Talent Specialist (6-month Contract) in Toronto, Ontario

At Nelson, we’ve been shaping the future of education for children and youth across Canada for over 110 years. As the country’s largest K-12 education content provider, we remain dedicated to our legacy of looking forward, paving the way in creating boundless, accessible, and engaging learning experiences for all.

Our innovative solutions, including Edwin, our digital learning platform, provide curriculum-aligned content that support diverse learning styles while fostering critical thinking, creativity, and lifelong learning. We listen intently to the unique needs of educators, students, and administrators everywhere, and continuously evolve what we do and build to improve their lives daily.

When we’re searching for individuals to join our team, we look for bold, innovative team players with a passion for education and making a positive difference in our communities. If this sounds like you, we want to hear from you! Apply to join our team today. Let’s Create Possible, one learner at a time.

About the Role

Reporting to the People & Engagement (P&E) Operations Manager, the Talent Specialist will play a key role in executing the full-cycle talent acquisition process, ensuring that Nelson attracts and onboards top-tier talent across multiple functions. This includes managing the recruitment process at the functional level, from candidate sourcing through to offer acceptance. Additionally, this role will take ownership of the 30/60/90-day onboarding process, ensuring that new hires have a seamless and engaging experience as they integrate into the organization.

The Talent Specialist will collaborate closely with members of the P&E team and hiring managers to support recruitment needs, employee engagement, and retention strategies, with a focus on operational excellence and a positive candidate and employee experience.

This is a temporary 6-month contract position with a possibility for extension based on the needs of the company and performance in the role.

Key Accountabilities

Talent Acquisition:

• Manage the entire hiring process, from job postings to offers, while ensuring fair and inclusive recruitment practices.

• Attract top talent through diverse sourcing channels and strengthen employer branding with engaging content and outreach.

• Collaborate with hiring managers to define role expectations, streamline hiring, and foster equitable decision-making.

• Provide a seamless and respectful candidate experience by ensuring transparent communication and timely feedback.

• Maintain accurate applicant tracking, analyze hiring data, and implement process improvements for efficiency.

• Monitor and respond to employer reviews to enhance the company’s reputation and address concerns proactively.

• Partner with diverse organizations, support inclusive hiring initiatives, and promote internal mentorship and employee resource groups.

Onboarding & Transition:

• Ensure a seamless transition from recruitment to onboarding by coordinating payroll, benefits enrollment, and HRIS registration with the Benefits and Payroll Manager and P&E Specialist.

• Guide new hires through a structured 30/60/90-day onboarding experience, providing necessary tools, resources, and introductions for smooth integration.

• Work closely with hiring managers and P&E team members to support role-specific training, goal setting, and team integration during the first three months.

• Continuously refine the onboarding process using data-driven insights and an Agile approach for ongoing improvement.

• Facilitate the transition of employees to other People & Engagement team members after 90 days for continued development and support.

Data Management and Reporting:

• Maintain accurate records of recruitment activities, candidate pipelines, and onboarding progress.

• Generate and track recruitment metrics, providing regular updates on hiring progress and onboarding success.

• Prepare accurate reports on Talent and Onboarding data to share with Nelson leadership, in collaboration with the P&E Operations Manager.

Compliance and Legal Adherence:

• Stay current on industry best practices, as well as legal and regulatory requirements related to talent acquisition.

• Ensure compliance with all relevant labor laws, regulatory requirements, and company policies across the talent acquisition and employee experience functions.

Who You Are

The Talent Specialist is a proactive, detail-oriented, and charismatic “People Person” with a passion for Talent Acquisition and creating a flawless candidate experience. You are an impeccable presenter with excellent written and verbal communications skills and a strong mindset of curiosity and continuous learning. You have “been there done that” when it comes to full-cycle recruitment in roles of all shapes and sizes, and thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with multiple balls in the air. You love leveraging technology to achieve efficiency and excellence.

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field (or equivalent experience).

• 2-4 years of full-time work experience in HR, with a focus on Talent Acquisition and/or Employee Onboarding.

• Demonstrated experience in full-cycle recruiting, including sourcing, interviewing, and candidate selection, with a focus on providing a positive and seamless experience for all candidates.

• Strong proficiency in HRIS and ATS systems is required.

• Detail-oriented with a focus on process accuracy and efficiency.

• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to build relationships with candidates, employees, and hiring managers.

• Strong interpersonal skills and a customer-service mindset, ensuring a positive experience for candidates and employees alike.

• Tech savvy with an ability to pick up and leverage new technology quickly.

Bonus:

• Experience with Workable (ATS).

• Experience with technical or highly specialized role recruitment is considered an asset.

• Experience recruiting in a SaaS environment is considered an asset.

• Experience in/familiarity with the education industry a strong plus.

• HR certification (e.g., HRPA) is a plus.

What We Offer

At Nelson, we believe in taking care of our people.

• Your well-being, growth, and work-life balance matter to us, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you—professionally and personally.

• The below benefits apply to this temporary contract position:

• Hybrid work model (2-3 days/week in office, 2-3 days WFH)

• Flexible work hours

• Access to LinkedIn Learning for continuous skill growth

• Mentorship and professional development opportunities

• A comprehensive Employee Assistance Program (EAP) providing confidential support spanning from mental health services to financial counselling, and many things in-between.

Don’t have 100% of the above qualifications? Do you still think Nelson is a great fit for you? We encourage you to apply anyway!

Our EDI Statement

Nelson teaches the world by learning from everyone in it .

We are committed to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace environment. This is an integral part of our company’s culture and mission that aligns with our four key pillars of Employee Diversity, Developing Authentic and Accurate Content, Amplifying External Voices, and Supporting the Local Community and Beyond.

We believe in the power of education and our ability to impact social change. Truth, honesty, integrity, and respect guide our decisions and actions in the development of learning solutions that empower success for all educators and learners.

We value a respectful, inclusive, and safe workplace that nurtures belonging and represents many different cultures, backgrounds, perspectives, and opinions. Everyone is free to be who they are.

We foster and continue to build relationships that are equitable, diverse, and inclusive with existing and future partners in education.

We commit to holding ourselves accountable by creating measurable short and long-term goals that place equity, diversity, and inclusion at the core of what we do in our resources, the workplace, the educational community, and in the larger society.

We strive to build an inclusive world for everyone. We are stronger together.

Our Commitment

Nelson is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to Inclusion, Equity and Diversity. As part of this commitment, we do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, gender, gender identity, colour, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship, veteran status, or disability status.

Should you require any accommodation during our recruitment and selection process, please reach out to peopleandengagement@nelson.com .