University Talent Acquisition Partner

University talent is a foundational cornerstone of Appian's growth strategy. The team builds deep, impactful relationships with top-tier academic institutions in a fast-paced, high-performing, collaborative environment. They shape the future culture of Appian by identifying and attracting the next generation of innovators through full-lifecycle university recruiting programs that fuel our AI-Powered Process Automation platform.

Appian is scaling rapidly as enterprises worldwide adopt AI-Powered Process Automation to transform their operations. This role exists to secure exceptional early career talent who will drive our next phase of innovation and market leadership. You will have the autonomy to build strategic university partnerships, shape our employer brand on campuses, and directly influence the future of our engineering, product, and business teams.

This role is based at our HQ in McLean, VA. Appian was built on a culture of in-person collaboration, which we believe is a key driver of our mission to be the best. Employees hired for this position are expected to be in the office 5 days a week to foster that culture and ensure we continue to thrive through shared ideas and teamwork. We believe being in the office provides more opportunities to come together and celebrate working with the exceptional people across Appian.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Lead full-cycle campus recruiting from sourcing through offer acceptance, ensuring a seamless and compelling candidate experience that converts top university talent
• Cultivate and execute strategic partnerships with university career centers, academic departments, faculty advisors, and student organizations to build a robust talent pipeline
• Partner with hiring managers and business leaders to understand team needs, competitive positioning, and business strategy, serving as a trusted advisor on university talent acquisition
• Optimize interview processes and candidate assessment frameworks to identify high-potential early career talent who align with Appian's culture and technical requirements
• Build and amplify Appian's employer brand on target campuses through events, information sessions, hackathons, and digital engagement strategies
• Leverage multi-platform sourcing strategies including LinkedIn, Handshake, campus job boards, and referral networks to identify passive and active candidates
• Negotiate and close offers with top candidates, articulating Appian's compelling value proposition and career growth opportunities
• Track and analyze recruitment metrics including pipeline health, conversion rates, and time-to-fill to drive continuous improvement and data-informed decisions

• Bachelors degree in Human Resources, Business, Communications, or related field
• 3+ years of hands-on campus recruiting experience managing the full candidate lifecycle including sourcing, interviewing, negotiating, and closing
• Proven ability to source candidates across multiple platforms and channels with demonstrated success in converting passive talent
• Strong stakeholder partnership skills with experience advising hiring managers and business leaders on talent strategy
• Demonstrated expertise in employer branding and building campus presence at universities
• Experience optimizing interview processes and candidate assessment methodologies
• Understanding of business strategy, competitive market dynamics, and how talent acquisition drives organizational success
• Availability to travel up to 20% during peak recruiting seasons for campus visits and events

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS