Manager, Talent Acquisition

Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) is seeking a Manager of Talent Acquisition to join the Human Resources Department.

BDS is a public defense office representing low-income New Yorkers in criminal family immigration and civil legal matters. For nearly 30 years BDS has worked in and out of court to protect and uphold the rights of individuals and to change laws and systems that perpetuate injustice and inequality. Our work with clients is focused on the intersections of these legal systems that disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities living in poverty.

BDS represents thousands of people each year who have diverse complex and multi-faceted legal addition to a zealous legal defense our interdisciplinary teams of attorneys social workers and advocates provide a wide range of legal and advocacy services including housing public benefits education and employment. BDS staff work collaboratively and across disciplines to deliver high-quality legal services that serve the people we represent their families and communities.

The HR department is responsible for managing all aspects of the employee lifecycle for approximately 750 employees.

Under the direct supervision of the Managing Director of Human Resources The Manager of Talent Acquisition is responsible for leading and executing the organizations recruitment and hiring strategy to attract assess and hire diverse high-quality talent across all departments. This role partners closely with leadership and hiring managers as well as the HR team to ensure a consistent equitable and efficient hiring process aligned with organizational values operational needs and long-term workforce planning. The ideal candidate brings strong recruiting expertise exceptional relationship-building skills and a commitment to inclusive hiring practices.

Responsibilities

Talent Acquisition Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and implement recruitment strategies to meet current and future staffing needs across multiple roles and levels.
• Serve as an advisor to leadership and hiring managers on workforce planning recruitment timelines and market trends.
• Lead and continuously improve recruitment processes ensuring efficiency consistency and compliance.
• Analyze hiring data and metrics (time-to-fill quality of hire applicant flow) and provide regular reporting and recommendations.
• Advance BDSs commitment to racial justice equity diversity inclusion and belonging through intentional bias-aware recruitment and selection practices. Implement equitable hiring practices that support diversity equity inclusion and belonging (DEIB) goals.

Recruitment & Hiring Operations

• Manage full-cycle recruitment for assigned roles including sourcing screening interviewing selection and offer negotiation for a wide range of roles including Attorneys Social Workers Administrative Staff as well as supervisory and leadership positions.
• Ensure job descriptions are accurate inclusive and aligned with organizational needs and compensation structures.
• Oversee applicant tracking system (ATS) management ensuring accurate data entry and compliance with record-keeping requirements.
• Develop and maintain standardized recruitment workflows interview guides and hiring manager toolkits. Coordinate background checks reference checks and pre-employment processes in collaboration with HR.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable employment laws collective bargaining agreements and internal policies.
• Identify opportunities to streamline hiring while maintaining fairness transparency and compliance.
• Stay current on labor market trends recruitment best practices and evolving employment regulations.
• Represent BDS at recruitment events job fairs community outreach events and public interest hiring forums.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Human Resources Business Administration or a related field or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of progressive talent acquisition or recruitment experience including full cycle hiring.
  • Able to understand analyze develop and implement processes and identify opportunities for improvement.
  • Strong knowledge of equitable hiring practices.
  • Experience with applicant tracking systems and HR technology.
  • Experience hiring for legal nonprofit or mission-driven organizations.
  • Excellent communication judgment and relationship-building skills.

Position Information

This is a full-time exempt salaried position. The normal schedule is Monday to Friday 9am-5pm and the position is based at BDSs offices in Downtown Brooklyn NY 11201.

BDS determines salary on a pay scale based on education and experience. For this position there is a salary range of $115000-$130000 depending on the applicants education and experience. BDS offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance and a 403(b)-retirement order to support work/life balance and family-friendly policies BDS has generous vacation sick holiday family and medical leave policies.

Application Instructions

Click Apply Now to submit a cover letter and resume on our online application portal. Please submit your application by February 28 2026.

Brooklyn Defender Services is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to celebrating diversity and maintaining an equitable and inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidatesof all identities expressions orientations disabilities and experiences to apply. If you require an accommodation due to a disability or another reason please contact the Managing Director H.R. Christina Wallace at cwallace @ .