Strategic and people-centric recruiting professional with 5+ years of progressive leadership experience in early talent hiring, workforce development, and compliance-focused environments. Proven success in scaling recruiting operations, designing internship and new grad programs, and partnering with educational institutions to build diverse talent pipelines. Adept at managing cross-functional teams, improving hiring systems, and driving high-impact outcomes through data and empathy. Excited to bring bold, scalable strategies to Whatnot’s fast-growing, community-first marketplace.
Hi, I’m
Kingsley Nwala
Concord,CA
Summary
Overview
13
years of professional experience
1
Certification
Work History
Kaiser Permanente – Behavioral Health Department
Mental Health Specialist
01.2024 - 01.2025
Job overview
- Supported intake, staff scheduling, and compliance reviews while collaborating across HR and clinical teams to improve recruitment efficiency.
- Helped optimize documentation protocols and contributed to department-wide improvements in process visibility and hiring timelines.
National Psychiatric Care & Rehabilitation Services
Recruiting Lead / Staffing Coordinator
01.2020 - 01.2025
Job overview
- Led early career recruitment strategy, building a pipeline of interns and new grads to support 24/7 operations at a 25-person behavioral health facility.
- Created job descriptions, coordinated interviews, managed shift scheduling, and streamlined onboarding, improving staff fill rates by 40%.
- Partnered with leadership to implement process improvements aligned with CARF accreditation and compliance goals.
Families First – Rose Manning Youth Shelter
Manager / Crisis Stabilization Lead
01.2015 - 01.2018
Job overview
- Managed full-cycle recruiting for shelter operations, sourcing and hiring new grads and interns to staff a high-acuity youth program.
- Developed trauma-informed onboarding practices and led cross-departmental training initiatives that improved performance and retention.
- Tracked onboarding effectiveness, candidate satisfaction, and passthrough rates to refine early talent programs.
La Cheim RTC, Bonita House, BACS, Fred Finch
Various Roles
01.2013 - 01.2016
Job overview
- Facilitated recruitment and onboarding of new hires, including entry-level counselors, interns, and shift leads.
- Served as onboarding coach and quality assurance lead, driving improvements in staff engagement and retention.
- Acted as liaison between program managers and HR to streamline hiring needs and create scalable training processes.
Ike Mack Center (Serrena House)
Lead HR Counselor & Early Talent Coordinator
01.2012 - 01.2014
Job overview
- Directed onboarding and professional development for 15+ entry-level and intern staff, many of whom advanced into permanent roles.
- Recruited and onboarded candidates through outreach with local colleges, youth programs, and workforce agencies.
- Facilitated HR documentation audits and coordinated team feedback systems to reduce early attrition by 25%.
Education
University of Phoenix
B.S. from Industrial-Organizational Psychology
University Overview
Merritt CollegeOakland, CA
A.A. from Business Administration
University Overview
Merritt CollegeOakland, CA
A.A. from Behavioral Science
University Overview
Merritt CollegeOakland, CA
A.S. from Natural/Health Science
University Overview
Skills
- Early Career & Campus Recruiting
- Internship & New Grad Program Design
- DEI & Talent Pipeline Strategy
- Employer Branding & University Relations
- Candidate Experience Management
- ATS Optimization (Greenhouse, Lever)
- Onboarding, Training & Retention
- Data-Driven Hiring Metrics & KPIs
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Remote & Hybrid Team Leadership
Certification
- CompTIA Security+
- Governance & Risk Compliance – Certificate of Attendance
Additional Highlights
Additional Highlights
- 5+ years experience building and leading early talent hiring pipelines
- Strong background in diversity-focused outreach and hiring
- Data-literate: track time-to-fill, passthrough rates, and funnel health
- Experience managing recruiting and HR operations across multiple sites
- Skilled at building candidate-centered experiences aligned with company culture
Timeline
Mental Health Specialist
Kaiser Permanente – Behavioral Health Department
01.2024 - 01.2025
Recruiting Lead / Staffing Coordinator
National Psychiatric Care & Rehabilitation Services
01.2020 - 01.2025
Manager / Crisis Stabilization Lead
Families First – Rose Manning Youth Shelter
01.2015 - 01.2018
Various Roles
La Cheim RTC, Bonita House, BACS, Fred Finch
01.2013 - 01.2016
Lead HR Counselor & Early Talent Coordinator
Ike Mack Center (Serrena House)
01.2012 - 01.2014
Merritt College
A.A. from Business Administration
Merritt College
A.A. from Behavioral Science
Merritt College
A.S. from Natural/Health Science
University of Phoenix
B.S. from Industrial-Organizational Psychology
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