Director of Recruiting

Role overview

Gracent is hiring a Director of Recruiting to lead talent acquisition for a clinically focused organization. This is a full-time, exempt position based in Chicago, IL, with about 30% travel to centers in Illinois and Texas. The pay range is $90,000 to $115,000 plus bonus.

The role is built for someone who can thrive in a highly competitive clinical hiring market. You will be expected to combine strategic leadership with hands-on recruiting, helping the company connect with hard-to-find clinicians through a candidate-first, authentic approach. This position does not require a background in the industry, but it does require someone who can build trust, move quickly, and sell a genuine story to talent that is often not actively looking.

Why this position matters

Recruiting is treated as a core business priority rather than a support function. The role sits within Marketing intentionally, so the recruiting approach aligns with the company’s brand and its broader story to families and clinicians. You will have direct access to leadership, quick decision-making, and real ownership over strategy and execution.

What you will do

• Create a proactive sourcing engine that goes beyond job postings and reaches clinicians through outreach, referrals, professional groups, licensure networks, alumni channels, and conferences.
• Research local talent markets in depth, including BCBAs, SLPs, and OTs across the metros the company serves, and convert that insight into active target lists.
• Develop long-term pipelines so passive candidates are already familiar with Gracent before they are ready to consider a move.
• Improve speed and quality in the hiring process so the team can compete effectively, reduce time-to-offer, and respond well when candidates receive competing offers.
• Track and manage recruiting performance metrics such as pipeline coverage, conversion rates by stage, time-to-fill, source-of-hire, and offer acceptance.
• Build recruiting playbooks for new markets as the organization expands across Illinois and Texas.
• Recruit in two modes: ongoing high-volume hiring for Behavior Therapists and targeted searches for hard-to-find licensed clinicians.
• Work as a player-coach by setting direction, staying close to sourcing and closing, and helping others on the team improve.

Working style and expectations

• You should be comfortable moving quickly, adapting when priorities change, and testing practical solutions rather than waiting for a perfect plan.
• The team uses AI to improve outreach, mapping, and recruiter efficiency, so a forward-looking approach to AI is important.
• This role is intended for someone who enjoys building new systems and processes rather than simply executing a prewritten playbook.
• Recruiting here is expected to feel honest, specific, and respectful to candidates at every stage.

What you should bring

• Deep experience in full-cycle recruiting, with some history of leading or mentoring other recruiters.
• Exposure to both high-volume hiring and patient, relationship-driven searches for talent that is not actively applying.
• Practical experience using AI in recruiting workflows.
• A strong builder mindset and the ability to take initiative with limited structure.
• Comfort working with data, ATS/CRM platforms, and sourcing tools.
• Steady performance when priorities shift during the week.
• Healthcare, ABA, allied health, or licensed-professional recruiting experience is strongly preferred.

Who is likely to succeed here

• Someone who enjoys winning hard-to-fill searches.
• A recruiter who can handle a volume pipeline and a long-cycle passive search at the same time.
• A person who thinks about talent as an audience to earn, not just a list to contact.
• Someone who prefers creating solutions over waiting for them.
• A communicator who values honesty and believes an authentic pitch performs better than a polished but inaccurate one.

Compensation and employment details

This is a full-time, exempt role. Base pay is $90,000 to $115,000 USD, and the package also includes bonus opportunity.

Equal opportunity statement

Gracent is an equal opportunity employer. The organization supports hiring, development, and promotion without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.

Application note

The company encourages candidates to apply even if they do not match every requirement, especially if they believe they can succeed in the role and can explain why they are a strong fit.