Early Talent Program Manager

Position Overview:

The Early Talent Program Manager serves as a dedicated, onsite partner to our Client’s Talent Acquisition and Early & Emerging Talent Teams, embedded within their Boston headquarters on a hybrid basis. This individual owns all aspects of the Client’s Early & Emerging Talent program – from candidate pipeline development through recruitment execution, stakeholder engagement, and program governance.

In this role, you would have the opportunity to be the face of Atrium’s early careers program and associated service delivery for our client. The ideal candidate brings both the strategic mindset to shape and elevate an early talent program and the operational rigor to execute it flawlessly. They will build trusted relationships with hiring managers and HR/TA/Sourcing stakeholders, lead consultative recruitment strategy conversations, and ensure that every candidate who enters the pipeline receives a high-quality, personally engaged experience.

This is a high-visibility, client-embedded role. The Early Talent Program Manager will manage a team of dedicated recruiters and a recruiting coordinator, and will collaborate closely with Atrium’s internal leadership to ensure delivery excellence, scope alignment, and long-term program growth.

Responsibilities:

Campus Strategy & Early Talent Engagement

• Partner with Atrium leadership and Client stakeholders to support, evolve and help guide the undergraduate and graduate campus recruitment strategy for the Client’s Early & Emerging Talent program.
• Build and sustain relationships with university career services offices, faculty, student organizations, and program directors at target schools.
• Represent the Client brand at career fairs, information sessions, and campus networking events; serve as an ambassador for the program both on and off campus, as requested by Client.
• Support year-over-year school prioritization discussions and track conversion metrics from event attendance through hire and retention to inform strategy.
• Provide input on early talent hiring forecasts in partnership with the Client’s broader workforce planning goals and headcount targets.

Candidate Screening & Recruitment Execution

• Personally conduct and/or directly oversee the phone screening of candidates to assess qualifications, interest, and fit – ensuring the Client receives a curated, high-quality slate at every stage.
• Manage the full recruitment lifecycle from requisition intake through offer and onboarding, in partnership with the recruiting team.
• Maintain rigorous candidate evaluation standards and ensure consistent application of Client-specific job profiles and screening criteria.
• Monitor program performance metrics including time-to-fill, offer acceptance rates, and yield ratios; proactively surface and resolve gaps.
• Ensure a seamless and applicant-centric candidate experience from first contact through day one.

Hiring Manager Partnership & Recruitment Strategy

• Conduct and train Recruiters to engage in meaningful, consultative recruitment strategy discussions with hiring managers – going beyond process recaps to deeply understand their team needs, preferred school targets, desired majors/skills, and hiring timelines.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to business stakeholders, offering market insights, sourcing recommendations, and proactive talent pipeline updates.
• Lead regular intake calls, 1:1 manager trainings, and group education sessions (including lunch-and-learns and onboarding presentations) that drive program adoption and satisfaction.
• Gather continuous feedback from managers, candidates, and stakeholders to identify improvement opportunities and implement program enhancements.

Program Governance, Compliance & Risk Mitigation

• Serve as the primary point of program escalation for the Client’s Early Talent program, resolving staffing, billing, and onboarding issues with urgency and care.
• Educate hiring managers on worker classification, compliance requirements, and program policy adherence within the MSP framework.
• Monitor tenure thresholds, classification risk, and policy compliance; partner with HR, Legal, Finance, and Strategic Sourcing as needed.
• Partner cross-functionally with Atrium’s internal MSP program team to ensure alignment between early careers and broader contingent workforce governance.
• Facilitate regular internal status meetings with the Atrium account team to ensure recruitment deadlines are met and program execution remains on track.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the Client’s industry, products, and market landscape; stay informed on relevant business developments to provide context-aware program support and serve as a true brand ambassador and extension of their brand when representing them in the talent market.
• Model high integrity and deliver a “white glove” service experience for clients and candidates at every touchpoint.

Technology, Reporting & Business Reviews

• Optimize VMS and ATS systems to ensure visibility, compliance, and data integrity across the program.
• Deliver weekly, monthly, and quarterly reporting dashboards to Client stakeholders, providing program performance summaries and actionable business intelligence, iterating on what has been previously provided and helping advise future data strategy and reporting needs.
• Lead Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), presenting program outcomes, trend analysis, and strategic recommendations.
• Track and report on retention, sourcing channels, conversion rates, and long-term program impact.
• Provide VMS training and ongoing system support to Client and Atrium users.

Market Insights & Guidance

• Provide added value through market insights, program recommendations, and data-driven guidance informed by competitive intelligence and external resources (e.g., NACE, Veris Insights).
• Stay informed on relevant industry trends, benchmarks, and emerging early talent best practices to continuously elevate the program.

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Qualifications:

The Ideal Early Talent Program Manager will display the following characteristics:

• 3–5 years of experience in Early Talent, Campus Recruiting, Talent Acquisition, or a related Workforce Program Management function.
• Demonstrated experience managing early talent, internship, or student worker programs with hands-on involvement in candidate screening and hiring manager engagement.
• Proven ability to conduct substantive, consultative recruitment strategy conversations with business stakeholders – not just process walk-throughs.
• Experience managing recruiters and/or recruiting coordinators in a client-facing or account-embedded environment.
• Familiarity with MSP, VMS, or governance-driven contingent workforce models is a strong plus.
• Track record of owning reporting, analytics, and program metrics tied to business outcomes.
• Exceptional relationship-building, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, client-embedded environment.

The ideal candidate also brings:

• Curiosity — a genuine interest in understanding the client’s business and asking the right questions to uncover real needs.
• Empathy — the ability to see every interaction through the eyes of the hiring manager, candidate, and coordinator.
• A teacher’s mindset — patient, thoughtful, and energized by educating others.
• Diligence — meticulous attention to detail with a high bar for quality.
• Positivity — a warm, upbeat presence that elevates the team and the client relationship.

• Ability to sit for extended periods of time.
• Ability to commute to the Client’s Boston, MA office on a hybrid basis.

• Bachelor’s degree is required or equivalent work experience.

• Atrium Care package available, upon eligibility (PTO, Health Benefits, Health Savings Account, Flexible Spending Accounts, Pet Insurance, Paid Holidays, 401k, Commuter Benefit Program)

Competitive compensation package including a base salary of $80,000–$100,000, with variable commission and bonus earning potential.