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 needs. In 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 organization’s 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 BDS’s 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

• Bachelor's 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 BDS’s 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 $115,000-$130,000 depending on the applicant’s education and experience. BDS offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance and a 403(b)-retirement plan. In 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 candidates of 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 @ bds.org.