Manager, Talent Acquisition

About this role

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.

Key Responsibilities

Recruiting Excellence & Execution

• Own full-cycle recruitment for field leadership roles (Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Area Leader) across assigned regions, managing a portfolio of ~30+ active openings at a time

• Partner closely with Regional General Managers, Area Leaders, and People Business Partners to identify talent needs, align on candidate profiles, and move with urgency on P0/P1 priorities

• Lead confidential and executive-level searches with discretion, creativity, and professionalism

• Manage sourcing strategy across tools, including Greenhouse, LinkedIn, Indeed, Fountain, Recruitics, and BrightHire

• Maintain data integrity in ChartHop and Greenhouse; ensure accurate pipeline tracking and timely role management

• Own and manage regional recruiting budgets, maintaining accountability for spend across tools and sourcing channels

Talent Planning & Internal Mobility

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

• Leverage ChartHop data sheets, assessments (S2, performance/potential ratings), and relocation interest to build an objective, data-driven view of talent readiness across the fleet

• Partner with L&D and People Business Partners to ensure internal successors receive development support aligned to their readiness timeline

• Drive toward a 70%+ internal fill rate for Head Coach and Assistant Coach roles through proactive talent pipeline development

New Restaurant Openings (NRO/NMO)

• Manage full-cycle hiring for new restaurant openings including market research, candidate sourcing, comp analysis, and stakeholder coordination

• Utilize market intelligence (deep research AI tools) to prepare hiring playbooks tailored to local labor market dynamics

• Train and support team members on NRO and hourly hiring processes (ServiceNow, Fountain)

Team Leadership & Development

• Directly manage 2-3 Talent Advisors, providing regular coaching, development planning, and performance feedback

• Build and maintain a comprehensive Talent Advisor Guide and supporting SOPs to enable team consistency and scalability

• Design and facilitate team learning, calibration sessions, and process improvement initiatives

• Onboard new team members with structured training plans covering field leadership recruiting, hourly hiring, and key systems

Strategic Projects & Influence

• Partner with the Sr. Director, People Experience on workforce forecasting, team structure, and TA capacity planning

• Build and present data-driven analyses on open role trends, internal promotion rates, and pipeline health to inform strategic decisions

• Develop and iterate on tools and resources for field operators (e.g., hiring guides, interview prep materials, AL prep guides for Talent Slating)

• Champion the adoption and continuous improvement of recruiting technology and AI tools (BrightHire, ChartHop, Gen AI research tools)

What We're Looking For

• 7+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience, ideally in a high-volume, multi-unit environment

• Experience managing or mentoring junior recruiting team members

• Strong consultative partnership skills — able to build trust and drive accountability with field operators and senior leaders

• Data fluency: comfortable using ATS and HRIS platforms (Greenhouse, ChartHop) to track and analyze pipeline data

• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities across regions simultaneously

• Strategic thinker who can zoom out from day-to-day execution to identify systemic solutions and long-term improvements

• Com