Darren Sherrard

CEO

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States35 yrs 8 mos experience

Most Likely To SwitchHighly Stable

Key Highlights

Led recruitment marketing for 2M+ annual applications.
Managed multi-million-dollar budgets for national campaigns.
Transformed federal hiring through innovative marketing strategies.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Healthcare Recruitment Marketing Expert with a focus on government hiring strategies.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Recruitment MarketingEmployer BrandingHealthcare RecruitingOperations ManagementRecruiting

Other Skills

Talent AttractionProgrammatic AdvertisingPaid Social CampaignsCandidate EngagementAudience TargetingDigital MarketingCreative DirectionMessaging StrategyAnalyticsPerformance OptimizationFederal HiringDigital StrategyCampaign ManagementBusiness ExpansionStrategic Workforce Development

About

I’ve spent my career solving one problem most organizations underestimate: How do you consistently generate enough qualified applicants at scale? At the Department of Veterans Affairs, I lead recruitment marketing efforts supporting one of the largest healthcare hiring operations in the country. Each year, our work contributes to: Over 2 million applications Roughly 50,000 hires National campaigns across digital, events, content, and media This isn’t about posting jobs. It’s about building systems that: Attract attention at the top of the funnel Convert interest into applications Support recruiters with better tools and messaging I’ve managed multi-million-dollar budgets, led national campaigns, and helped modernize how a federal agency approaches hiring. What I’ve learned: Most hiring problems are not recruiter problems—they’re marketing problems. If you’re trying to solve for: low applicant volume poor conversion rates inconsistent pipelines That’s where recruitment marketing should lead. Areas of Expertise / Keywords: Recruitment Marketing, Employer Branding, Talent Attraction, Programmatic Advertising, Paid Social Campaigns, Healthcare Recruiting, Diversity Recruitment Strategy, Candidate Engagement, Audience Targeting, Digital Marketing, Creative Direction, Messaging Strategy, Analytics, Performance Optimization, Federal Hiring, VA Careers

Experience

35 yrs 8 mos

Total Experience

11 yrs 11 mos

Average Tenure

18 yrs 1 mo

Current Experience

Department of veterans affairs

Associate Director, Recruitment Marketing and Advertising

May 2008 – Present · 18 yrs 1 mo · New Orleans, LA · Remote

As Associate Director of Recruitment Marketing & Advertising for VA Careers, I oversee the strategy, development, and execution of national recruitment marketing initiatives that attract talent to one of the nation’s largest and most mission‑driven healthcare systems. I lead multi‑channel campaigns, employer brand initiatives, and digital experiences that elevate how VA shows up in the talent marketplace.
Key Responsibilities:
Direct national recruitment marketing, employer branding, and advertising strategy
Lead creative direction, message development, and multi‑channel content planning
Oversee programmatic advertising, paid social campaigns, and audience targeting
Support healthcare talent acquisition priorities and hard‑to‑fill clinical roles
Manage performance analytics, conversion optimization, and campaign reporting
Collaborate with recruiters, hiring teams, program offices, and senior leadership
Lead vendors, creative teams, and cross‑functional partners in campaign execution
Strengthen VA Careers’ brand presence through storytelling and innovative outreach
Achievements:
Delivered campaigns that increased visibility and candidate volume for priority healthcare roles
Improved applicant engagement and funnel conversion through targeted digital strategies
Advanced VA’s use of programmatic and paid social to reach niche healthcare audiences
Guided award‑winning video and multimedia content showcasing VA’s mission and career opportunities
Implemented performance optimization practices improving ROI and candidate quality
Supported recruitment efforts across thousands of annual clinical and non‑clinical hires
Case Study 1 — Scale
Problem:
Large healthcare system needed sustained applicant volume nationwide
Action:
Built integrated recruitment marketing system:
centralized campaigns
digital + event strategy
content + employer brand alignment
Result:
2M+ applications annually
~50K hires supported

Recruitment MarketingEmployer BrandingTalent AttractionProgrammatic AdvertisingPaid Social CampaignsHealthcare Recruiting+8

Independent nursing services (dissolved)

Vice President, Chief Operating Officer

Aug 2003 – Mar 2008 · 4 yrs 7 mos · Richland Hills, TX · On-site

✅ Healthcare Executive leading operations growth & business expansion:
Led healthcare staffing operations serving 400+ clients, growing revenue from $4.3M to $8.4M in two years.
Directed HR, finance, IT, compliance, and JCAHO accreditation.
✅ Strategic Workforce Development:
Early adopter of Health Care Staffing Services (HCSS) Accreditation, setting standards for recruitment best practices.
Improved hiring processes & operational efficiency, ensuring quality workforce placement.

Healthcare RecruitingCandidate EngagementOperations ManagementBusiness ExpansionStrategic Workforce Development

U.s. army recruiting command (usarec)

First Sergeant/ Senior Trainer

Aug 1990 – Sep 2003 · 13 yrs 1 mo · Cincinnati, Ohio Area · Hybrid

✅ Senior Recruiting & Training Leadership:
Master Trainer for 400+ Army recruiters across 45 offices in two states.
First Sergeant (Cincinnati Recruiting Company): Led 40+ recruiters, achieving record-breaking recruitment success.
Specialized in Special Operations Aviation (160th SOAR "Night Stalkers") recruitment.

Candidate EngagementRecruitingTrainingLeadership Development