Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

Company Description

Animal Emergency Australia is a network of 10 emergency clinics, 3 general practices, an ICU, and an education division, supported by a corporate service office in Springwood. With over 800 dedicated professionals, the organization is deeply committed to delivering exceptional patient outcomes. Our team is driven by a mission to improve lives—whether for pets, pet families, or team members—through inclusive care and empowerment. We are passionate about fostering a supportive and innovative environment that prioritizes the well-being of our patients and our people.

Role Overview

The Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist is an operational leader within AEA’s Talent function, responsible for both delivery excellence and the implementation, and continuous evolution of talent acquisition strategy.

This role goes beyond recruitment execution to include:

• Workforce strategy understanding and execution
• Employer Value Proposition (EVP) project management and rollout
• Talent lifecycle optimisation (attraction → onboarding → retention)
• Career pathways, progression frameworks, and workforce sustainability

You will act as a trusted advisor to Senior leadership teams and, operational leaders, driving scalable, data-led recruitment solutions aligned to AEA’s growth, hospital expansion, and workforce transformation.

Key Accountabilities1. Strategic Talent Acquisition & Workforce Delivery

• Lead end-to-end recruitment across veterinary, clinical, and business services roles
• Translate business strategy into workforce acquisition plans
• Deliver hiring outcomes aligned to quality, speed, and workforce sustainability metrics
• Build proactive pipelines for critical and hard-to-fill ECC roles
• Leverage data, market insights, and workforce trends to inform hiring strategies

2. Workforce Strategy, Planning & Execution

• Partner with Regional Opetrations Manager, Hospital Administrators and Directors, and leadership to design and execute workforce plans aligned to growth strategy
• Support new hospital openings, expansions, and service model transitions (e.g. 24/7)
• Identify workforce risks and implement forward-looking talent solutions
• Align recruitment with rostering models, utilisation, and operational demand
• Contribute to broader workforce architecture and organisational design

3. EVP, Employer Brand & Talent Experience

• Working with the Talent Engagment Manager, support the development, articulation, and execution of AEA’s Employer Value Proposition (EVP)
• Partner with various stakeholders to ensure EVP is embedded across:

Attraction campaigns

Recruitment processes

Onboarding and employee experience

• Elevate AEA’s position as an employer of choice in ECC veterinary care
• Design targeted attraction strategies across digital, social, and industry channels
• Drive a consistent, high-quality candidate experience aligned to brand

4. Career Pathways, Benefits & Retention Alignment

Working with the Talent Engagement Manager to align recruitment with:

• Career pathways and progression frameworks
• Learning and development opportunities
• Total rewards and benefits positioning
• Ensure value propositions are clearly articulated to candidates
• Support initiatives that improve retention, engagement, and internal mobility
• Contribute to long-term workforce sustainability strategies

5. Talent Advisory & Executive Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as a strategic advisor to Hiring Managers, HADs, and ROM
• Provide insights on:

Market conditions

Talent availability

Compensation and competitor trends

• Influence hiring decisions through data, structured assessment, and benchmarking
• Coach leaders on best-practice hiring, interview frameworks, and decision-making

6. International Recruitment, Relocation & Mobility

• Oversee end-to-end relocation and visa processes
• Partner with external providers to ensure compliance and efficiency
• Continuously improve relocation experience and onboarding integration
• Build global talent pipelines aligned to AEA workforce needs

7. Talent Acquisition Projects & TransformationLead and deliver strategic initiatives including:

• EVP development and national rollout
• Recruitment process optimisation and standardisation
• ATS (JobAdder) optimisation and automation
• Interview and assessment framework design
• Workforce analytics and reporting dashboards

Drive continuous improvement across:

• Efficiency
• Scalability
• Candidate and hiring manager experience

8. Data, Insights & Performance Management

• Track and report on key metrics:
• Time-to-fill
• Quality-of-hire
• Cost-per-hire
• Pipeline strength
• Establish and maintain recruitment governance and reporting standardsKey Relationships

• Talent Engagement Manager
• Hiring Managers & Practice Leadership
• Hospital Administrators (HADs)
• Regional Operations Managers (ROMs)
• External partners (agencies, universities, migration providers)

Capabilities & ExperienceEssential

• 5+ years’ experience in Talent Acquisition (including senior/strategic exposure)
• Proven ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels
• Experience in workforce planning, talent strategy, and stakeholder advisory
• Strong capability in data-driven decision making and execution
• Experience in complex, high-volume or hard-to-fill environmentsHighly Desirable

• Experience in EVP development and employer branding strategy
• Exposure to career pathway frameworks and workforce design
• International recruitment, relocation, and visa sponsorship experience
• Experience in healthcare, veterinary, or critical workforce environments

What Success Looks Like

• Delivery of high-quality, timely, and sustainable hiring outcomes
• Strong, scalable pipelines for critical ECC roles
• Successful execution of EVP and employer brand strategy
• Improved candidate and hiring manager experience
• Measurable impact on retention and workforce stability
• Successful delivery of strategic TA projects and transformation initiatives

Governance, Risk & ComplianceAll team members are required to:

• Comply with AEA policies, procedures, and WHS legislation
• Act in accordance with AEA’s Code of Conduct and Core Values
• Maintain a safe working environment for themselves and others
• Ensure recruitment practices are fair, compliant, and equitable