Director, Talent Acquisition

About the Role

NerdWallet is seeking a Director of Talent Acquisition to lead and build the operating engine behind our hiring processes and manage recruiting capacity. This role will oversee the entire Talent Acquisition ecosystem, including strategy, operating model, team leadership, Talent Operations, systems, and metrics. The goal is to transform hiring into a predictable, scalable, and data-driven capability that aligns with our evolving business needs. Talent Acquisition and Talent Operations will function as a unified team under this leadership.

Responsibilities

• Shape NerdWallet's Talent Acquisition strategy alongside business leaders, adapting the operating model to match hiring demands and making build-vs-buy decisions for in-house recruiting, contractors, RPO, and retained search.
• Lead capacity planning, funnel design, SLA targets, and process governance; manage recruiting workflows, dashboards, and ATS requirements; and drive the adoption of new tools and standards across the team.
• Define and own KPIs for Talent Acquisition, including time-to-fill, pipeline health, conversion, and quality of hire; build dashboards and establish a reporting cadence to keep the business informed.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary team of recruiters, sourcers, coordinators, and Talent Operations partners; remain personally involved in critical and executive searches.
• Build structured interviewing and evaluation frameworks to reduce bias and improve decision quality; create playbooks and enablement materials for hiring managers and interviewers.
• Partner with HRBPs, Finance, Compensation, Legal, and business leaders on workforce planning, prioritization, and hiring decisions.
• Own the recruiting technology roadmap, including Ashby, sourcing, reporting, and scheduling tools, and identify opportunities for AI to enhance recruiting and Talent Operations.

Requirements

• 8+ years of Talent Acquisition experience, with at least 5 years leading Talent Acquisition in a player/coach capacity.
• Experience managing an integrated Talent Acquisition and Talent Operations model.
• Track record of building or redesigning a recruiting operating model, including process design, capacity planning, vendor strategy, metrics, systems, and governance.
• Experience managing a mixed recruiting-capacity model, including internal teams, contractors, RPOs, and retained search firms.
• Experience supporting a high-growth or rapidly evolving company, scaling hiring across several hundred employees.
• Strong understanding of recruiting operations, including ATS design, workflows, coordination models, dashboards, data integrity, and reporting, with experience establishing SLA-based metrics.
• Hands-on proficiency with Ashby or a comparable modern ATS, used to drive process and decision-making.
• Experience hiring across a broad range of levels and functions, from early-career to executive search.
• Experience building employer brand and talent attraction programs, including referral programs, internal mobility, and recruiting events.
• Excellent communication skills and a proven ability to engage, influence, and motivate diverse audiences.
• Comfort operating as an executive partner with a strong point of view, sound judgment, and low ego.

Qualifications

• Experience selecting, implementing, or modernizing recruiting technology and driving adoption across a team.
• Experience integrating AI or automation into recruiting and Talent Operations workflows.
• Experience building recruiting dashboards and operating reviews that directly influence business decisions.
• Familiarity with workforce management, contingent workforce programs, or vendor-governance models.
• Experience clarifying decision rights across Talent Acquisition, HR Operations, HRIS, and People Operations.
• Familiarity with recruiting practices across multiple regions or a distributed and remote workforce.
• Experience in fintech, consumer technology, or another regulated or fast-scaling consumer-facing industry.

Benefits

• Industry-leading medical, dental, and vision health care plans for employees and their dependents.
• Rejuvenation Policy – Flexible Vacation Time Off + 11 holidays + holiday company shutdown.
• New Parent Leave for employees with a newborn child or a child placed with them for adoption or foster care.
• Mental health support.
• Paid sabbatical after 5 years for Nerds to recharge, gain knowledge, and pursue their interests.
• Health and Dependent Care FSA and HSA Plan with monthly NerdWallet contribution.
• Monthly Wellness Stipend, Cell Phone Stipend, and Wifi Stipend (for remote Nerds only).
• Work from home equipment stipend and co-working space subsidy (for remote Nerds only).
• 401K with 4% company match.
• Financial wellness, guidance, and unlimited access to a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) through Northstar.
• Disability and Life Insurance with employer-paid premiums.

This role will be remote (based in the U.S.). NerdWallet offers benefits and perks to support the physical, financial, and emotional well-being of you and your family.