Associate Principal TA Program Manager

About Tekion:

Positively disrupting an industry that has not seen any innovation in over 50 years, Tekion has challenged the paradigm with the first and fastest cloud-native automotive platform that includes the revolutionary Automotive Retail Cloud (ARC) for retailers, Automotive Enterprise Cloud (AEC) for manufacturers and other large automotive enterprises and Automotive Partner Cloud (APC) for technology and industry partners. Tekion connects the entire spectrum of the automotive retail ecosystem through one seamless platform. The transformative platform uses cutting-edge technology, big data, machine learning, and AI to seamlessly bring together OEMs, retailers/dealers and consumers. With its highly configurable integration and greater customer engagement capabilities, Tekion is enabling the best automotive retail experiences ever. Tekion employs close to 3,000 people across North America, Asia and Europe.

Role Overview 

Building truly transformative and innovative candidate experiences is at the center of Tekion’s hiring global talent strategy. In this high-impact role, you won’t just manage programs—you’ll create transformative recruiting journeys that set us apart as an employer of choice worldwide. As our Associate Principal TA Programs, you will architect and continually evolve talent acquisition programs in a globally consistent manner that attract, engage, and inspire the very best, ensuring Tekion’s growth and leadership on the global stage. 

Key Responsibilities 

Employee Experience Focus 

We see every candidate, referral, and outreach as an opportunity to make a lasting impression. Tekion believes that delivering a consistently positive, proactive, and high-touch experience for all candidates and employee referrals is foundational to our talent promise. 

• Ensure every candidate and employee referral in our TA programs enjoys a seamless, communicative, and engaging journey, with proactive updates and meaningful touchpoints. 

• Champion feedback and continuous improvement, making each candidate’s experience more delightful than the last. 

• Maintain clean and accurate candidate data by designing and executing system-level validations to minimize duplicate profiles. 

AI-Driven Talent Acquisition 

At Tekion, our commitment to innovation means reimagining every step of the talent journey with the latest technology. Leveraging AI in our TA operations allows us to create smarter, more personalized, and efficient experiences. 

• Lead the adoption of AI-powered best practices to elevate hiring speed, accuracy, and personalization—delivering an experience that feels both innovative and human. 

• Stay abreast of emerging AI capabilities in TA and work with the tools team to enable and scale AI-based features. 

• Collaborate closely with tech teams to pilot and scale advanced automation and data-driven hiring solutions. 

Process Improvement & Issue Management 

We embrace a continuous improvement mindset and act swiftly to keep our talent acquisition engine running at its best. By eliminating workflow friction, we create a seamless journey for candidates and teams alike. 

• Identify, monitor, and resolve process gaps across the TA lifecycle to ensure a smooth and effective operation. 

• Manage issue-queues, prioritize escalations, and ensure timely resolution of all TA-related queries and challenges. 

Standardize Communication & Templates 

Clear, personalized, and timely communication shapes the candidate's journey. Tekion is committed to consistency and professionalism in every candidate touchpoint. 

• Partner with branding and systems teams to design and implement standardized, branded email templates for interview scheduling, offer rollout, and feedback communications. 

• Develop and maintain TA kits and interview guides for both candidates and interviewers to ensure clarity, preparedness, and a unified Tekion experience. 

Lead & Optimize TA Programs and Special Initiatives 

Our TA programs are designed to stand out. We aim to create experiences that engage and excite talent at every stage, demonstrating Tekion’s passion for people and innovation. 

• Own the strategy, execution, and evolution of referral contests, ambassador programs, TA training, surveys, and other high-engagement initiatives. 

• Cement Tekion’s reputation as a destination for world-class talent through program innovation and relentless improvement. 

Design, Launch, and Manage Strategic Programs 

Strategic, well-crafted programs are the backbone of a powerful recruitment engine. Tekion’s approach is to foster meaningful relationships and showcase our leadership and culture at every opportunity. 

• Build and scale programs including: 

• Lead Boomerang Program: Welcome back alumni who are ready to make new contributions. 

• Talent Mapping & Pipelining: Proactively engage and nurture connections with future leaders and critical talent. 

• Leadership Connect Series: Facilitate direct engagement between candidates and Tekion’s visionaries. 

• Architect and lead Talent Branding Campaigns: Broadcast Tekion’s culture and impact far and wide. 

• Diversity Networking & Leadership Events: Expand inclusion and opportunity through purposeful outreach and engagement. Design and implement Diversity Networking and Leadership events to promote inclusive hiring. Develop and execute sourcing and recruitment strategies that prioritize increasing representation of underrepresented groups. Monitor and report diversity metrics across campus, lateral, and referral hires, and recommend actions to address identified gaps. 

• Referral programs 

Lead the evolution of the global employee referral strategy and continuously refine strategies to drive high-quality talent referrals. Use data and feedback to improve program effectiveness and communication approaches. Serve as key advisor to internal communications to promote referral campaigns and highlight referral success stories. 

Campus Hiring Excellence 

Tekion champions immersive, innovative, and genuinely relationship-driven university recruiting. We want early-career talent to feel inspired and supported from day one. 

• Architect and lead Tekion’s year-round campus engagement to strengthen our brand presence & tap early talent. with marketing and communications to strengthen employer branding among university students and diverse communities by developing pre- and post-offer engagement programs, diversity-focused initiatives, hackathons, and academic collaborations with key institutions. Partner with the campus lead to build strong relationships with campuses, launch real-world projects, and deliver impactful, personalized engagement to attract and nurture top early talent. 

• TA Programs person will collaborate closely with the Intern Onboarding & Programs team to execute a high-impact 6-month internship program which offers hands-on training, live projects, and personalized development aimed at building Tekion’s early leadership pipeline. 

• Partner with Campus lead to design and implement a campus recruitment strategy to attract top emerging talent from targeted universities and colleges. 
• Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with key university career centers, faculty, and student organizations. 

TA Playbook & Process Optimization 

Operational excellence is the foundation of a delightful and efficient hiring journey. With clear processes and accessible resources, our teams are equipped to deliver world-class results.  

• Set, govern, and continuously improve the TA Playbook—documenting best practices for every aspect of the talent journey. 

• Create a dynamic, easily navigable shared resource hub for TA partners, with templates, guides, FAQs, and workflow maps. 
• Lead the integration of automation and process bots to maximize efficiency and ensure scalability. 

Recruiter Training, Upskilling & Enablement 

Continuous learning and development are at the heart of maintaining a sharp, effective TA team—ensuring a thoughtful, high-quality experience for every candidate. 

• Drive the development of structured interviews and recruiter training to ensure consistent, compelling candidate engagement. Lead TA certification initiatives on competency-based interviews, Tekion pitch, negotiation, and offer closure strategies. 

• Lead a robust TA learning calendar, including brown bag sessions, cross-training, certification support, and tailored onboarding kits. 

• Rigorously assess impact, adapt programming to new needs, and foster a culture of knowledge sharing and best practice. 

Process Automation, Reporting & Insights 

Data and automation are our superpowers for delivering transparent, actionable, and responsive candidate journeys. 

• Lead the automation of dashboards, scorecards, tool utilization, and KPI reports to arm leaders with real-time insights. 

• Work with the tools team to Automate offer engagement workflows and Candidate NPS tracking within ATS platforms like Greenhouse, including defining timelines, milestones, and analyzing feedback. 

• Candidate NPS & Continuous Experience Enhancement 

Feedback fuels our growth and success. Listening, learning, and responding to candidates at every stage allows us to create the most extraordinary and memorable hiring experiences in the industry. 

• Own end-to-end Candidate NPS tracking and analysis. Leverage actionable insights to champion experience improvement initiatives across the TA lifecycle. 

Other Programs 

Based on needs, take initiative to build world class recruiting programs that support the overall success of Tekion. 

What You’ll Bring 

You are passionate about pushing boundaries, setting new standards, and shaping exceptional talent experiences. You blend creativity with data-driven rigor. You influence, collaborate, and lead with energy and empathy. 

Qualifications: 

• Master's degree and 8+ years of measurable impact in TA program leadership within dynamic, tech-driven organizations. Or alternatively, a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 12 years of related experience. 

• A track record of architecting and scaling global campus, referral, boomerang, and diversity TA programs. 

• Strong background in process improvement, issue management, and TA workflow optimization 

• Deep knowledge of AI/automation and hands-on experience with modern ATS/HRIS (Greenhouse preferred) 

• Demonstrated success in communication standardization, playbook creation, and recruiter enablement 

• Experience leveraging NPS, data, and continuous improvement metrics to elevate TA outcomes 

• Stellar communication, stakeholder influence, and project management abilities 

• Relentless drive to innovate, lead change, and create remarkable candidate experiences 
• We are also open to considering outstanding candidates as a “Lead TA Programs” if they have a degree and at least 8 years of relevant experience. 

Why Tekion? 

At Tekion, you directly shape our culture and global growth, crafting hiring experiences that power innovation and leave lasting impressions. We offer competitive rewards, Radford-aligned equity, and a culture built on empowerment, learning, inclusivity, and high visibility for your work and impact. 

Ready to Design the Future of Talent? 

Apply now and help us build the world’s most innovative, engaging, and candidate-focused hiring experience at Tekion

Tekion is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, victim of violence or having a family member who is a victim of violence, the intersectionality of two or more protected categories, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. 

For more information on our privacy practices, please refer to our Applicant Privacy Notice here.