Talent Acquisition Specialist

Permanent, Full Time

• Senior Talent Acquisition role with internal focus
• Blend of hands on recruitment and partnering with Ara leaders
• Work for a progressive world class tertiary education provider

Mō Tēnei Tūranga Mahi – About the Role

We’re looking for an experienced specialist to deliver an exceptional end-to-end recruitment and selection service that supports Ara’s employment brand and enables us to attract and appoint high-quality people.

This is a senior advisory level role where you will partner with hiring managers and the broader People and Employment team to develop a clear understanding of business needs, workforce planning priorities and role requirements, translating these into practical recruitment plans and targeted attraction strategies.

You will set the tone for recruitment and selection across a diverse portfolio including corporate support, student services and administrative roles, alongside academic roles in areas such as health, engineering and hospitality, across our Christchurch and Timaru campuses.

In this role you will:

• provide expert, consultative advice on recruitment and selection best practice and market insights
• proactively source, engage and build strong relationships with high-quality candidates
• develop workforce-aligned recruitment plans
• build talent pipelines for current and future needs
• identify risks in hard-to-fill roles
• coach hiring managers and share recruitment best practice across the team, including facilitating interview skills workshops
• lead the continuous improvement of key recruitment systems and processes
• ensure a positive candidate experience throughout the recruitment and selection process
• oversee visa and immigration processes to support international hires while ensuring compliance
• lead and enhance the onboarding experience to ensure a seamless and positive transition for new employees

A significant component of this role involves hands on recruitment activity, including advertising, campaign management and recruitment administration. You’ll work closely with the Talent Acquisition Coordinator, sharing responsibility for these functions.

Ngā Pūkenga Me Ngā Wheako – Skills and Experience

You’ll have sound experience in talent acquisition roles in a diverse environment (Education sector experience is highly desirable). You might already be working at Senior Advisor/Specialist level or be an experienced Advisor ready for your next step in a supportive and collaborative team.

Ideally, you’ll also have:

• A tertiary qualification at Degree or Diploma level in a relevant discipline
• Experience partnering internally with hiring managers rather than agency-only experience
• Knowledge of Employee Experience practices that enhance engagement and focus on diversity & inclusion
• Proven experience developing and implementing recruitment plans, attraction strategies or talent pipelines aligned to workforce needs
• Experience in building recruitment capability, training hiring managers and standardising selection practice
• A sound understanding of selection and psychometric techniques
• Behavioural competency development experience
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to engage potential candidates
• Knowledge of employment law (NZ) requirements and experience in interpreting employment law as it relates to recruitment
• Ability to lead projects and partner with business managers in a collaborative manner

Mō Mātou – About us

Ara Institute of Canterbury is the South Island's largest provider of tertiary vocational education, helping people build better futures - and that starts with our people.

Every day, our kaimahi help students gain real skills for real careers through hands-on learning and strong industry connections.

The Madras Street (City) campus brings engineering, architecture, music, trades, health and creative arts together in the heart of Christchurch, right next door to One New Zealand Stadium.

We offer tangible benefits: income protection for permanent kaimahi over 15 hours, fee discounts on Ara courses for staff, professional development leave and funding, two on-site early childhood centres, generous leave provisions, and an annual Christmas closedown to enjoy time with whanau and friends. A gym, library and cafés complete the picture.

Guided by our values Hono | Connect, Hihiri | Inspire and Aroha | Respect, we're committed to equity, inclusion and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

If you're looking for work that matters, Ara could be your next chapter.

Tono Ināianei - Apply now

We accept applications via our online application system. For any other queries, please email Sign in to view email.

Rā Katinga - Applications close – 11:55pm, Sunday 2 August 2026

Job Details

Reference #

23677

Posted on

20 Jul 2026

Closes on

02 Aug 2026 23:55

Location(s)

Central Christchurch

Expertise

HR - Services

Job level(s)

Experienced

Work type(s)

Permanent full-time