Sr. Director, Head of Talent Acquisition and Administration

Sesame Workshop is looking for a Sr. Director, Head of Talent Acquistion and Administration. This position serves as a key partner to the Chief People Officer (CPO), providing executive operational leadership and overseeing comprehensive talent acquisition and employer brand initiatives. This role merges the operational depth of a chief of staff with the vision and execution of a Talent Acquisition leader, enhancing the employer brand and experience, supporting organizational transformation, and ensuring seamless coordination of the P&C team’s priorities. The Senior Director will directly manage the P&C Senior Coordinator who will have responsibilities spanning both talent acquisition and administration.

Responsibilities

Talent Acquisition & Employer Brand Leadership

• Head all aspects of talent acquisition, including workforce planning, sourcing, selection, recruitment, and employer branding.
• Direct strategies for attracting and hiring leadership and staff talent, partnering with P&C business partners and leaders and external search partners.
• Develop, articulate, and continually evolve the company’s employee brand in collaboration with Marketing and Communications, ensuring authenticity and consistency across channels.
• Champion a compelling candidate experience, internal mobility, and career pathing initiatives.
• Leverage analytics and data-driven decision making to inform talent acquisition approaches, assess effectiveness, and improve quality and speed of hire.
• Support cross-team communication and collaboration between Talent Acquisition, Employee Experience, Benefits & Operations, Performance & Compensation, and Business Partners.
• Maintain and update internal documents, templates, and timelines to reflect evolving recruitment and employer branding activities.

Administration Leadership

• Serve as principal operational manager for the People & Culture team, driving excellence in process, execution, and project management for the team’s goals.
• Lead rapid response initiatives to address urgent organizational needs and operational challenges.
• Manage the CPO’s calendar and provide executive support, including board committee material preparation and delivery.
• Support the CPO’s engagement with the Transformation Office, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and transformation efforts.
• Coordinate and organize cross-functional People & Culture projects spanning compensation, performance, engagement, learning, recruiting, and operations.
• Oversee annual budget planning, spending, and reporting for the P&C team.
• Proactively manage timelines, departmental calendars, documentation, trackers, and action items to keep the P&C team on track with its commitments.
• Coordinate executive travel, expense reports, and meeting logistics.
• Champion internal communications by organizing all-hands updates, offsite meetings, and department-wide events.
• Design and ensure quality delivery of P&C annual retreats.
• Anticipate needs, streamline schedules and workloads, and suggest process improvements for greater strategic focus.

People & Culture Team Leadership

• Directly manage and mentor the P&C Senior Coordinator, ensuring effective delegation and development while supporting high-volume periods and large initiatives.
• Foster an inclusive, uplifting team culture focused on engagement, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Promote engagement and clarity through smooth cross-team communication and effective organization of key meetings and events.
• Represent the team with a professional, can-do attitude both internally and externally, building trust and rapport across diverse teams and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in Human Resources, including operations, project management, and talent acquisition roles.
• Previous experience supporting senior leaders or executive teams in fast-paced, cross-functional environments.
• Proven ability to take initiative, manage multiple priorities, and demonstrate accountability for high-quality outcomes.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to communicate effectively and professionally at all organizational levels, including senior leadership.
• Demonstrated flexibility and composure in rapidly changing environments.
• Relationship-building skills; able to cultivate trust and collaboration across diverse teams.
• Experience with analytics and data-driven talent acquisition.
• Strategic thinker with a skill for anticipating needs, identifying improvements, and aligning operational support with broader goals.
• Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint).

Preferred Qualifications

• Intermediate knowledge of project management tools.
• Advanced understanding of Human Resources functions and culture.
• Experience in employer branding and recruitment marketing.
• Passion for Sesame Workshop’s mission.
• Experience managing team members through influence versus direct authority.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Minorities/Females/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity