Dara Pierre
Glenwood,IL
Summary
Talent acquisition and human resources leader who drives recruitment strategy, strengthens talent pipelines, and delivers high-volume and critical-needs hiring aligned with workforce plans and organizational priorities. Experienced in leading teams, using workforce analytics to improve hiring decisions, advancing diversity and inclusion recruiting, and leveraging strategic sourcing and recruitment technology to support efficient, business-focused talent acquisition.
Overview
1
1
Certification
5
5
years of professional experience
Work History
Talent Acquisition Manager
Chicago Transit Authority, CTA
Chicago, IL
07.2025 - Current
- Lead a nine-member Talent Acquisition team of recruiters, HR specialists, and HR analysts the largest team among three Talent Acquisition Managers setting strategic direction, optimizing performance, and delivering enterprise-wide workforce solutions.
- Direct high-volume, business-critical recruitment portfolios across Bus Operations, Rail Operations, Vehicle Maintenance, Infrastructure, and Supply Chain, supporting a substantial share of CTA’s workforce requirements.
- Advise senior leaders and department heads on workforce planning, critical vacancy prioritization, talent strategy, and organizational capacity to align hiring initiatives with business objectives.
- Design and execute innovative, data-driven recruitment strategies that strengthen critical talent pipelines, expand access to qualified candidates, and advance workforce diversity.
- Cultivate strategic partnerships with community organizations, educational institutions, recruiting agencies, and workforce development programs to expand and sustain high-quality talent pipelines.
- Oversee CTA’s Olive-Harvey College CDL Training Program, a high-value workforce development initiative with Board-level visibility, driving enrollment and transitioning graduates into the Bus Operator workforce.
- Develop and analyze recruitment metrics, dashboards, and workforce analytics, equipping executive leadership with actionable insights to guide workforce planning, resource allocation, and talent decisions.
- Build team capability through coaching, performance management, goal setting, and targeted professional development, strengthening recruiter effectiveness and organizational performance.
- Partner with HR leadership to streamline onboarding and orientation processes, enhance the new-hire experience, accelerate workforce integration, and support employee readiness.
Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist
Chicago Transit Authority, CTA
Chicago, IL
03.2023 - Current
- Executes comprehensive recruitment procedures for executive positions, involving sourcing, interviewing, and integrating new hires.
- Craft comprehensive offer letters that outlined job duties, compensation information, and employee benefits.
- Analyze resumes of potential candidates to ensure that their skills matched the criteria set by management.
- Coordinate onboarding activities for new hires including orientation sessions and paperwork completion.
- Provide guidance on best practices for interviewing techniques, resume review processes, selection criteria development.
- Built robust pipeline and diverse pool of candidates to meet current or future hiring needs.
- Draft reports summarizing progress made on pipelines for review by executive leadership team.
- Coordinate resources across multiple departments and teams as needed for successful completion of hiring efforts.
- Organize and delivered presentations to large groups of people in a professional manner.
- Manage pipeline and supervised a team of two recruiters and a specialist; conducted training sessions to enhance skills, instill best practices, and increase confidence resulting in improved productivity.
- Led recruitment strategy for CTA’s Olive-Harvey College CDL Training Program, a high-value workforce development investment with Board-level visibility; identified and engaged qualified candidates, consistently supported program enrollment, and successfully transitioned graduates into CTA’s Bus Operator workforce.
Talent Acquisition Specialist
Chicago Transit Authority, CTA
Chicago, IL
01.2022 - 03.2023
- Managed end-to-end recruiting process by sourcing and identifying potential candidates, while establishing and nurturing relationships with external entities.
- Assisted in identifying highly qualified candidates through interview process.
- Selected qualified job applicants or referred to managers to make hiring recommendations.
- Maintained an impressive track record with a placement rate ranging from 90% to 95%.
- Posted positions on job boards, media and alternate sourcing channels to attract diverse talent pool.
- Analyzed employment-related data and prepared reports.
- Extended negotiations for approved salary offer.
Human Resources Assistant
Chicago Transit Authority, CTA
Chicago, IL
11.2021 - 01.2022
- Maintained the organization and confidentiality of sensitive employee data in personnel files.
- Facilitated effective onboarding process by guiding new hires through orientation and explaining documentation requirements.
- Conducted background checks and verified employment histories.
- Responded to inquiries from current or prospective employees regarding human resources policies or procedures.
- Updated employee database with changes in job title, salary information or contact details.
- Verified previous employers and other references to determine applicants' employment acceptability.
- Coordinated training schedules and filed crucial administrative paperwork.
Education
Biology
University of Illinois At Chicago
Chicago, ILSkills
Talent Acquisition Strategy & Workforce Planning
Talent Acquisition Team Leadership
High-Volume & Critical-Needs Recruitment
Strategic Sourcing & Talent Pipeline Development
Workforce Analytics & Data-Driven Decision-Making
Strategic HR Planning
Diversity & Inclusion Recruiting
ATS & Recruitment Technology
Stakeholder & Executive Partnership
Project & Program Management
Certification
- National Diversity Council Certified Diversity Professional
April 2024
Additional Experience
Richtownship High School District 227
- 11 years of Administrative Assistant Experience
Accomplishments
Completed a one-week SHRM preparation training and scheduled to sit for the SHRM certification examination in December 2026.
Affiliations
SHRM 2023
Timeline
Talent Acquisition Manager
Chicago Transit Authority, CTA
07.2025 - Current
Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist
Chicago Transit Authority, CTA
03.2023 - Current
Talent Acquisition Specialist
Chicago Transit Authority, CTA
01.2022 - 03.2023
Human Resources Assistant
Chicago Transit Authority, CTA
11.2021 - 01.2022
Biology
University of Illinois At Chicago