, or related field strongly preferred. SPHR/PHR or SHRM-CP/SCP certification and/or applicable proven experience in HR may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Three to five years of full cycle recruiting experience with proven success in delivering positive results.
• Proficiency using an applicant tracking system (ATS) and/or HRIS system required
• Working knowledge of LinkedIn Recruiter, Indeed, and/or other sourcing platforms required.
• Ability to create and implement sourcing strategies for recruitment for a variety of roles.
• In-depth knowledge of recruitment and hiring trends, job market/employment trends, and creative approaches to recruitment.
• Proactive and independent with the ability and desire to take initiative.
• Excellent organizational time management skills with a proven ability to prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Strong customer management skills with ability to build trust and credibility with both candidates and hiring managers.
• Ability to maintain a high degree of integrity and confidentiality, strong judgment, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• The ability to be flexible, open to change, and adaptable.
• Strong teamwork and diversity awareness and ability to recognize and welcome differences among people and resolve conflicts respectfully in a timely manner.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills, written and oral; capable of communicating at all levels.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office - Word, Excel, and Power Point.
• Ability to travel occasionally