Temporary Full-Time Talent Acquisition Specialist

The Organization:  Merit America

The American economy is broken. Today, 53 million working adults–nearly half of the U.S. workforce–do not earn a living wage. These talented workers have few options to advance: college is too long and expensive, full-time boot camp programs don’t offer enough flexibility, and online courses don’t have the structure or support to translate learning into a new career. The result? Talented workers, disproportionately people of color and women, get stuck in low-wage roles with no way to build a better life for themselves and their families.

Merit America is a national nonprofit that creates pathways to family-sustaining careers for Americans stuck in low-wage work. Our fast, flexible solutions are built for working adults: We start by analyzing tens of millions of job postings to identify in-demand, high-paying tech careers and then work with industry-recognized partners to train for these roles with part-time programs that combine flexible online learning with best-in-class coaching. Finally, we support our learners in their job search, helping them connect with a broad constellation of local and national employers such as JPMorgan Chase and Infosys to land higher-earning, family-sustaining jobs, driving an average wage gain of $24k three months or more after completing the program. Merit America is on a mission to build a scalable pathway for workers to join the middle class through merit, not money. Since our founding in 2018, we’ve generated a projected $1 billion in near-term wage gains for our learners. 

Role Overview 

We're seeking a temporary, full-time Talent Acquisition Specialist to provide operational support as we scale our team through July 2026.  You'll join our 2-person TA team that manages the full hiring lifecycle for 40+ roles annually across our growing organization.

This role is essential to Merit America's ability to execute our 2026 hiring plan. You'll provide the operational backbone that allows our TA team to manage 40+ hires annually while maintaining quality standards. Your focus on application screening, interview coordination, and candidate communication will complement our TA Partner and Sr. Director’s focus on strategic hiring decisions and stakeholder management. You'll gain exposure to full-cycle recruiting processes, work with diverse hiring teams across the organization, and build expertise in nonprofit talent acquisition.

This role requires someone who thrives in high-volume environments, has exceptional attention to detail, and brings TA experience to help us maintain quality while managing our planned growth.

This is an exempt position and will report directly to the Senior Director of Talent Acquisition.

Responsibilities:

Application Review & Initial Screening (40%)

• Review and screen applications using our competency-based rubrics
• Identify qualified candidates based on established criteria and move them through Greenhouse stages
• Conduct initial phone screens for high-volume roles (30-45 minute structured interviews)
• Document screening notes and interview feedback in Greenhouse
• Flag strong candidates for TA Partner review

Interview Coordination & Logistics (35%)

• Manage complex interview scheduling across multiple time zones for 6-8 concurrent searches
• Maintain complete Greenhouse setup including: posting jobs across all platforms, entering interview questions and scorecards, uploading interview guides, updating candidate stages, tracking all communication, and ensuring data accuracy
• Schedule and send interview confirmations with logistics, adding calendar invites, sharing prep materials with candidates

Candidate Communication (20%)

• Send timely, professional communications using our templates while maintaining Merit America's voice
• Manage the recruiting inbox,  responding to all candidate inquiries within two business days
• Communicate decisions to candidates at each stage and respond thoughtfully to follow-up questions
• Assist with candidate preparation calls before panel interviews
• Ensure every candidate has a positive experience regardless of outcome

Administrative & Process Support (5%)

• Maintain accurate job postings across all platforms
• Conduct reference checks following established protocols
• Update and organize interview guides, scorecards, and hiring materials
• Maintain TA documentation and process materials

Skills and Competencies

We recognize that some individuals from underrepresented backgrounds may hesitate to apply if they don’t meet 100% of the listed qualifications.  Please don’t let that discourage you from applying! We value the unique skills, experiences, and perspectives that each applicant brings, and we encourage you to apply if you believe your background demonstrates the required skills and competencies:

Must Haves for all roles at Merit America: 

• Committed to Merit America’s mission to pave pathways to family-sustaining careers, break the poverty cycle, and create upward mobility for low-wage workers
• Demonstrated history of embodying our values, which inform our work and drive our organization's culture
• Shared sense of responsibility and ownership for our collective work in making a positive impact on the community we support, true to our value of Win & Lose Together
• Committed to continuous learning and growth in advancing inclusive excellence and closing gaps across lines of difference
• Passionate about fostering a workplace culture that embraces and values individual differences, aligned with our core value of inclusivity

Must Haves for this role: 

Talent Attraction & Selection (Identifying qualified candidates and evaluating them effectively)

• 2+ years of talent acquisition, recruiting coordination, or HR experience
• Ability to consistently and fairly evaluate high-volume applications using structured rubrics
• Experience conducting initial phone screens or structured interviews

Operational Excellence & Data Analysis (Using systems and data to optimize processes)

• Experience with applicant tracking systems (Greenhouse strongly preferred)
• Detail-oriented with accurate record-keeping and high comfort with technology
• Strong time management and follow-through, with track record of meeting deadlines and independently managing multiple searches

Relationship Management & Communication (Building relationships and communicating effectively)

• Strong written communication skills for candidate correspondence
• Ability to work effectively with people across lines of difference
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion

Process Management & Agility (Managing time and adapting to changing priorities)

• Proven ability to manage complex scheduling across multiple time zones
• Comfort adapting to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment

Nice to Have: 

• Experience in nonprofit or education sectors
• Experience supporting remote, distributed teams
• Familiarity with competency-based hiring practices
• Experience with high-volume recruiting
• Knowledge of inclusive hiring practices

Other Logistics 

• This position is full-time: 4-day work week (Fridays are an operating day if there is a holiday closure during the week)
• This is a temporary position through 7/31/2026.
• Location: Remote
• Salary: $84,800 annualized ($7,067/month; approximately $42,400 for 6 months)
• Priority Application Deadline: Monday, December 8th

Our goal is to have competitive and equitable compensation.  We have a market-based compensation approach, which means we benchmark each role from reputable data sources. We compare our benchmarks against similarly sized non-profit organizations with comparable annual budgets and geographical areas. We pay the same rate for the same roles and adjust to comply with statutory mandates.

We take care of our employees by providing the following perks and benefits (please note that some of the benefits do not apply to temporary employees): 

• 4-day work week (Fridays are an operating day if there is a holiday closure during the week)
• Medical, Dental and Vision insurance (100% Paid Employee Only Coverage)
• Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings Account
• Dependent care Flexible Spending Account
• Health Reimbursement Account fully funded by Merit
• Education & personal development reimbursement
• Catalog of courses for professional learning and development
• Short and long-term disability
• Unlimited vacation (after a 90-day introductory period)
• Paid Parental Leave and Adoption benefits (after 1 year of employment)
• 11 federally recognized holidays
• 2 week holiday office closure in December/January
• 401(k) retirement plan with automatic Merit contribution
• Wellness Benefits/Wellness Resources
• Discount perks at work program
• Phone/technology stipend
• Home office setup stipend
• Affinity groups and community building via virtual, in-person, and/or regional meetups
  

*Eligibility for some benefits may vary based on employment status, full-time or part-time. Eligibility will be outlined during the hiring process.

Remote Work & Sponsorship

Candidates must reside within the 50 states or District of Columbia and have full authorization to work in the 50 U.S. states & the District of Columbia (international work abroad, including the U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and other islands are excluded). In addition, Merit America doesn't offer employment visa sponsorship.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Building an inclusive, high-performing team that is diverse across lines of personal identity is integral to our success and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

This means we do not discriminate against any job applicant or employee because of their race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment.

We actively strive and evolve to develop and maintain workspaces that are fully inclusive. We encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.

Still excited about our work?  You can learn more about our work in this video we made with our founding partner, Google.

Fair Chance Ordinance

Applicants who have arrest or conviction records and are in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County will be considered in accordance with the state’s fair chance ordinance law. Employment under the ordinance includes part-time work, seasonal work, contract work, contingent work, work on commission, and work through the services of a temporary or employment agency.

E-Verify Statement

This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the I-9 Form.