Senior Director Talent Acquisition

Authentic. Supportive. Fun. To experience human resources at Ulta Beauty is to step out of the mundane and into an environment alive with optimistic energy. After all, success breeds opportunity, and the opportunities to help drive an organization at the top of its game to even greater heights are as uncommon as they are satisfying.

It’s fast, it’s ambitious, it’s anchored in trust. With the chance to move or flex based on new or existing interests and passions. If you want that rare culture of lived values, where “team” truly means something. Where the drive for excellence is balanced with a genuine desire to help and encourage. And where the mark you make will be seen and recognized—we challenge you to dream bigger. To imagine the possibilities.

THE IMPACT YOU CAN HAVE 

* Position is located at corporate offices in Bolingbrook, IL (Hybrid work schedule – approx. 6 days in office per month)

The Senior Director of Talent Acquisition is a strategic leader responsible for developing and executing enterprise-wide recruiting strategies to attract, engage, and hire top-tier talent across Corporate functions, Executive leadership, and Store/Field leadership roles. This role also leads Employment Brand strategy, ensuring a compelling and differentiated candidate experience that aligns with the company’s values and growth objectives.

This leader partners closely with executive stakeholders, People Success, and business leaders to forecast talent needs, shape workforce strategy, and build scalable recruiting capabilities that support a dynamic, high-growth retail environment.

YOU'LL ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS BY:

Strategic Leadership

• Define and execute a comprehensive talent acquisition strategy aligned to business priorities and long-term workforce planning needs
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on talent market trends, hiring strategies, and organizational design
• Drive cross-functional alignment between Talent Acquisition, PS Business Partners, Compensation, and business leaders

Executive & Corporate Recruiting

• Oversee full lifecycle recruiting for senior leadership (Director through C-suite) and critical corporate roles
• Establish best-in-class executive search practices, including succession pipelines and proactive talent mapping
• Ensure high-touch, white-glove candidate experience for executive hires

Store & Field Leadership Recruiting

• Lead scalable, high-volume recruiting strategies for Store leadership roles (e.g., Store Managers, District Leaders, and Regional Leaders)
• Optimize sourcing models, partnerships, and tools to ensure speed, quality, and diversity of hires
• Partner with Field HR/People Success leaders to anticipate workforce needs and mitigate hiring risks

Employer Brand & Talent Marketing

• Own and evolve the organization’s employment brand strategy across all channels
• Partner with Marketing/Communications to create compelling campaigns that attract passive and active talent
• Elevate the candidate experience across the full lifecycle—from awareness to onboarding

Operational Excellence & Innovation

• Establish and track key recruiting metrics (time-to-fill, quality of hire, diversity outcomes, candidate experience)
• Leverage technology, analytics, and market intelligence to continuously improve TA effectiveness
• Drive process standardization, automation, and scalability across recruiting operations

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing Talent Acquisition team across Corporate, Executive, and Field recruiting
• Build organizational capability in areas such as executive search, talent intelligence, and workforce planning
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and inclusive hiring practices

THE ESSENTIALS OF SUCCESS 

• 12+ years of progressive Talent Acquisition experience, including leadership of large, enterprise recruiting teams
• Experience in Fortune 500 retail, consumer goods, or multi-site organizations
• Background in building or transforming TA functions (e.g., scaling teams, implementing new operating models)
• Proven experience leading Corporate, Executive, and Field/Store recruiting in a complex, high-growth environment
• Demonstrated success building employer branding and talent marketing strategies
• Strong business acumen with the ability to influence and partner at the executive level
• Familiarity with modern TA technologies (ATS, CRM, talent intelligence tools) and data-driven recruiting

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At Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA), the possibilities are beautiful. Ulta Beauty is the largest North American beauty retailer and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care products, hair care products and salon services. We bring possibilities to life through the power of beauty each and every day in our stores and online with more than 25,000 products from approximately 500 well-established and emerging beauty brands across all categories and price points, including Ulta Beauty’s own private label. Ulta Beauty also offers a full-service salon in every store featuring—hair, skin, brow, and make-up services.

We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest records, conviction records, or other criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of any applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York City Fair Chance Act.