Talent Acquisition Associate

About the company

Combustion Research Associates (CRA) designs, engineers and manufactures custom-engineered systems for the Energy and Defence sectors. Headquartered in Noida, CRA delivers high-precision, mission-critical equipment where engineering excellence, quality and reliability are non-negotiable.

As the organization continues to scale, the Human Resources team plays a central role in building the talent, processes and workplace culture that support this growth — across our shopfloor and corporate teams alike.

About the role

We are looking for a proactive Talent Acquisition Associate to manage end-to-end recruitment at CRA, with a strong focus on manufacturing and blue-collar hiring alongside white-collar roles. The role involves sourcing, screening, interview coordination and offer management, while also handling day to day HR operations activities.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working in a fast-paced engineering/manufacturing environment and brings strong coordination, communication and execution skills.

Key Responsibilities

Manage end-to-end recruitment for junior and mid-level positions across functions.
Coordinate with hiring managers to understand manpower requirements and finalize job descriptions.
Source candidates through job portals, social media, referrals, employee networks and recruitment consultants.
Screen resumes and shortlist candidates against role requirements.
Maintain and continuously build a candidate database/talent pipeline for recurring and future openings.
Manage hiring for shopfloor and blue-collar positions, including Technicians, Operators, Fitters, Welders and Helpers.
Coordinate with local ITIs, manpower consultants and labour contractors for blue-collar sourcing.
Plan and execute walk-in drives and bulk/mass hiring events for production and shopfloor roles.
Coordinate with department heads for technical screening and trade-test scheduling of shopfloor candidates.
Schedule and coordinate interviews, technical rounds and managerial discussions.
Conduct initial telephonic/preliminary screening of candidates.
Manage candidate communication throughout the recruitment process, ensuring timely updates.
Support salary discussions and negotiation inputs in coordination with hiring managers.

HR operations

Manage day-to-day HR operations and employee queries, maintaining accurate and updated employee records and documentation.
Coordinate employee joining, transfers, confirmations, promotions and separation-related processes, and maintain personnel files.
Coordinate employee lifecycle activities from joining to exit, and support preparation of HR letters, certificates and other documentation.
Manage and monitor daily employee attendance, coordinating with employees and managers on attendance-related requirements.
Support and manage employee enrolment under EPF and ESIC, and maintain accurate PF/ESIC records.
Keep track of applicable labour law and statutory requirements, escalating compliance gaps where required.
Prepare monthly and periodic HR reports for management review.
Plan and coordinate employee engagement activities, including celebrations, events, festivals and team-building initiatives.

Requirements

1–3 years of experience in recruitment/talent acquisition.
Experience hiring in a manufacturing or engineering environment preferred.
Experience with blue-collar/shopfloor hiring preferred.
Working knowledge of job portals and sourcing platforms (e.g. Naukri, LinkedIn, WorkIndia, Apna) preferred.
Good working knowledge of MS Excel for trackers and recruitment MIS.
Strong coordination and follow-up skills, with the ability to manage multiple open positions simultaneously.
Good written and verbal communication skills.
Proactive, organized and execution-oriented approach.
Ability to maintain confidentiality of candidate and hiring information.