Talent Acquisition Specialist–Front of House (Field based role)

RDG introduces its first restaurant-concept brand, MILA, which offers guests a culinary journey through exquisite MediterrAsian cuisine, opened in January 2020 in Miami Beach. Combining genuine hospitality, fine dining, and a sophisticated nightlife atmosphere, MILA has quickly become a premier destination within Miami's upscale social scene.

At RDG, we are a collective of individuals dedicated to excellence and the art of sensory engagement. We embrace the rhythms of life and are motivated by the thrill of adventure. Our core principles focus on providing customers with immersive experiences, organic design, and a refined culinary journey.

DREAM IT

MILA has exceeded expectations in its initial two years, achieving remarkable success despite pandemic-related challenges, and securing the #5 spot in The Restaurant Business Top 100 ranking. Building on this success, RDG has expanded into new concepts including AVA MediterrAegean in Winter Park, Florida, CASA NEOS on the Miami River (opened June 2024), and MM, a Membership Community. Upcoming projects include NOORA and Claudie (scheduled for fall 2024), AVA’s second location in Coconut Grove (2025), and HONŌ Japanese Steakhouse (2026).

BUILD IT

RDG's distinguished brand portfolio and exclusive membership program aim to create a network of venues and experiences that offer a unique lifestyle to guests and members in Florida. Our goal is to establish RDG as a leader in the luxury restaurant industry in the United States.

GROW IT

RDG has demonstrated rapid growth and is poised for significant economic expansion globally. We are actively exploring national markets such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, and international markets including Paris, London, Dubai, and Mexico City for potential expansion opportunities.

Summary

Reporting to the Manager, Talent Acquisition, the Talent Acqusition Specialist-FOH is a member of our entrepreneurial Human Resources & Talent Acquisition team. This field based role will directly support restaurant hiring efforts. This position will serve as an ambassador for the brand in all markets, assist in deploying industry leading recruitment programs, and maintain consistent front of house applicant pools.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for the full cycle recruiting process for both internal and external candidates to fill current and future front of house openings by creating a talent pipeline to coincide with RDG’s growth strategy.
• Communicate with candidates throughout the on-boarding process.
• Extensive comprehension of all restaurant positions and job responsibilities
• Source and evaluate incoming FOH restaurant applications and actively source passive candidates to identify talent that aligns with RDG’s needs, brand standards and culture.
• Responsible for providing a regular cadence of recruitment reporting to all internal stakeholders.
• In collaboration with the Chief People Officer and Manager, Talent Acquisition, begin to identify future openings and the workforce planning model to build out a pipeline of candidates.
• Cultivate a strong working relationship with corporate chef team as they articulate current needs across all venues.
• Build our employment brand in the communities in which we work by establishing relationships with universities, J1 programs, and community-based organizations to provide a pipeline of qualified and talented candidates.
• Resourceful in identifying experienced servers, server assistants, hosts, baristas, runners etc.
• Manage post on boards and maintain job descriptions in collaboration with the restaurant team.
• Communicate with candidates through the recruitment process through their start date.
• In collaboration with Manager, Talent Acquisition, assist with workforce planning and budgets for new openings.
• Assist HR or Talent Acquisition Team with any other projects or tasks as needed.
• May be cross utilized to assist with culinary recruitment as needed.
  
  

Requirements/Qualifications : Briefly describe the educational background, licenses, certifications, job-related experience, knowledge, skills, or abilities necessary to perform the job and preferred relevant experience.

• Minimum of 5 years progressive recruiting experience within a hospitality fine dining/upscale setting is required.
• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, culinary, or related field of study or any equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
• Experience working with/recruiting for fine dining or upscale restaurant concepts is essential.
• Experience working with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) & HRIS such as ADP is preferred.
• Proficient in Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Outlook
• Demonstrated knowledge of a J1 program and guidelines is essential.
• Ability to effectively interact with all levels within the organization.
• Ability to handle highly sensitive information in a confidential manner.
• Ability to multi-task in a challenging and fast paced environment, consistently meet deadlines.
• Problem solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to exercise sound judgment.
• Bilingual in Spanish is strongly preferred.
  
  

Other Skills And Knowledge

• Superior verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to represent RDG and business with professionalism, poise and model the RDG values.
• Proven time management, organizational, and follow-up skills, with a high comfort level initiating and responding to high volume of phone calls and emails.
• Adept at working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment with a task-driven focus.
• Commitment to a heightened sense of urgency associated with the talent acquisition processes.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills to successfully troubleshoot and resolve unexpected roadblocks, barriers, and inquiries from internal and external clients.
• Excellent relationship building capabilities with a keen ability to drive engagement within the recruiting process.
• Mature and proactive professional judgement is vital to influence at all levels.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule and visit properties as needed (new openings, open call etc.)