Who We Are

Mercy Ships is a global faith-based charity that uses hospital ships to bring life-changing surgeries and transformational medical training to people in some of the most challenging contexts along the African coast. For over 40 years, Mercy Ships has been delivering lasting hope and healing through safe surgical care, while working alongside partners and stakeholders to strengthen local healthcare systems in more than 55 countries. Since the inception of this dream by founders Don and Deyon Stephens in 1978, Mercy Ships has served more than 2.7 million direct beneficiaries without regard for race, gender, or religion.

This is an full time role, working remotely.

The Opportunity

As an Operations Recruitment Specialist, you are responsible for seeking and identifying highly skilled maritime and operational professionals to join the bold mission of Mercy Ships. You are an advocate for the candidate, a consultant to the Staffing team, and a champion of our mission and values. You will design and implement innovative sourcing strategies and actively recruit maritime and operational talent to ensure the organization can meet its goals.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Build and evaluate applicant sources: develop relationships with associations, trade schools, churches, etc.
• Develop and manage a networked talent pool from alumni, leads, referrals, job sites (LinkedIn, Idealist, etc.).
• Actively source passive candidates via tools, calls, outreach.
• Launch seed-planting initiatives with academic, church, and community networks.
• Research advertising venues, develop job ads, and monitor performance.
• Recommend new lead sources (e.g., partnerships, purchased leads).
• Create sourcing strategy resources (personas, role requirements, etc.).
• Ensure a high-touch, positive candidate experience.
• Coach and mentor recruitment team members.
• Promote and participate in recruitment events and webinars.
• Propose strategic sourcing events with strong ROI.
• Maintain knowledge of Mercy Ships’ policies and departmental needs.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to understand and translate talent needs.
• Report on recruiting metrics to guide sourcing priorities.
• Share best practices with the global recruitment team.
• Partner with the Talent Brand team to align on brand and content.
• Contribute to and manage recruitment budget.
• Stay current on industry trends, sourcing innovations, and recruitment best practices.
• Some overnight travel required.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Skills

Mission Alignment

• Supportive of Mercy Ships’ mission, vision, and core values.
• Demonstrates servant leadership, collaboration, and integrity.

Recruitment Expertise

• Skilled in data mining, Boolean searches, sourcing strategies.
• Experience with job boards, social media, and KPIs.
• Capable of balancing priorities while delivering results.

Interpersonal Strengths

• People-first mindset, excellent interpersonal skills.
• Committed to candidate experience and collaboration.
• Builds trust and rapport across stakeholders.

Technical Proficiency

• Strong with Microsoft 365 and ATS platforms.
• Comfortable learning new systems and CRM tools.

Communication

• Strong written and verbal communication.
• Able to share the heart and mission of Mercy Ships authentically.
• Personable and approachable with candidates.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in HR, Business, Marketing, or equivalent experience.
• 2+ years recruiting experience required.
• Team management experience preferred.
• Familiarity with ATS systems required.
• Mercy Ships or non-profit experience is a plus.
• Successful completion of Mercy Ships Onboarding required in Year 1.

This is a paid, full-time remote role. Help us find the crew that brings healing.

Explore more at: https://www.mercyships.org/get-involved/volunteer