Director of Talent Acquisition at Citarella

New York, New York, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

22 Jul, 26

Salary

150000.0

Posted On

23 Apr, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Talent Acquisition, Full-cycle recruiting, High-volume hiring, Team leadership, Workforce planning, Recruiting strategy, Process improvement, Data-driven decision making, Employer branding, Stakeholder management, ATS management, KPI tracking, Sourcing strategy, Interviewing, Onboarding alignment

Industry

Food and Beverage Services

Description

OVERVIEW Citarella is one of the most iconic premium food retailers in the United States, built on more than a century of culinary heritage and an uncompromising commitment to quality. Established in New York City in 1912 as a neighborhood seafood shop, the company has evolved into a family-run gourmet market destination known for “fresh from the source” standards, deep product expertise, and a hospitality-forward customer experience. Today, Citarella operates specialty markets across New York City, the Hamptons, and Greenwich, Connecticut. The brand is widely recognized for extraordinary seafood and a best-in-class assortment of prime dry-aged meats, chef-prepared foods, scratch-made pastries, artisanal cheeses, cured meats, smoked fish, and a curated lineup of private-label products. Its reputation rests on craftsmanship, pride, operational discipline, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Citarella’s next chapter requires scaling this high-standard, founder-driven business into a durable, professionally managed enterprise capable of sustained growth across markets and channels—while preserving the quality, culture, and customer intimacy that define the brand. Role Summary: Citarella is seeking a highly driven and operationally focused Director of Talent Acquisition to lead and rebuild our in-house recruiting function. This role will oversee a team of two recruiters while remaining deeply hands-on in full-cycle recruitment, with a strong focus on senior-level hiring across retail, corporate, and commissary operations. This leader will be responsible for transforming Talent Acquisition into a scalable, data-driven, and service-oriented function that supports high-volume hiring while elevating quality of hire, speed, and candidate experience. Key Responsibilities Talent Acquisition Leadership & Strategy * Lead, coach, and develop a team of 2 recruiters; set clear performance expectations and accountability standards * Rebuild and standardize recruiting processes across all business units (retail stores, DC/commissary, corporate) * Partner with the Head of People and senior leadership on workforce planning and hiring strategy * Establish a high-performance recruiting culture grounded in ownership, urgency, and results Full-Cycle Recruiting (Hands-On) * Personally lead recruitment for senior-level and hard-to-fill roles (Department Managers, Store Leadership, Corporate functions) * Oversee full-cycle recruitment across all roles: sourcing, screening, interviewing, offer, and onboarding alignment * Ensure consistency and quality in hiring decisions across all locations High-Volume Recruiting Optimization * Design and implement scalable hiring strategies for high-volume retail roles * Improve time-to-fill, candidate flow, and offer acceptance rates * Build structured pipelines for recurring roles (perishables, front-end, operations) Recruiting Operations & Analytics * Implement and optimize ATS and recruiting workflows * Build and track core KPIs: * Time-to-fill * Offer acceptance rate * Source effectiveness * 30/60/90-day retention * Cost-per-hire * Use data to drive decision-making and continuous improvement Employer Branding & Sourcing Strategy * Strengthening Citarella’s employer brand in a competitive labor market * Develop multi-channel sourcing strategies (Indeed, referrals, local outreach, culinary networks) * Partner with operations to position Citarella as an employer of choice in premium food retail and hospitality Stakeholder Management * Partner closely with Store Managers, Department Leaders, and admin teams * Act as a trusted advisor on hiring decisions, talent quality, and market conditions * Drive hiring manager accountability and consistency in the interview process Success Metrics (First 6–12 Months) * Reduce time-to-fill across key roles * Improve offer acceptance rate and candidate experience * Establish consistent hiring processes across all locations * Increase 90-day retention for new hires * Build strong pipelines for critical and recurring roles Qualifications * 5–10+ years of Talent Acquisition experience, including high-volume recruiting environments * Experience hiring across multiple levels (hourly to leadership) * Prior experience leading or mentoring recruiters * Strong operational mindset with ability to build processes from the ground up * Proven ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment Preferred * Experience in retail, hospitality, food service, or multi-unit operations * Familiarity with ATS platforms (ADP, Dayforce or similar) * Experience improving recruiting KPIs and scaling hiring functions Compensation * $110,000 – $140,000 base salary (level dependent on experience) * Bonus and incentive opportunities tied to recruiting performance and hiring outcomes Why This Role Matters This is not a maintenance role—this is a build and transform opportunity. The right candidate will have the ability to influence and redefine how Citarella attracts and hires talent, directly impacting store performance, guest experience, and long-term growth.

Responsibilities

The Director of Talent Acquisition will lead and rebuild the in-house recruiting function, overseeing a team of two while managing full-cycle recruitment for senior-level and high-volume roles. This role is responsible for standardizing processes, implementing data-driven strategies, and strengthening the company's employer brand across retail and corporate operations.