Talent Acquisition Manager

At Lou Malnati’s, great pizza starts with great people. We're looking for a Talent Acquisition Manager who loves connecting with candidates, building relationships, and helping teams grow. Whether you're hiring a restaurant team member or recruiting a senior leader, you'll play a key role in bringing our culture to life. This role blends strategy, creativity, and execution while helping us attract outstanding talent. The Talent Acquisition Manager leads end-to-end recruiting strategy and execution across Lou Malnati's — from sourcing and hiring hourly restaurant team members to attracting top corporate and management talent. This role is both strategic and hands-on, partnering closely with field leaders and corporate department heads to build pipelines, improve hiring processes, and ensure we're bringing in people who reflect our culture and standards. This role requires you to be in office Tuesday-Thursday with the flexibility to work from home Monday and Friday. What You’ll Do Team Leadership & Full-Cycle Recruiting Own the recruiting strategy and process for hourly, management, and corporate roles — from job posting through offer acceptance Partner with hiring managers to understand staffing needs, define role requirements, and set realistic timelines Oversee sourcing strategy across job boards, social media, employee referrals, community partnerships, and other creative channels Guide hiring managers through structured interview and selection processes; step in on senior or hard-to-fill searches Hourly & Restaurant Hiring Strategy Develop and maintain efficient, scalable processes for high-volume hourly hiring across all restaurant locations Build relationships with local workforce pipelines — culinary schools, community colleges, job fairs, and community organizations Monitor time-to-fill and applicant flow by location; proactively identify and resolve staffing gaps Set team-wide sourcing and outreach priorities based on market conditions and location-level needs New Store Opening Recruiting Own the staffing strategy for new restaurant openings, from initial hiring plan through move-in day Partner with the opening General Manager, District Manager, and senior leadership to build the hiring timeline and headcount plan by role Lead local sourcing strategy ahead of an opening, including job fairs, community outreach, and market-specific advertising Candidate Experience & Process Set the standard for a professional, engaging candidate experience across the recruiting team Oversee accuracy and consistency of candidate records across the applicant tracking system Review and refine candidate communications, including rejection and offer correspondence Identify and resolve process bottlenecks or candidate experience gaps Leadership & Reporting Partner with hiring managers and senior leadership on workforce planning and hiring priorities Report on pipeline health, time-to-fill, and hiring outcomes to HR and executive leadership Lead employer branding efforts, including job postings, career page content, and social recruiting strategy What You Bring 4+ years of recruiting experience, including experience leading or mentoring other recruiters (restaurant, retail, or hospitality experience a plus) Proven ability to manage multiple high-volume searches and hiring initiatives at once Strong leadership and coaching skills, with the ability to develop a growing recruiting team Clear, warm, and professional communication style — both written and verbal — with senior stakeholders and candidates alike Advanced comfort with applicant tracking systems (ATS) and HR systems, including reporting and data analysis A people-first mindset and genuine investment in building teams that reflect Lou Malnati's culture Ability to prioritize and adapt in a fast-paced, high-volume hiring environment, including new store openings Nice to Have Experience recruiting for both hourly and corporate/professional roles Experience building or scaling a recruiting function, including new store or new market openings Familiarity with sourcing tools (LinkedIn Recruiter, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, etc.) Bilingual (English/Spanish) a plus Comfort with occasional travel and a flexible schedule around opening timelines What We Offer A leadership role within a beloved, growing Chicago institution The opportunity to build and shape the talent acquisition function as we expand Competitive pay and benefits A collaborative HR team that values people-first thinking #J-18808-Ljbffr