Talent Management Specialist

Saint John, NB
On-site
Posted Oct 17, 2026
1 position

$55,000–$75,000 / year

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Employment type: Full-time
Experience level: Mid-level · 2+ years
Minimum education: College diploma
Posting language: English
Working hours: 40 hours per week
Seniority: Mid-Senior level

Job summary

Lead the student talent program from workforce planning and recruitment through onboarding, development, work-term support, and offboarding, while supporting Head Office recruitment. Maintain talent information, coordinate talent reviews and succession planning, promote internal mobility, and use workforce data and stakeholder feedback to improve talent programs and processes.

Job details

Job Description The Talent Management Specialist leads the organization’s student talent pipeline and supports talent management, succession planning, and Head Office recruitment. The role partners with leaders, hiring managers, and Human Resources to attract, identify, develop, and retain talent. Working closely with the Manager of Talent Management, the Specialist maintains talent cards, coordinates talent reviews, supports succession plans and development actions, promotes internal mobility, and uses workforce information to strengthen current and future talent pipelines. Build More Than a Career. Build a Future. At KENT, people don't just take jobs. They build careers. Whether you're leading a team, serving customers, creating content, managing projects, or building expertise in your field, you'll find opportunities to learn new skills, take on new challenges, and grow your career. Many of our leaders started in frontline roles and advanced through experience, development, and hard work. If you're looking for a place where your contribution matters, your growth is supported, and your work helps shape communities across Atlantic Canada, we'd love to hear from you. Join one. Grow with many. Salary Range is ( 55k-75k) Responsibilities Lead and continuously improve our student talent program, from workforce planning and recruitment through onboarding, development, work-term support, and offboarding. Build relationships with colleges, universities, and student employment partners. Partner with leaders and HR to identify student hiring needs and meaningful placement opportunities. Support Head Office recruitment, including intake meetings, postings, candidate screening, interviews, references, selection support, and offer preparation. Help identify internal talent for promotional and development opportunities and support internal mobility. Coordinate and maintain talent cards, including information related to career interests, mobility, development needs, performance, potential, and role readiness. Support talent reviews and succession planning for critical roles and help track development actions and successor readiness. Maintain talent pools for anticipated and hard-to-fill vacancies. Develop and maintain reporting related to student programs, recruitment, talent development, internal mobility, and succession planning. Use workforce information and stakeholder feedback to identify opportunities to improve our talent programs and processes. Qualifications A university degree or college diploma in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Education, or a related field. 2–5 years of progressive experience in HR, talent management, recruitment, student programs, learning and development, or organizational development. Strong program and project coordination skills. Strong analytical skills and the ability to work with workforce information. Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and relationship-building skills. Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities. Sound judgment when handling confidential employee and candidate information. The ability to influence and follow up with stakeholders without formal authority. A service-focused approach with a commitment to creating a positive employee, candidate, and student experience. About Us Founded in 1882, J.D. Irving, Limited (JDI) operates in Eastern Canada (New-Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Québec, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador), as well as in USA. We are a team of 20,000 dedicated employees. At J.D. Irving, Limited, you are part of a dynamic team of professionals who lead with integrity and are passionate about delivering results. With a culture that nurtures talent and creates an inclusive workplace, you can grow your career across our various operating divisions. We are committed to creating accessible environments for our colleagues, candidates, and customers. Requests for accommodation due to a disability (which may be visible or invisible, temporary, or permanent) can be made at any stage of application and employment. We encourage candidates to make their accommodation needs known so that we can provide equitable opportunities. Worried you do not meet all the requirements? Studies have shown that many applicants apply only to job opportunities when they feel they meet 100% of the criteria. We promote an inclusive environment where everyone is appreciated, recognized, and empowered to contribute fully. If you are interested in this position but are worried you did not meet all the requirements, we would encourage you to still apply. Our recruitment advisors and hiring teams will utilize human screening combined with AI technology to help identify the skills and qualities that matter most to our business, while safeguarding your privacy and using AI responsibly. We appreciate your interest in our company however only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. About The Team Kent is the largest retail building supply chain in Atlantic Canada. With 48 locations and an ecommerce website, our mission is to be the best source of home improvement products through superior customer service and know-how, quality products, and everyday great prices. We protect our customers and staff by hiring and training associates committed to our safety values. We employ over 3,700 people and work hard to increase our market share through strategic investment in training and technology. We focus on the development of our people and promote a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. In addition to our retail stores, we operate truss manufacturing facilities and a wholesale drywall company. We are a member of Independent Lumber Dealers Co-operative and the ARENA buying group which ensures our great product selection and pricing

What you’ll do

Requirements

Requires a university degree or college diploma in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Education, or a related field, plus 2–5 years of progressive experience in a relevant HR or talent-related area. Candidates should bring strong coordination, analytical, communication, relationship-building, prioritization, and confidentiality skills, along with the ability to influence stakeholders without formal authority.