0 Talent Acquisition Jobs in Canada

Talent Acquisition in Higher Education

Talent acquisition teams find, attract and welcome the people who teach, research and run a university. Roles on this page include Talent Acquisition Partner, Recruitment Advisor, Recruitment Coordinator, Academic Recruitment Specialist, In-house Executive Search Consultant, Employer Brand Specialist and Onboarding Coordinator, at Canadian universities, colleges and research institutes.

For a closer look at the work itself, read about the talent acquisition partner role and its responsibilities or the duties and tips for talent acquisition jobs in higher education.

🎯 How University Recruitment Works

• Academic searches: faculty roles are usually run through a selection or search committee, with talent acquisition managing the advertisement, shortlisting logistics, interviews, seminars and references.
• Global talent pools: academic and research roles often attract international applicants, so recruiters coordinate visa sponsorship, relocation and remote interviews.
• Professional staff hiring: roles in IT, finance, student services and administration are recruited more like other large employers, often at higher volume.
• Applicant tracking: most universities use an applicant tracking system, such as PageUp or Workday Recruiting, and recruiters own the candidate experience inside it.

Employer Branding and Onboarding

Universities compete with industry and with each other for scarce skills, so employer branding roles build careers sites, campaigns and stories about what it is like to work at the institution. Onboarding coordinators then make sure new staff have contracts, system access, induction and a clear first few months, which is especially important for international academics settling into Canadian higher education.

What Makes a Strong Candidate

• Recruitment experience in-house or at an agency, ideally including senior or specialist searches.
• Confident sourcing, using job boards, professional networks and research outputs to find academics.
• Knowledge of fair and inclusive selection practice and relevant employment law.
• Strong stakeholder management with hiring managers and committee chairs.
• Ideas for improving how the institution hires, like those in 10 tips for building a winning hiring culture in higher education.

Related specialties include equity and compliance, which supports inclusive hiring, and learning and development, which picks up after onboarding. Browse every specialty on the HR jobs board.