Sanel Lekic

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