Manager, Talent Acquisition

About the role

The Manager, Talent Acquisition serves as a strategic Talent Advisor and team leader within Sweetgreen's People Experience function. This role is responsible for driving field leadership recruiting across multiple regions, building and scaling talent systems, and developing a high-performing TA team. The Manager, Talent Acquisition acts as a critical thought partner to field operators; connecting talent intelligence to broader organizational strategy, succession planning, and internal mobility. In this capacity, you will own the end-to-end recruitment process for critical leadership positions while fostering a data-driven and collaborative hiring environment. You will be instrumental in shaping the future leadership bench across the company through structured talent planning and disciplined execution. Your work will directly influence the organization's ability to scale efficiently and maintain a high-performance culture in key markets.

Key facts

What you'll do

Lead full-cycle recruitment for field leadership roles, including Head Coach, Assistant Coach, and Area Leader, managing a portfolio of approximately 30 or more active openings at any given time.

Partner closely with Regional General Managers, Area Leaders, and People Business Partners to identify precise talent needs, align on candidate profiles, and drive urgent action for P0 and P1 priorities.

Execute confidential and executive-level searches with a high degree of discretion, creativity, and professionalism to protect sensitive organizational needs.

Design and manage a diversified sourcing strategy across multiple platforms, including Greenhouse, LinkedIn, Indeed, Fountain, Recuitcs, and BrightHire, to ensure robust candidate pipelines.

Maintain precise data integrity within ChartHop and Greenhouse, ensuring accurate pipeline tracking, candidate status updates, and timely role management.

Own and optimize regional recruiting budgets, maintaining strict accountability for spend across all tools and sourcing channels to maximize ROI.

Facilitate monthly Talent Slating calls with Area Leaders across assigned regions, driving accountability for successor identification, readiness assessment, and structured internal promotion pipelines.

Leverage ChartHop data sheets, validated assessments such as S2, and performance and potential ratings to build an objective, data-driven view of talent readiness enterprise-wide.

Partner with Learning & Development and People Business Partners to ensure internal successors receive tailored development support aligned with their readiness timelines and growth objectives.

Drive toward a minimum 70 percent internal fill rate for Head Coach and Assistant Coach roles through proactive talent pipeline development and strategic workforce planning.

Manage full-cycle hiring for new restaurant openings, including local market research, candidate sourcing, competitive compensation analysis, and coordination with key stakeholders.

Utilize deep market intelligence and advanced research tools to prepare targeted hiring playbooks that reflect local labor market dynamics and competitive pressures.

Train and support teams on streamlined NRO and hourly hiring processes, leveraging systems such as ServiceNow and Fountain for efficiency and consistency.

Directly manage 2 to 3 Talent Advisors, providing ongoing coaching, structured development planning, and actionable performance feedback to elevate team effectiveness.

Build and maintain a comprehensive Talent Advisor Guide and standardized SOPs to enable team consistency, scalability, and continuous improvement in execution.

Design and facilitate regular team learning sessions, calibration meetings, and process improvement initiatives that enhance collaboration and operational excellence.

Onboard new team members with structured training plans that cover field leadership recruiting, hourly hiring workflows, and mastery of key systems and tools.

Partner with the Senior Director of People Experience on workforce forecasting, team structure optimization, and Talent Acquisition capacity planning to support future growth.

Build and present data-driven analyses on open role trends, internal promotion rates, pipeline health, and time-to-fill metrics to inform strategic decisions at the leadership level.

Develop and iterate on practical tools and resources for field operators, including hiring guides, interview preparation materials, and leadership prep guides for Talent Slating.

Champion the adoption and continuous improvement of recruiting technology and artificial intelligence tools such as BrightHire, ChartHop, and Gen AI research applications to enhance efficiency and accuracy.

Requirements

Demonstrate experience in managing full-cycle recruiting for leadership roles within a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Show a proven ability to manage multiple priorities and competing demands while maintaining a high standard of accuracy and timeliness.

Exhibit strong analytical skills with comfort using data dashboards, HRIS systems, and recruiting platforms to inform decision-making and measure outcomes.

Communicate effectively with executive-level stakeholders and translate complex information into actionable recommendations and clear narratives.

Collaborate closely with cross-functional partners, including operations, finance, and learning & development, to align on goals and drive results.

Adhere to company policies and ethical standards in all recruiting practices, ensuring consistency, fairness, and compliance in every engagement.

Maintain a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion principles throughout the sourcing, screening, and hiring processes.

Leverage technology and automation to improve recruiting workflows and reduce manual effort while sustaining high levels of quality.

Nice to have

Experience with workforce planning and succession management processes, including the use of tools such as ChartHop.

Familiarity with AI-powered research and sourcing tools that support talent acquisition in a high-growth retail environment.

Practical notes

This role is based in Los Angeles, California.

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship for this position.

No visa sponsorship is available for this role.

Please apply only if you meet the eligibility requirements listed in the qualifications section.