Senior Specialist, Talent & HR

About Lincoln Avenue Communities Welcome to Lincoln Avenue Communities (LAC)—a leading, mission-driven real estate private equity firm dedicated to strengthening communities through the development and preservation of affordable housing. As a vertically integrated developer, investor, and long-term operator, we deliver sustainable, high-quality homes to lower- and moderate-income individuals, seniors, and families across 33 states. Our growing portfolio—more than 200 properties and 30,000+ homes—reflects our commitment to long-term impact, operational excellence, and resident well-being. LAC is proud to be recognized as an industry leader, recently ranked No. 1 on Affordable Housing Finance’s 2025 AHF 50 list of top developers. Our approach combines strategic investment, thoughtful design, and community partnerships to deliver housing solutions that foster stability, opportunity, and resilience. About This Role Every hire we make extends our mission: building and preserving affordable housing for the families, seniors, and communities who need it most. As our Senior Specialist of Talent & HR, you'll help power that growth by owning the candidate and new-hire experience end-to-end, making sure the people we bring on are set up to thrive from day one. You'll support full-cycle recruiting and onboarding across the firm, helping drive searches forward, keeping hiring managers and stakeholders aligned, and delivering a high-touch, white-glove experience at every step. You'll partner with teams across the business, learn our roles quickly, and bring professionalism, responsiveness, and sound judgment to every interaction. You’ll also help run and continue building LAC’s annual summer internship program—supporting recruitment, programming, onboarding, and the overall intern experience to help early-career talent gain meaningful exposure to our business and mission. This is a role with room to grow. While your primary focus is talent acquisition and new hire onboarding, you'll gain broad exposure across the HR/People function—from offboarding and employee events to special projects—building a strong foundation for a long-term career in HR. It's an ideal fit for someone who wants to deepen their talent expertise while developing a wider view of how a high-performing People team operates. This role reports to the Manager of Talent & HR and requires being onsite three (3) days a week in Santa Monica, CA. What You’ll Do Support full-cycle recruiting across a variety of roles, helping move searches from kickoff through offer and close. Partner closely with the HR & Talent Manager to keep recruiting activity organized, efficient, and moving with urgency. Coordinate interview scheduling seamlessly across candidates, hiring managers, and internal stakeholders. Manage and maintain the applicant tracking system, ensuring data is accurate, up to date, and easy to track. Help post jobs, review applicant flow, and support overall pipeline management. Partner with external staffing agencies, search firms, and hiring managers to keep searches moving efficiently, with clear communication and a high standard of quality. Conduct interviews and candidate screens, assessing technical skills, soft skills, and culture fit with strong, consistent judgment. Assist with researching compensation for open roles—benchmarking, leveling, and evaluating candidate profiles against internal levels, role scope, and market data. Support offer coordination and closing out candidates, pre-employment steps, and other administrative details tied to hiring. Own onboarding logistics so every new hire has a welcoming experience that reflects LAC’s culture, including pre-start planning, orientation materials, scheduling, and cross-functional coordination. Support recruitment for LAC’s summer internship program, from sourcing and scheduling through selection and offers, and help create a well-organized intern experience that reflects LAC’s culture and commitment to thoughtful, high-quality programming. Learn LAC’s business, teams, and roles quickly so you can effectively evaluate candidates and identify strong matches. Assist with other People team priorities as needed, including offboarding support, team events, special projects, and overflow assistance for broader HR functions. Use GenAI thoughtfully to help scale and standardize talent and People processes. What You Bring A polished, professional, and highly service-oriented approach in working with candidates, hiring managers, and leadership. Strong interpersonal instincts and high EQ, with a thoughtful, intentional approach to identifying talent that aligns on motivation, judgment, long-term retention potential, and culture fit. Experience working with external agencies and partners on active searches and drive searches forward as a strategic partner. Strong interviewing skills, with the ability to assess candidates thoughtfully and represent the company well throughout the process. Strong business acumen and the ability to learn our organizational needs and role requirements quickly. A solid understanding of compensation fundamentals, including benchmarking, leveling, and how to assess candidate profiles against internal and external market data. Excellent organizational skills—able to manage multiple open items and shifting priorities, connect the dots and anticipate what's next, and jump in wherever the People team needs support. A positive, solutions-oriented attitude and sound judgment—staying composed in a fast-moving environment. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with professionalism, responsiveness, and discretion when handling sensitive or confidential information. A genuine interest in creating a standout experience for both candidates and new hires. Your Education and Experience Bachelor’s degree required; degree in human resources, psychology, humanities, social sciences, or a related field preferred. 5 years of relevant experience in talent acquisition, recruiting, onboarding, or a related People function, with exposure to broader HR/People Operations responsibilities preferred. Experience in a fast-paced, high-volume, high-urgency environment is required; experience in the finance industry or similar industries is highly desirable. Experience supporting full-lifecycle recruiting (scheduling, ATS management, agency coordination, interviewing, and hiring manager communication) and onboarding in a corporate environment. Strong proficiency with applicant tracking systems (Greenhouse), HRIS platforms (e.g., Insperity, Rippling), Microsoft Office Suite, and project management tools (e.g., Notion, Asana). Experience using GenAI tools responsibly to improve efficiency, support research and analysis, drive better outcomes, and standardize ways of working. Benefits & Compensation The expected base salary range for this position is $110,000 - $120,000 per year, based on qualifications and experience. In addition to the base salary, employees receive a semi-annual performance bonus target and recieve a comprehensive benefits package: 100% Covered: Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance (including family/dependents) 401(k) plan With Company Matching & No Vesting Period Life & Disability Insurance Generous Paid Time Off, Paid Holidays & Sick Time Paid Parental Leave Engaging Company Events & Team-Building Experiences Career-Building Learning Programs & Development Opportunities Complimentary Daily Lunch for On-site Employees On-site Gym Access for Santa Monica Employees