Military Veteran Program Leader

Summary

The Military Veteran Program Leader designs and leads a sustainable pipeline that attracts, develops, and retains military veterans who align with Baker’s culture, values, and safety-first mindset. S/he supports transitioning service members through a structured, apprenticeship-style program focused on field roles, with scalable pathways into leadership and professional positions qualified for Federal work. S/he partners closely with Talent, Field Leadership, Operations, and external military organizations to ensure high-quality, well-matched hires and a positive candidate experience. The Military Veteran Program Leader is accountable for program execution, continuous improvement, and retention outcomes. The role ensures recruiting efforts are efficient, standardized, and aligned with Baker’s long-term workforce needs

Roles and Responsibilities

• Builds a sustainable and scalable pipeline of military veterans who align with Baker’s culture, values, and safety-first mindset
• Creates a pipeline of qualified field co-workers, with future scalability into leadership and professional roles who are qualified to work on Federal jobs
• Creates and maintains a structured, condensed apprenticeship-style program (“tours”) aligned to Baker operations and allows scalability and field leader engagement
• Supports transitioning military by creating internal resources that provide support services and tools including mental health resources, financial counseling, government benefits navigation
• Responsible for program design, execution, and continuous improvement
• Focuses on retention and turnover from cohort entry through conversion and relationship building 
• Ensures that the recruiting efforts align with the organization's overall goals and workforce planning by partnering closely with Talent, Field Leadership, and Operations on operational needs 
• Implements best practices and standardized procedures that enhance the quality of hires
  • Reviews and may recommend updates to job descriptions 
  • Ensures proper posting and advertising for open positions
  • Utilizes appropriate assessment tools
  • Ensures a thorough interview process
  • Prepares and/or reviews employment offer letters
• Streamlines the recruiting processes, reducing time-to-fill and improving the overall efficiency of hiring
  • Identifies obstacles within the recruitment process and directs the talent acquisition specialists 
• Ensures candidates receive timely communication, feedback, and a positive experience throughout the recruitment process
• Promotes the utilization of co-worker referrals and manages the associated program
• Conducts regular follow-ups with management to determine the effectiveness of recruiting plans and implementation
• Collaborates with The Marketing Collective for recruiting presentations and materials 
• Manages Regional Champions, who will support recruiting, onboarding, and field integration locally
• Ensures that all hiring practices comply with federal, state and local regulations and guidelines (EEO/AA, ADA, OFCCP) as well as company policies 
• Responsible for the accurate and timely use of social media tools (e.g. LinkedIn, Indeed, Direct Employers, Glassdoor) 
• Collaborates with Human Resources to stay updated on changes in employment law and to address any compliance issues 
• Joins and participates in military/veteran industry related organizations and events to foster connections and access a broader talent pool
• Engages with local communities and educational institutions 
• Maintains regular communication with outreach contacts 
• Acts as the primary relationship manager for military organizations, bases, veteran groups, and external partners
• Analyzes recruitment metrics and reports to assess the effectiveness of hiring strategies, identify areas for improvement, and align recruitment efforts with organizational goals 
• Manages productivity and efficiency of individual regional champions, using data and metrics to identify performance issues and opportunities for coaching
• Collaborates with the HRIS Team to develop / create recruitment metrics, dashboards and reports
• Identifies recruiting key performance indicators/relevant metrics; analyzes data and makes data-driven decisions to improve the recruitment process
• Addresses complaints appropriately
• Provides guidance, direction, coaching, and support to direct reports 
• Responsible for holding timely performance appraisals and progress reviews

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field and eight years of related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Military background is required (veteran or prior service)
• Experience with recruiting and talent assessment 
• Program management and cross-functional leadership experience required
• Bi-lingual (English/Spanish) preferred 
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft software programs such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Strong proficiency with recruiting job boards / platforms such as Linkedin, Indeed, etc. 
• Proficient in using applicant tracking systems (ATS) and other recruitment tools.  SuccessFactors preferred 
• Strong balance of passion for veteran advocacy and practical business judgment

The following competencies are needed to successfully perform this job:

• Ability to present information in written and oral form to all levels of co-workers within the Company
• Ability to read and comprehend procedures, regulations, and laws
• Ability to calculate simple math such as percentages & ratios
• Ability to inspire and motivate the recruitment team, fostering a collaborative and productive work environment
• Ability to work with all levels of co-workers in a team environment
• Ability to network and build relationships with industry professionals
• Ability to maintain high level of confidentiality
• Ability to adapt to a variety of situations
• Ability to create credibility with field leaders and ability to influence buy-in.
• Ability to exercise judgment that is consistent with standards, practices, policies, procedures, regulations, and laws
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment