Overview
Director Talent Acquisition Jobs in United States at Korn Ferry
Title: Director Talent Acquisition
Company: Korn Ferry
Location: United States
Director Talent Acquisition
Location: Flexible withinCentral/Eastern time zones up to 50% travel required
What you can expect:
We are pioneers and problem solvers, technologists and team players. Together, we:
Build Solutions: If our task was a simple one, it would already be done. We are creative and solution-oriented, and we think outside the box to solve important problems. We know that a range of expertise and technologies is needed for success, and we work across sectors and alongside customers to deliver world-class solutions in sustainable ways.
Deliver Quality: When we do things, we do them well. We believe that top-tier quality leads to industry competitiveness and we hold ourselves to the highest quality standards. We move fast when executing, but safety, quality, and excellence always come first.
Lead responsibly: We have a responsibility to the planet, our consumers, our country, and each other. We put safety at the center of all we do, take accountability for our actions, incorporate sustainable practices in our processes and act with the financial best interest of our investors and consumers in mind.
Win Together: Establishing a supply chain is a big undertaking – and getting there is a team effort. We communicate openly, work together and challenge each other in pursuit of our goals. With every step we take we learn and get better.
Position Overview:
We are seeking a Director of Talent Acquisition to formalize and lead the talent acquisition function during a period of accelerated, mission-critical growth. The urgency of this role is inseparable from the Company’s national security mission: building a domestic supply chain requires assembling a workforce that does not yet exist at scale in the United States. Following two major acquisitions, a Nasdaq listing, and the commissioning of new manufacturing operations, we must continue scaling its U.S. workforce while embedding a differentiated, values-driven culture aligned with its purpose.
This role is primarily a U.S. focused talent acquisition leadership position, with ad hoc support for international hiring needs as they arise. The Director will stand up scalable recruiting processes, drive a forward-looking hiring mandate aligned to operational ramp-up and ongoing business expansion, and partner with RPO to optimize external recruiting capacity. Over time, the Director will evolve the function to include leadership development and cultural integration initiatives, ensuring we attracts and retains brilliant, humble talent aligned with its mission of securing a Western-controlled critical minerals supply chain.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead full-cycle recruitment for critical roles across U.S. manufacturing operations, engineering, metallurgy, supply chain, and corporate functions, with ad hoc support for international hiring needs as they arise.
- Partner with recruiting agencies and RPO to optimize external recruiting capacity and ensure alignment with internal processes, employer brand, and culture.
- Build and mentor a high-performing Talent Acquisition team; establish clear processes, an effective ATS, and metrics for success.
- Collaborate with the CEO, executive team, and hiring managers to forecast U.S. workforce needs and develop scalable hiring plans aligned to operational ramp-up and ongoing business expansion.
- Drive employer branding and candidate experience initiatives that differentiate us as a mission-driven employer of choice in defense, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing sectors.
- Ensure compliance with employment laws and internal policies across all U.S. jurisdictions.
- Lay the foundation for culture-building and talent development programs in Years 2–4, working in close partnership with the Head of People & Culture.
Year One Critical Success Factors
- Stand up a scalable, high-impact Talent Acquisition function with a clear U.S.-focused operating model, technology stack, and team structure.
- Establish and execute a forward-looking hiring mandate aligned to operational ramp-up and ongoing business expansion — partnering with RPO to ensure pipeline capacity meets the pace of growth.
- Build workforce planning capabilities tied to business expansion, M&A integration, and site-level operational needs across locations.
- Deliver a differentiated, high-touch candidate and onboarding experience that reinforces the Company’s mission and culture at every touchpoint.
- Establish core TA metrics (time-to-fill, offer acceptance rate, hiring manager satisfaction, new hire retention) and demonstrate measurable improvement over baseline within 6 months.
- Build strong, trusted relationships with the People & Culture team and hiring managers as a credible thought partner on U.S. workforce strategy.
- Lay the groundwork for culture and talent development initiatives — including an employer value proposition and leadership development framework — to launch in Year 2 in partnership with the Head of People & Culture.
Experience and Professional Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in talent acquisition and broader People & Culture functions, including senior leadership roles with direct team management accountability.
- Proven ability to design and deliver a best-in-class talent acquisition function and employee experience, fostering a high-performance, mission-driven culture while scaling systems, processes, and programs that enhance engagement, retention, and satisfaction.
- Deep expertise in building Talent Acquisition functions from the ground up, including strategy, team design, ATS/technology selection, and process architecture, with demonstrated ability to create a consistent candidate and hiring manager experience across multiple U.S. locations.
- Experience recruiting for specialized, hard-to-fill roles in manufacturing, engineering, metallurgy, mining, defense, or adjacent sectors; familiarity with critical minerals, or advanced materials talent market is a meaningful advantage.
- Demonstrated success in high-growth, fast-paced environments, including rapid organizational scaling, complex multi-site U.S. workforce planning, and organizational transformation; prior private equity–backed or similarly accelerated growth experience strongly preferred.
- Deep technical expertise across the full talent lifecycle: workforce planning, sourcing strategy, employer branding, assessment, selection, and recruiting operations, with the ability to implement modern tools, analytics, and best practices.
- Experience managing recruiting agency and RPO partnerships, with the ability to hold partners accountable to quality, speed, and culture-fit standards.
- Comfort with and curiosity about the Company’s mission; alignment with the purpose of securing a Western-controlled critical minerals supply chain in service of national security and the energy transition.
Skills and Competencies
- Exemplifies the core values of delivering excellence, leading responsibly, and achieving success through teamwork.
- Mission-connected leader who understands and can authentically convey the national significance of USA
- Work to attract talent motivated by purpose, not just compensation.
- Highly adaptable and resilient with a growth mindset — able to quickly adjust strategies and pivot in response to evolving business needs, M&A dynamics, and market conditions.
- Strategic thinker with hands-on execution capability; equally comfortable building process from scratch and creating executive-level presentations.
- Commitment to fostering a positive, inclusive culture across a geographically and functionally diverse workforce.
- Excellent decision-making, judgment, and problem-solving skills, particularly in ambiguous, fast-moving environments.
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to engage credibly with executives, hiring managers, candidates, government partners, and board members.
- Brings credibility and instills trust through transparency, integrity, and authenticity; sets accurate expectations and follows through on commitments.
- Ability to operate in a rapidly changing environment, effectively delegate, and apply broad knowledge to address complex issues with urgency and sound judgment.
