Roberta Maldonado Franzen Named Director of Talent Acquisition and Recruitment at Duke

Maldonado Franzen leads the design, development, implementation and monitoring of recruitment and talent acquisition programs

Roberta Maldonado Franzen.
Roberta Maldonado Franzen, director of Talent Acquisition and Recruitment at Duke.

Dr. Roberta Maldonado Franzen, who has served in various leadership roles at Kansas State University, including director of People and Culture for its libraries, has been named the Director of Talent Acquisition and Recruitment at Duke.

Maldonado Franzen, who joined Duke on June 26, leads the design, development, implementation and monitoring of recruitment and talent acquisition programs for Duke University and Duke University Health System. She will make recommendations to senior leaders in Duke Human Resources and others to ensure the alignment of recruitment strategies with institutional goals and objectives.

Antwan Lofton, vice president of Duke Human Resources, said Maldonado Franzen will have a key role in helping to lead Duke’s recruitment strategies in collaboration with others.

Since the pandemic began, Duke has hired approximately 21,500 new staff and faculty, as hybrid and remote work arrangements have changed how and where people work.

“We’re not just recruiting within Durham, North Carolina, anymore,” Lofton said. “Using best practices and strategies that she brings to us from other institutions she’s worked in, we’re going to leverage that skillset to ensure we are recruiting top performers, not just within the Durham community, but globally as well.”

Before coming to Duke, Maldonado Franzen worked at Kansas State University since 2010 in various roles, including Director Talent Acquisition and mostly recently, Director of People and Culture for the Libraries. As part of that university’s Human Resources function, she streamlined and implemented a university-wide applicant tracking system with automated recruiting and onboarding features. She also created an internal university executive search firm to recruit diverse talent.  

Maldonado Franzen said she is excited to ensure Duke “remains a beacon of excellence and innovation.”

“We’re building a first-class process to attract the best and brightest to the region,” Maldonado Franzen said. “Great talent knows no boundaries. Together, we will recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the world we serve, ensuring that our research, teaching and patient care continue to remind talent all the great reasons why Duke is a great place to work.”

Maldonado Franzen has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Kansas State University and a master’s degree in Science Administration with a concentration in Human Resources Administration from Central Michigan University. She earned doctorate in philosophy in Leadership Communication from Kansas State University in 2021.

She also holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification from the Human Resource Certification Institute.

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