DAMIEN ZAMUDIO
New Rochelle
Summary
Dynamic Senior Talent Leader with expertise in high-volume recruiting and strategic workforce planning. Drove exceptional employee satisfaction through innovative culture initiatives and developed successful partnerships for community-centric hiring. Led comprehensive talent strategies, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and operational excellence.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior People & Talent Leader
APPLE, INC.
New York Metro
04.2015 - 10.2025
- Full-Cycle Talent Ownership (NSO): Spearheaded the end-to-end recruitment strategy for the first Apple stores in The Bronx and Queens; managed high-volume pipelines (100+ roles per site) to meet aggressive launch deadlines while maintaining quality-of-hire.
- Co-founded and served as Regional Co-Chair for Apple's Diversity Network Association (DNA); designed equitable assessment plans and inclusive interview strategies, enhancing diverse talent representation in NYC market.
- Developed "People Mindset" culture at SoNo Collection, elevating eSat from 70% to 93% (#1 in US) and securing Top 10 ranking for Sales Performance (AMR).
- Product & Design Collaboration: Acted as a "Field Thought Partner" for Global Design and Preservation teams; provided technical feedback on store design functionality and BOH workflows to optimize the employee and customer experience.
- Partnered with APAC markets to export NSO talent playbooks and training frameworks, facilitating successful global launches for "Vintage D.2" design concept.
District Manager / Talent Partner
STARBUCKS COFFEE CO.
New York City Metropolitan Area
10.2003 - 04.2015
- Strategic Workforce Planning: Led talent launch for iconic Bleecker Street location; navigated community resistance through "Local-First" hiring and partnerships with Christopher Street Alliance to enhance local engagement.
- Workflow Optimization: Collaborated with corporate design teams to map customer journeys and BOH layouts for unique retail footprints, optimizing speed of service while preserving personalized West Village, "bohemian" vibe.
- Executive Stakeholder Management: Ensured operational and hiring excellence for district frequented by CEO, achieving 100% brand alignment and maintaining high performance standards.
Education
University of California, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CASkills
Talent Acquisition
- Full-Cycle Recruiting
- Strategic Sourcing
- Offer Negotiation
- Headcount Planning
- Workforce Analytics
Data Analytics
- AI-Driven Workflows
- ATS Optimization
- Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
Community-Centric Sourcing
- Inclusive Interview Design
- DEIB Leadership
- ERG Leadership
Strategic Partnership
- Stakeholder management
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Operational Excellence
Process Improvement
- Scaling Culture
- Business Acumen
- Data Analytics
Leadership Community Impact
Diversity Network Association (DNA), Co-Chair, Strategic Leadership: Served as Co-Chair for the Diversity Network Association, directly influencing regional culture and employee belonging by creating a platform to amplify voices through town hall style virtual activations, regional wide events celebrating Heritage Moments and larger company wide activations to celebrate heritage moments and discuss current events such as immigration policy, stigma, bias, racism, micro-aggressions, representation, resume building and mentorship., Cross-Functional Advocacy: Led and supported initiatives for multiple Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), including Familia@Apple, Black@Apple, Pride@Apple, Women@Apple, and AAPI@Apple networks., Inclusive Excellence: Partnered with leadership to integrate fair and inclusive interview strategies across the market to ensure diverse talent representation., Community Engagement: Managed and coordinated volunteer programs and group events to strengthen team cohesion and community ties.
Additional Experience
Proven Launch Success: Spearheaded 3 Landmark Openings in NYC (Apple Queens Center, Apple The Bronx, Starbucks Bleecker St)., Influenced design elements (e.g., custom record-sleeve tables, preserved masonry) to align corporate identity with local neighborhood history., Overcame neighborhood opposition through transparent community engagement, local hiring initiatives, and non-profit partnerships., Built workflows and supply chain par levels from $0 to high-volume revenue in the first 90 days of operation.
Timeline
Senior People & Talent Leader
APPLE, INC.
04.2015 - 10.2025
District Manager / Talent Partner
STARBUCKS COFFEE CO.
10.2003 - 04.2015
University of California, Santa Cruz