Who We Are

Outward Bound USA (OBUSA) is a national non-profit educational organization in the United States, in operation for more than 60 years. Outward Bound’s mission is to change lives through challenge and discovery. While ambitious and bold, our vision is a more resilient and compassionate world, with more endurance in response to change and more courage in the face of challenge. 

Outward Bound programs provide increased access for today’s youth to develop social-emotional skills and build their capacity to navigate the future with confidence, compassion, and curiosity. Programs are far-reaching – inside city and suburban classrooms and outside in rugged backcountry settings – lasting anywhere from one day to an entire semester. Outward Bound staff are positive, fun, passionate, mission-driven change makers who uphold a high standard of quality and commitment to our students.  

We strive to provide educational experiences that are inclusive and relevant for all participants and are committed to organizational improvement in support of an equitable and just society. Learn more about us. 

Position Impact

Outward Bound USA aims to support, amplify, and grow the capacity of our regional schools, where students are prepared with 21st-century skills to be ready for work, life, and civic leadership in an evolving world. An unwavering commitment to our students, equity, adventure, and safety guides our work. 

Guided by a strategic Vision for Impact 2030 between 2023 and 2030, OBUSA supports this work through targeted initiatives designed to: create new and expanded capacity in regional schools by positioning OB as an educational partner to parents, schools, and corporations; accelerate access to the outdoors for underrepresented communities; provide a leading-edge research and development engine that will continuously improve program outcomes; and cultivate a workplace that attracts, develops, and retains the best outdoor educators and administrative professionals in the US. 

Reporting to the Human Resources Director, the Employee Engagement Manager will lead the talent acquisition strategy implementation, evolve the candidate onboarding experience, and support a range of employee engagement initiatives. Collectively, this work will support our vision of Outward Bound as Talent Magnet and as an exceptional place to work.  

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Lead Talent Acquisition Strategy Implementation

• Lead national sourcing and recruitment efforts, optimizing sourcing channels, partnering with external organizations, and centralizing job postings under the national brand. 
• Foster relationships with universities, professional organizations, and alumni networks to attract untapped talent. 
• Develop and maintain relationships with recruiters, HR, and Staffing leads around the OB network.  
• Develop and manage a centralized job clearinghouse and support a content strategy to showcase employee stories and organizational milestones. 
• Manage the Visitor Exchange (J1) Program. 
• Further define, communicate, and regularly refine the Employer Value Proposition (EVP) and Employee Journey, ensuring consistency across all recruitment channels. 

Evolve Candidate Experience and Onboarding

• Enhance the candidate journey by developing clear communication protocols, structured interview processes, and consistent feedback mechanisms.
• Provide guidance and expertise on Applicant Tracking System functionality and strategize to make functional improvements.  
• Work to collect candidate satisfaction through post-interview surveys and develop continuous improvements based on feedback. 
• Facilitate efficient, aligned hiring processes across the network. 
• Implement a national onboarding framework, ensuring new hires are introduced to the organizational mission, culture, and values. 
• Foster a sense of belonging through opportunities for new hires to connect with peers and leaders within the first 90 days.  

Support Employee Engagement

• Oversee employee engagement initiatives, including promoting positive employee stories, developing and supporting career pathing and progressive employment opportunities, connecting employees to Learning and Development opportunities, and supporting national recognition events. 
• Collaborate with the regional school's People & Culture, staffing, and HR teams to drive engagement through regular feedback loops and share success stories across internal and external platforms.  
• Analyze and report on national employee data, including engagement survey results, compensation data, retention and turnover data, and other relevant analytics. 

Competencies

• Self-Management: You can set and follow through on goals independently, anticipate roadblocks, and support others in managing their commitments. 
• Communication: You are skilled in developing messaging that connects with a wide range of stakeholders, from potential applicants to decision-makers, fostering engagement and long-term relationships. 
• Cultural Competence – You recognize and appreciate cultural differences and commonalities.  Ability to manage diverse recruitment efforts and promote an inclusive environment across a wide array of talent pools. Understands how cultural factors influence recruitment strategies and candidate experiences. 
• Collaboration – You can work effectively within a federated system, collaborating with various teams (e.g., Marketing, Communications) to align strategies and achieve organizational goals.
• Conflict Management – You can manage and resolve conflict independently even in high-stakes situations.
• Analytical Skills: You have proficiency in analyzing data and key metrics to inform decision-making. Skilled at using HR metrics, such as turnover rates, employee engagement, and compensation data, to refine recruitment strategies and improve the employee experience. 
• Project Management: You can manage multiple workstreams associated with a program, analyze data and iterate accordingly. You can conceptualize and build programs. Work to improve existing programs and build new ones that support the strategic vision of the organization 
• Problem-Solving: You can identify, understand, analyze, and solve all types of problems independently. Uses creative and practical solutions to overcome challenges in talent acquisition, onboarding, and employee engagement. 
• Situational Adaptability: You can adapt in routine and complex situations independently. You can adapt to changing circumstances and feedback while proactively addressing challenges. Demonstrates flexibility in managing the evolving needs of recruitment efforts and employee engagement initiatives in a dynamic organizational environment. 

Education and Work Experience

• 2+ years of experience in human resources with a familiarity of employment law, including federal labor laws, and ensuring compliance in all recruitment and onboarding processes. 
• 2+ years of experience leading national recruitment strategies, optimizing sourcing channels, and partnering with external organizations such as universities and professional networks to attract top talent. 
• 2+ years of experience analyzing HR metrics, such as turnover rates, engagement survey results, and compensation data, to inform and refine HR strategies.
• Proficiency in designing and implementing candidate experience improvements, ATS use (Applicant Tracking Systems), structured interview processes, and effective onboarding frameworks.
• Understanding of performance management systems, including setting expectations, conducting performance evaluations, and supporting employee development. 
• Familiarity with compensation structures, salary benchmarking, and benefits administration to ensure competitive and equitable offerings. 
• Experience in defining and communicating an Employer Value Proposition (EVP) and managing the employee journey to enhance talent attraction and retention.
• Knowledge of career pathing, employee development programs, and fostering continuous learning opportunities to enhance employee engagement and growth

Location and Physical Requirements

• Permanent work authorization in the United States is required to apply for this position. We welcome applicants from AZ, CO, CT, FL, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NM, NY, OR, PA, VT, and WA. 
• Up to 5% of work time may be spent traveling.
• Ability to work at a desk and on a computer for most of the day. Repetitive motions, such as typing on a keyboard, are part of the daily tasks. 
• While the role is generally not physically demanding, the ability to lift and carry light objects may be required occasionally. Strong visual acuity is essential for reading and analyzing data on a computer screen. 

Compensation & Benefits

• We are committed to transparency in our hiring process. The full salary range for this position is $31.25-$36.00 an hour. The starting salary will fall within the hiring range of $31.25-33.65 an hour, based on the skills and experience of the selected candidate. 
• This is a full-time, remote, non-exempt position. This position is a three-year grant-funded role. 
• OBUSA offers a competitive benefits package, including health/dental/vision insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance, plus a 403(b)-retirement plan with an employer match.  
• OBUSA offers PTO, a combined sick and vacation bucket which accrues to 15 days a year, with an additional day for each year of service. We offer ten federal holidays and paid time off for the last week of the year. 

Application

Please provide resume and cover letter. Materials can be addressed to: Vic Kerr (HR Director) she/her

Position closes March 31, 2025 

Outward Bound USA (OBUSA) is an equal opportunity employer and values the inclusion and collaboration among employees of diverse backgrounds and experiences. OBUSA prohibits discrimination against, and harassment of, any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, gender, pregnancy, genetic information, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, military or veteran status, qualified individuals with a disability on the basis of the disability, or any other category which may be protected under applicable state or federal law. Outward Bound USA also promotes respect for all people and will not tolerate harassment based on any of these characteristics nor on differences based on gender identity or expression. As we strive to reflect the communities we serve; people of color are strongly encouraged to apply. Read our equity statement.  

*Please reach out to vkerr@outwardbound.org if there is any accommodation you might need when applying or if asked to be interviewed.