Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition

About Us:
Since 1935, we’ve been on a mission to bring a little extra happiness to everyday life and inspire connections over food. We select the finest ingredients the world has to offer, craft premium products made with love, and never settle for shortcuts. We believe that when we share our food, we share a part of ourselves — and that’s the only way we’d put our name on it. 

Today, our small family company has grown into a national leader in specialty olives, peppers, and sauces under the leadership of CEO Jeff Mezzetta, and our commitment to quality has never wavered. With an 80-year legacy behind us and a bright future ahead, we’re seeking passionate, driven candidates to help us bring our cherished family traditions to a new generation.

The ideal candidate will have an immediate connection to our Core Ingredients:  

• Crunchy Crunchy: We are hungry for excellence.
• Own It: We think and act as an owner – with appetite, initiative, and responsibility.
• Connection: We build authentic relationships that foster trust and open communications.
• Vibrance: We come to work eager and passionate about fulfilling our vision. When we share our work, we share a part of who we are.

The Role

We are seeking a strategic, data-driven, and relentless Senior Manager of TA to own and optimize our hiring function. The right candidate will be obsessed with surfacing roadblocks, bringing innovative solutions to attract a deep pool of A-players, and ensuring that only the best candidates make it through our hiring process.

This position will refine our talent acquisition strategy, challenge conventional hiring methods, and create scalable processes that allow us to attract, assess, and secure top-tier talent efficiently. Additionally, they will oversee the onboarding process to ensure that new hires are not only top performers but also effectively integrated into our culture for long-term success.

The Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition reports to the SVP, People & Culture. Mezzetta offers hybrid (remote/office) work options with the primary work location in American Canyon, CA offices.

Major Responsibilities:

1. Diagnose & Remove Hiring Roadblocks

• Identify and address bottlenecks in our hiring process that slow down the attraction and selection of top talent.
• Provide insights into what’s working and what’s not—then own the fix.
• Optimize internal collaboration between hiring managers and recruiters to streamline decision-making.

2. Build a Best-in-Class Talent Pipeline

• Develop creative and strategic sourcing strategies to attract an abundant pipeline of A-players.
• Utilize data, AI, and market intelligence to proactively identify top talent rather than waiting for them to apply.
• Ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is embedded in the talent attraction strategy.

3. Set a Higher Bar for Hiring Quality

• Implement and enforce highly selective screening criteria to ensure only A-players reach final interviews.
• Challenge hiring teams to think differently about what “top talent” means.
• Design and execute structured interview processes that minimize bias and maximize predictive hiring success.

4. Position Us as a Talent Magnet

• Elevate our employer brand to be the go-to destination for high-performing professionals in our industry.
• Craft compelling messaging and content that attracts elite talent to our organization.
• Partner with marketing and leadership to showcase our culture, vision, and differentiators effectively.

5. Use Data to Drive Hiring Excellence

• Leverage recruiting analytics and hiring funnel metrics to identify patterns and continuously improve outcomes.
• Develop reporting mechanisms to track success, efficiency, and areas for improvement.
• Present data-driven recommendations to leadership to influence hiring strategy.

6. Ensure Seamless Onboarding & Cultural Integration

• Oversee the onboarding experience to ensure all new hires have a structured, engaging, and high-impact transition into the company.
• Partner with hiring managers, HR, and leadership to guarantee that expectations, company values, and performance standards are clearly communicated from day one.
• Track onboarding success metrics (e.g., new hire retention, ramp-up speed, engagement scores) and refine processes as needed.
• Hold hiring teams accountable for follow-through on onboarding to prevent gaps that lead to early turnover or underperformance.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in talent acquisition, with at least 5+ years in management role.
• A proven track record of attracting and hiring top 5% talent in competitive markets.
• Expertise in passive candidate sourcing and executive hiring.
• Strong analytical mindset—comfortable using data to identify problems and drive solutions.
• Experience in high-growth environments or companies known for hiring only A-players.
• Deep understanding of employer branding, recruitment marketing, talent analytics, and onboarding best practices.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills—can influence senior leaders and hiring teams to make data-driven hiring decisions.

What Success Looks Like:

• Hiring Roadblocks Are Removed: You consistently identify and resolve process inefficiencies.
• A-Players Only: Every hire elevates the company; average performers don’t make it through.
• A Deep Talent Bench: We always have strong candidates in the pipeline, ready to hire.
• Fast & Effective Hiring: Time-to-hire decreases without sacrificing quality.
• Company Reputation Grows: We become known as a destination for top talent.
• Onboarding is Seamless & Effective: New hires ramp up quickly, integrate culturally, and deliver impact faster.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG).
• Certification in HR or Recruitment (e.g., SHRM, PHR, AIRS).
• Deep experience with Applicant Tracking Systems, Greenhouse a plus

Our Commitment to an Inclusive Workplace:
At Mezzetta, we embrace diversity and strive to create an inclusive environment where you know you belong. Part of that commitment includes a zero-tolerance policy and being an Equal Opportunity Employer that prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions at Mezzetta are solely based on merit, qualifications, abilities and business needs, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, marital status, national origin, disability, military or veteran status, family or parental status, pregnancy, or any other status protected by law. All of us share in the responsibility of fulfilling this commitment and creating a culture where our team can thrive.