Talent Acquisition and Fellowship Manager

Job Description

Job DescriptionAbout SailFuture

SailFuture is a nationally recognized youth development organization serving system-involved and at-risk youth through long-term residential care, private education, vocational training, and global sailing expeditions. Our model blends housing, workforce development, adventure-based learning, and intensive mentorship to create durable life outcomes for young people who have experienced foster care, homelessness, or justice involvement.

We are entering a growth phase—expanding our residential programs, launching new education initiatives, and building a professional leadership pipeline to scale impact statewide and beyond.

Position Overview

The Talent Acquisition & Fellowship Program Manager will design and lead SailFuture’s full-cycle talent strategy while building a high-caliber Fellowship Program that recruits recent college graduates into high impact career pathways.

This role is both strategic and operational. It will:

• Build a comprehensive leadership pipeline through a competitive Fellowship Program

• Strengthen organizational culture and retention

• Align hiring with SailFuture’s mission-driven, high-accountability model
  

This is a high-impact leadership position for someone who believes that who we hire determines how many lives we change.

Core Responsibilities1. Talent Acquisition Strategy & Execution

• Design and implement a comprehensive recruitment strategy across:

  • Social Enterprises

  • Residential care

  • Education (SailFuture Academy)

  • Maritime operations

  • Administration & leadership

• Build structured hiring processes:

  • Competency-based interview frameworks

  • Behavioral assessments

  • Reference & background protocols

• Develop recruiting pipelines with:

  • Universities (education, social work, maritime academies)

  • Fellowship networks (Teach For America, AmeriCorps, etc.)

  • Military veteran transition programs
    

• Own employer branding and talent marketing materials

• Track KPIs: time-to-hire, quality-of-hire, retention rates, value contribution

2. Fellowship Program Design & Management

Design and lead SailFuture’s Social Innovation Fellows Program, which places early-career professionals into 1–2 year immersive roles in youth development.

Responsibilities include:

• Program architecture and curriculum development

• Recruitment of high-potential candidates nationwide

• Selection process management

• Onboarding and structured professional development

• Performance evaluation systems

• Mentorship matching and leadership coaching

• Alumni engagement strategy
  

The Fellowship will serve as a long-term leadership pipeline for:

• Residential program directors

• School leaders

• Maritime program officers

• Social enterprise managers

3. Organizational Culture & Retention

• Develop onboarding systems that reinforce mission, accountability, and professional standards

• Implement structured performance review frameworks

• Support department leaders with coaching and hiring decisions

• Help codify SailFuture’s leadership expectations and values

• Design retention initiatives for high-performing team members

4. Systems & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with child welfare hiring requirements

• Oversee background checks and licensing requirements

• Maintain personnel documentation standards

• Coordinate with Finance for payroll onboarding and HR systems

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years in talent acquisition, HR leadership, or recruiting

• Experience building structured hiring systems

• Demonstrated ability to recruit high-performing professionals

• Strong project management and organizational skills

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills

Preferred

• Experience in education, nonprofit, or youth services

• Fellowship program design experience

• Experience scaling teams in high-growth organizations

Key Performance Indicators (First 24 Months)

• Average time to fill: 30-days

• 85%+ 12-month staff retention rate

• Launch Fellowship Program with first cohort of 10 fellows

  • 80% completion rate (2-years)

  • 50%+ of fellows retained in leadership pipeline roles

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience

• 401k matching

• Health insurance reimbursement

• Paid time off

Why This Role Matters

SailFuture’s growth depends on building a talent engine—not just filling positions, but cultivating leaders capable of changing the trajectory of vulnerable youth.

This role will directly shape the organization’s future by ensuring the right people are in the right seats, developing the next generation of leaders, and strengthening the systems that allow mission-driven work to scale sustainably.