Talent Acquisition Specialist

Talent Acquisition Specialist

Department: Human Resources

FLSA Classification: Exempt

Employment Type: Full-Time

Work Location: Pensacola, FL — Onsite

Travel Required: Occasional (~15%) — trade schools, career fairs, and community recruiting events

About Us

Velocity transforms authentic American classic vehicles from the ground up for modern driving. Our Re-Engineered Classics™ combine proven engineering, meticulous craftsmanship, and personalized design to preserve the original character while delivering modern performance, comfort, and reliability.

Creating a Velocity vehicle requires precision and collaboration across every stage from initial design and engineering through production, testing, delivery, and long-term customer support. Our team works to exacting standards to create exceptional vehicles and an elevated ownership experience for discerning clients. Together, we are setting a new standard for iconic American vehicles and building a company defined by quality, innovation, and passion.

Velocity’s Culture and Core Values

Success at Velocity requires a “whatever it takes” mentality. We embody grit, demonstrating perseverance, resilience, and unwavering determination in the face of challenges. We are adaptable, embracing change, adjusting to new circumstances, and continuously seeking ways to improve processes and outcomes—because growth does not come from comfort.

We take ownership, assuming full responsibility for tasks, decisions, and outcomes, whether successes or setbacks, without shifting blame. “That’s not my job” is not in our vocabulary; when one part of our team falls short, we all do.

Finally, our ambition fuels our drive to excel, improve, and uphold the highest standards for both personal and professional growth. This mindset defines who we are and ensures our continued success.

Overview

The Talent Acquisition Specialist owns and directs full-cycle recruiting for Velocity Restorations and Classic Recreations, determining how the company sources, evaluates, and secures talent across five production lines and the support functions behind them. The role sets sourcing strategy, directs recruitment advertising spend, evaluates candidates against business need, and makes hiring recommendations to leadership. Hiring volume and speed directly determine production capacity, which makes this position accountable for a core business outcome rather than for processing applications.

Job Level

Individual Contributor

Reports To

HR Manager

Direct Reports

None

Duties and Responsibilities

Recruiting Strategy and Pipeline Development

• Determine sourcing strategy and channel mix for each requisition based on role difficulty, market conditions, and historical yield.
• Direct recruitment advertising spend across job boards, social platforms, and events, and reallocate budget based on performance analysis with HR Manager approval.
• Build and maintain talent pipelines for every department, prioritizing hard-to-fill trades such as painters, engineers, and well-rounded mechanics.
• Conduct outbound sourcing and direct head hunting for specialty and passive candidates.
• Determine which trade school, career fair, and community event partnerships to pursue based on yield and cost per hire.
• Select and manage recruiting vendors, job board contracts, and event sponsorships within approved budget.
• Partner with Marketing to shape employer brand messaging, candidate campaigns, and recruitment content.

Candidate Evaluation and Hiring Recommendations

• Evaluate candidates against role requirements and business need, and decide jointly with hiring managers which candidates advance at each stage.
• Conduct screening and assessment interviews, administer Predictive Index, and interpret results in context of the role and team.
• Make hiring recommendations to hiring managers and the HR Manager, and participate in final selection decisions.
• Extend offers and negotiate terms within approved compensation ranges.
• Determine the appropriate interview structure and evaluation criteria for each role, in partnership with the hiring manager.
• Coordinate out-of-town interview expense reimbursement with Finance, with HR Manager approval.

Hiring Manager Partnership and Process Ownership

• Lead requisition intake meetings and advise managers on realistic market expectations, compensation positioning, and sourcing timelines.
• Formulate, implement, and revise recruiting policy, process standards, and standard operating procedures for the talent acquisition function.
• Design and maintain the recruiting process, including interview guides, evaluation criteria, and documentation standards.
• Hold hiring managers to agreed process standards and report noncompliance on assessments, interview guides, and documented feedback to the HR Manager.
• Determine when process breakdowns require escalation and recommend corrective steps.
• Direct the candidate experience, including communication standards, follow-up cadence, and professional declines.

Analysis, Reporting and Process Improvement

• Track, analyze, and report recruiting KPIs, including time to fill, cost per hire, offer acceptance rate, and new hire retention.
• Interpret sourcing analytics and recommend changes to strategy, spend, and process based on the findings.
• Maintain the recruiting section of the HR metrics dashboard and present findings to leadership.
• Formulate and implement standard operating procedures and automation across the recruiting function with HR Manager approval.

Decision Authority and Independent Judgment

• Determines sourcing strategy and directs recruitment advertising spend within approved budget.
• Decides with hiring managers which candidates advance, and makes hiring recommendations that carry weight in the final selection.
• Negotiates offers within approved compensation ranges.
• Selects recruiting vendors, job boards, and event partnerships.
• Formulates and implements recruiting policy and standard operating procedures governing how the company hires.
• Represents Velocity to candidates, schools, vendors, and the broader labor market.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Time to fill, tracked separately for standard and hard-to-fill roles.
• Offer acceptance rate.
• Cost per hire and sourcing spend against budget.
• Ninety-day and first-year retention of new hires.

Required Skills and Abilities

• Ability to set recruiting strategy independently and defend it with market and performance data.
• Full-cycle recruiting experience, ideally in manufacturing, skilled trades, or high-volume hourly hiring.
• Proven outbound sourcing and direct head hunting ability, not limited to inbound applicant review.
• Sound judgment evaluating candidates against business need rather than against a checklist.
• Experience managing recruitment advertising budgets and vendor relationships.
• Working knowledge of EEO-compliant interviewing and hiring documentation requirements.
• Experience with applicant tracking systems and HRIS platforms; BambooHR preferred.
• Confidence engaging hiring managers and holding them to an agreed hiring process.
• Willingness to travel for trade school visits, career fairs, and community events, including occasional evenings and weekends.

Education Background and Experience

• Associate's degree required; bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Marketing, or a related field preferred.
• Two or more years of full-cycle recruiting experience, or equivalent experience in a high-volume hiring environment.
• Experience recruiting skilled trades or technical roles strongly preferred.
• SHRM-CP, PHR, or recruiting certification preferred.

Physical Demands (To include but not limited to)

• Combination of desk work and time spent on the showroom or shop floor.
• Frequent standing and walking; occasional bending, reaching, or stooping.
• Occasional lifting/carrying of items up to 25 lbs.
• Ability to move safely around vehicles, equipment, and shop areas.

Work Environment

• Primarily an indoor office environment with standard lighting and climate control.
• Regular time on the shop floor with exposure to noise, dust, vehicle exhaust, and temperature variation.
• Possible exposure to fumes, solvents, paint, or chemicals common to automotive restoration; PPE provided as required.
• Occasional exposure to outdoor conditions during company events, career fairs, or off-site recruiting activities.

Benefits Include

• Compensation: Pay is based on experience and qualifications.
• Health & Wellness: Health/Dental/Vision/Life/Disability/Aflac available after 60 days.
• Retirement: 401(k) with company match at next enrollment period.
• Paid Time Off: Paid time off and paid holidays.

Job duties, salary, and benefits are subject to change throughout duration of employment with Velocity.

Velocity is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Velocity does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.