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.
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
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
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)
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
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)
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
Comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-paced environments with a "progress over perfection" mindset
Alignment with Sweetgreen's core values: Win-Win-Win, Act Like an Owner, Grow Together, Build for Tomorrow, Add the Sweet Touch
This role sits at the intersection of talent acquisition, talent planning, and people strategy — giving the right person a rare opportunity to directly shape the leadership pipeline of one of the most mission-driven restaurant brands in the country. You'll have autonomy to build systems, influence strategy, and develop a team, all while staying closely connected to the humans and communities that make Sweetgreen's restaurants thrive.
Come join the sweetlife!
About sweetgreen
Sweetgreen is a national restaurant brand dedicated to building healthier communities by connecting people to real food. Since 2007, Sweetgreen has reimagined fast food to be fresh, flavorful, and rooted in relationships with farmers and communities. As we grow, we are committed to developing our people in our restaurants and at our support center, so that everyone can be part of the movement. When you join Sweetgreen, you not only invest in your own future but help create spaces where food, people, and purpose come together
Founded in 2007, sweetgreen is a destination for simple, seasonal, healthy food. We believe the choices we make about what we eat, where it comes from and how it’s prepared have a direct and powerful impact on the health of individuals, communities and the environment. That’s why we’re building a transparent supply network, why we cook from scratch, and why we’re building a community of people who support real food.
We’re in the business of feeding people, and we’re out to change what that means.
These six core values embody our culture, spirit and dedication to doing what’s right. They keep us aligned and help us make decisions about everything from the food we serve to the way we design our stores.
create solutions where the company wins, the customer wins, the community wins.
make decisions that last longer than you will.
cultivate authentic food and relationships.
create meaningful connections every day
leave people better than you found them.
celebrate your passion and your purpose.
Our mission is to inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food. We know that sweetgreen is a critical link between growers and consumers, and we feel a responsibility to protect the future of real food. To that end, we’re committed to supporting small and mid-size growers who are farming sustainably, to creating transparency around what’s in your food and where it came from, and to creating more accessibility to healthy, real food for more people. Because here at sweetgreen, impact is not an arm of our business, it is our business, and it permeates everything we do, from what we source to who we hire and how we support local communities. We want to make an impact and leave people better than we found them, and we tailor our approach in each market to reflect the needs of the community.