Talent Manager in Chicago, Illinois at Sedron Technologies, LLC

Sedron Technologies is hiring a talented Talent Manager.

Sedron is a leading provider of circular waste management technologies for agricultural manure and municipal biosolids processing, deploying facilities across several North American regions. Since its founding in 2014, Sedron has pioneered innovative solutions, including the patented Varcor® system, to transform waste into clean water, organic fertilizer, and carbon-negative commodities. With strong engineering expertise, Sedron’s processes reduce nutrient pollution, lower operational expenses, and promote sustainability at a fraction of traditional costs.

The Talent Manager owns Sedron’s talent acquisition function end to end, from workforce planning and requisition management through offer, orientation, and a new hire’s first days. Reporting to the Chief People Officer and working in close collaboration with the Director of People Operations, this role sets recruiting strategy, leads hiring for senior and specialized (“elevated”) roles, partners with the Chief People Officer on external recruiting firms, and is accountable for a consistently excellent candidate experience that reflects Sedron’s employer brand.

While this role offers location flexibility, preference will be given to candidates located near one of our existing offices in Sedro-Woolley, WA; Bellingham, WA; or Chicago, IL. Remote employees should expect to travel to an office location approximately once per quarter.

Because we design, build, commission, and operate our technologies, we are looking for individuals who can meet the following essential functions of the position:

• Own the full talent acquisition segment of People Operations, including strategy, process, tools, budget inputs, and results
• Partner with the Director of People Operations and department leaders to forecast hiring needs, prioritize requisitions, and build recruiting plans that support new facility launches and company growth
• Develop and continuously improve standardized, scalable hiring processes, templates, and service levels across all departments and locations
• Lead employer branding and recruitment marketing, including careers page content, job postings, social media, and presence at industry events, career fairs, and schools
• Full-Cycle & Elevated Recruiting
• Lead full-cycle recruiting for senior, leadership, and hard-to-fill technical roles, including intake, sourcing, assessment, interview design, references, and offer close
• Oversee recruiting for engineering, skilled-trade, field operations, and corporate positions, ensuring pipelines of active and passive candidates are in place for critical and recurring roles
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executives and hiring managers on market conditions, candidate availability, role design, and selection decisions
• Own the end-to-end candidate experience, from first contact through offer acceptance and Day 1, ensuring timely, transparent, and professional communication at every stage
• Curate and coordinate candidate travel for on-site interviews, including flights, lodging, ground transportation, itineraries, and expense handling in line with Sedron’s travel policy
• Plan on-site interview days, facility and shop tours, and leadership meetings that give candidates a clear, compelling picture of Sedron
• Gather candidate and new hire feedback, monitor experience metrics, and act on findings to improve the process
• Partner with the Chief People Officer on the selection of external recruiters, retained and contingency search firms, and staffing agencies, including fee structures, scope, and performance expectations
• Partner with the Chief People Officer in directing the work of contract recruiters and agency partners, and serve as their day-to-day point of contact to ensure alignment with role requirements, Sedron’s brand, and compliance standards
• Track vendor performance, spend, and outcomes, and provide recommendations to the Chief People Officer on the agency mix as business needs evolve
• Support People & Culture in coordinating and delivering New Hire Orientation (NHO), including scheduling, materials, presenters, facility tours, and first-week itineraries
• Partner with hiring managers, IT, Facilities, EHS, and Payroll & Benefits to ensure new hires are fully prepared and equipped before Day 1
• Own a smooth handoff from candidate to employee, and conduct early check-ins with new hires to support engagement and retention
• Design and deliver training for hiring managers and interviewers on structured interviewing, competency-based assessment, bias mitigation, candidate experience, and legally compliant practices
• Build interview guides, scorecards, and evaluation frameworks, and coach interview panels to calibrate and make consistent, well-documented decisions
• Coordinate with the Director of People Operations on compensation reviews, including market benchmarking, salary range recommendations, internal equity checks, and offer approvals
• Prepare and negotiate offers within approved ranges, and advise on leveling, sign-on, and relocation considerations
• Provide hiring needs analysis and headcount input to support budgeting and workforce planning
• Serve as system owner for all requisitions in Rippling, including requisition creation, approvals, job postings, candidate stages, offers, and transition to onboarding
• Maintain accurate, current records of every open requisition and its status, and ensure data integrity across the hiring workflow
• Report on recruiting KPIs, such as time-to-fill, pipeline health, source effectiveness, offer acceptance, agency spend, and candidate experience, to the Chief People Officer, Director of People Operations, and leadership
• Maintain compliance with applicable employment laws, recordkeeping requirements, and Sedron’s equal employment opportunity practices throughout the hiring process
• Participate in People & Culture projects and process improvements as needed
• No direct reports at this time; partners with the Chief People Officer in directing the work of contract recruiters, search firms, and staffing agencies, and leads hiring teams through the selection process

This position allows for growth and career progression to be determined by performance, certifications, and supervisor discretion.

BENEFITS

• Multiple medical, dental, and vision insurance options to keep you feeling your best
• 401(k) with employer matching
• Generous paid time off and paid holidays (plus 2 floating holidays to use your way)
• Disability, Life, and AD&D Insurance
• FSA and HSA options with employer contributions
• Tuition reimbursement — we invest in your growth
• Casual work attire — no suits required (unless that’s your thing)
• Remote or hybrid flexibility, depending on the role

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Experience: 7+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience, including senior or leadership-level searches and recruiting for engineering, manufacturing, or technical/industrial roles; 2+ years owning a recruiting program, managing agency or search partners, or leading hiring for a business unit
• Certifications / Licenses: PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, or AIRS certification preferred but not required
• Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency with an HRIS/ATS (Rippling strongly preferred), LinkedIn Recruiter, and other sourcing tools; strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office or Google Workspace; comfort building reports and dashboards
• Other Required Competencies: Executive presence, strong verbal and written communication, sound judgment and discretion with confidential information, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-growing, deadline-driven environment

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Thorough knowledge of employment law and compliant hiring practices (EEO, ADA, pay transparency, and related regulations)
• Demonstrated ability to build and improve a talent acquisition function, including process design, metrics, and agency partnerships
• Ability to influence and advise senior leaders and hiring managers, and to build strong relationships with candidates and cross-functional partners
• Strong negotiation and offer-closing skills, with working knowledge of compensation practices and market benchmarking
• Skill in designing and facilitating training and orientation programs for varied audiences
• Ability to assess technical and cultural fit for engineering, manufacturing, and corporate roles
• Highly organized, with strong attention to detail in managing logistics, travel, and multiple open requisitions at once

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Compensation for this role is between $105,000 - $140,000 annually
• This role may qualify for a discretionary bonus, recognizing outstanding contributions to team and company success
• This role requires approximately 15% travel to support Sedron facilities and recruiting activities
• In compliance with state and local pay transparency laws, the expected compensation for this role is shared above. The range provided is Sedron’s estimate of the base compensation for this role and the final offer will be based on job-related and non-discriminatory factors such as experience, skills, and geographic location. Compensation may be adjusted within this range to reflect regional cost-of-living differences in states where Sedron is hiring.

Must be a US Citizen or legal permanent resident for this position. We are unable to sponsor any employment visas.

We are committed to maintaining a drug and alcohol-free work environment, and our employees are expected to comply with all state and federal laws. This is a non-safety sensitive role and all applicants will be subject to applicable pre-employment drug testing and a background check after receiving a conditional offer of employment.

Not sure you meet all the qualifications? We encourage you to still apply! We’ll review your application and may have training opportunities or other positions available.

Sedron Technologies is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Sedron Technologies does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, age, retaliation, veteran/military service status, or any other legally protected status. Sedron Technologies is an EEO/AA/M/F/Disabled/Veteran/E-Verify/Drug-Free Employer. To view the E-Verify Right to Work poster in English or Spanish, click here.