Sanel Lekic

Talent Acquisition professional with 20+ yrs of experience spanning healthcare, entertainment, and multi-site clinical operations across hospitals, clinics, and mental and behavioral health settings. Over the last 17 years, I have specialized in geriatric mental health recruitment for multi-state, multi-site organizations, delivering scalable hiring solutions and operational excellence. Highly skilled in leveraging data analytics, automation, and innovative sourcing strategies to build strong talent pipelines, reduce time-to-fill, and improve hiring outcomes.

I am committed to driving strategic talent acquisition initiatives that align with organizational goals, elevate performance, and support long-term growth.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Recruitment • Coaching • Employee Engagement • Strategic Planning • Cross-Functional Partnering • Relationship Building • Organizational Efficiency • Culture Development • Communication Campaigns • Policy Development • Job Descriptions • Compensation Planning

Throughout my career, I have built recruitment infrastructures that support rapid expansion, strengthen cross-functional alignment, and deliver high-quality hiring results. I have led recruiting teams, implemented data-driven processes, and introduced modern tools that improved time-to-fill and reduced recruitment costs by more than 40%. My expertise centers on designing scalable systems—not just maintaining existing processes positioning me to establish a strong and sustainable recruiting foundation for any organization.

I bring extensive experience recruiting across all business functions, including Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, Operations, Clinical, C-suite, VP-level talent, and technical positions such as Sales Engineers, Solutions Architects, Technical Consultants, and other specialized roles. My background supporting multi-state clinical and operational environments enables me to manage complex hiring needs, partner closely with leaders, and anticipate workforce demands before they surface. I take a thoughtful, inclusive approach to hiring at all levels, grounded in strong partnerships with hiring managers.

Employer branding, storytelling, and the candidate experience are central to my recruitment philosophy. I have led engagement initiatives, enhanced onboarding effectiveness, and shaped messaging that authentically reflects organizational culture efforts that improved both hiring outcomes and employee retention.

CHE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH – San Diego, CA Nov-2015 – Nov 2025 Vice President, Talent Acquisition - Behavioral & Geriatric Mental Health Services | 17 State Operation

• Promoted from Senior Director to Vice President for leading the transformation and national scale-up of talent acquisition across a multi-state behavioral and geriatric mental health network.
• Oversaw all recruitment, onboarding, and talent strategy functions, advising senior executives on workforce planning, policy development, and enterprise-wide staffing strategy.
• Built and directed multi-state recruiting operations supporting clinical, technical, and corporate hiring across 1,200+ healthcare facilities nationwide.
• Designed and executed sourcing strategies that reduced time-to-fill by 25%, strengthened early-tenure retention, and improved onboarding efficiency.
• Partnered with C-suite and HR leaders to forecast workforce needs, advance DEI priorities, and implement data-driven recruitment metrics aligned with organizational goals.
• Led a team of 12 recruiters and sourcing specialist; implemented performance scorecards and coaching programs that increased recruiter productivity by 30%.
• Led national recruitment campaigns for high-demand clinical roles (MDs, Psychiatric NPs, Psychologists, Social Workers, LMFTs, LPCCs, LMHCs), reducing overall hiring spend by 40%.
• Developed succession planning and internal mobility frameworks, driving a 20% YoY increase in internal placements.
• Implemented two ATS platforms and CRM integrations, improving data accuracy to 99% and reducing manual workload by 25% through streamlined processes and automation.
• Deployed real-time analytics dashboards tracking time-to-fill, source performance, funnel conversion, and pipeline strength to support faster, evidence-based decision-making.
• Introduced AI-driven sourcing and referral strategies that expanded candidate pipeline volume by 45%, and spearheaded an employer branding refresh that increased offer acceptance rates by 18%.

VERICARE - San Diego, CA Aug-2009 - Nov-2015 Senior Director of Recruitment - Behavioral & Geriatric Mental Health Services | 12 State Operation.

• Provide strategic leadership for enterprise-wide recruitment initiatives within a leading geriatric mental health organization.
• Lead a high-performing team of 12 talent acquisition professionals responsible for hiring 350–450 clinicians annually, aligning staffing delivery with clinical and operational growth objectives.
• Partner with senior executives on workforce planning, talent strategy, and organizational design, while coaching clinical leaders on effective management, interviewing, and hiring practices.
• Accelerated onboarding timelines from 90 days to 30–45 days, significantly improving speed-to productivity and workforce readiness.
• Reduced clinician turnover by 10% through improved onboarding, engagement, and mentoring programs.
• Advanced rapidly from Recruiter to Manager to Senior Director, recognized for consistent performance and strategic leadership contributions.
• Applied Lean and Kaizen methodologies to enhance recruitment operations, improving hire quality and supporting revenue growth.
• Increased retention through the implementation of behavioral-based assessments and structured mentorship initiatives.
• Reduced voluntary turnover by redesigning onboarding workflows and introducing state-specific compensation and productivity frameworks.

 Led ATS and career site integration, creating a unified, technology-enabled, and data-driven candidate experience.

• Contributed to enterprise culture-building efforts, including the development and rollout of organizational core values.
• Developed and maintained performance metrics to evaluate recruitment effectiveness, including employee tenure, turnover trends, cost-per-hire forecasting, offer acceptance rates, and satisfaction scores.

20TH CENTURY FOX - Los Angeles, CA Aug-2007 - Sep-2009 Talent Acquisition Manager - A premier global entertainment studio spanning TV, film, and digital brands; supporting creative, production, and corporate hiring across the U.S. and international markets.

• Led end-to-end sourcing, recruitment, and selection efforts across all departments, implementing creative talent pipelines including internships and career mentorship programs.
• Partnered with the VP of Recruitment to analyze hiring data, assess market trends, manage quotas and budgets, and accurately forecast staffing needs.
• Reduced recruitment costs while maximizing ROI through targeted sourcing strategies and improved process efficiencies.
• Consistently exceeded program hiring goals by utilizing diversified recruitment methods such as online sourcing, resume databases, direct outreach, professional networking, and social media engagement.
• Strengthened hiring speed and quality by collaborating closely with managers and HR teams to ensure timely candidate selection and onboarding.

SCRIPPS MERCY HOSPITAL - San Diego, CA Aug-2007 - Sep-2009 Talent Acquisition Manager - A major San Diego nonprofit hospital and clinic network known for delivering high-quality, compassionate care while supporting 11 clinics and a 700+ bed hospital.

• Reduced RN vacancy rates from 10% to 2.3% by enhancing candidate qualification processes and improving sourcing effectiveness.
• Built and led a high-performing talent acquisition team responsible for hiring more than 1,500 employees annually, ensuring staffing goals were consistently achieved.
• Improved the accuracy and visibility of recruitment performance data by designing scorecard metrics that informed more strategic hiring and management decisions.

-Strategic Talent Acquisition (In Process) – Academy of Innovate HR 2025

-Talent Acquisition Specialty Credential (In Process) – SHRM 2025-2026

-Aligning Recruitment and Selection with Company Strategy – University of Maryland 2025

-Pima Medical Institute 1993-1995 Nursing Certificate