Director, Talent Development & Strategy

IMG LIVE; California, Northern (MO, KY); On-site; USD 105,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Job summary

WME is seeking a Director, Talent Development & Strategy to lead the assistant-to-agent development ecosystem across Music and core business verticals. You will design and scale onboarding, training, performance management, and career progression programs for early-career agents.

Collaborating with HR, Operations, Recruitment, Inclusion and senior leadership, you will build a best-in-class development infrastructure and ensure programs align with talent strategy and business priorities while

Qualifications

• 5–7+ years of experience in talent development, organizational development, or related fields.
• Experience using Workday as an HRIS and implementing development programs.
• Strong ability to translate strategy into scalable programs and curricula.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and execution of a comprehensive agent development strategy across all business areas including Music.
• Oversee onboarding, Farmhouse and Trainee program integration, and early-career initiatives.
• Define performance management frameworks with clear metrics and coaching paths.
• Partner with HRBPs and leadership to support managers with actionable feedback and performance reviews.
• Collaborate across HR, Operations, Recruitment, and Inclusion to drive cross-functional initiatives.

Skills

Talent development

Program design

Stakeholder mgmt

Cross-functional

Data analysis

Communication

Tools

Workday

Job description

## Director, Talent Development & StrategyApplylocations: CA-Beverly Hills - 9601 Wilshire: NY-New York - 11 Madisontime type: Full timeposted on: Posted 3 Days Agojob requisition id: JR28743**PRIMARY ROLE OR FUNCTION:**The Director, Talent Development & Strategy will serve as a strategic and operational leader responsible for advancing WME’s **assistant-to-agent development ecosystem** across the agency, including Music and all core business verticals.This role will drive the design, integration, and execution of early-career development programs, ensuring a cohesive and scalable approach to onboarding, training, performance management, and career progression. The Director will play a critical role in shaping the **next generation of WME agents** by aligning development initiatives with broader business, talent, and operational priorities.Working cross-functionally with HR, Business Operations, Recruitment, Inclusion, and senior leadership, this role will help define and implement a **best-in-class agent development infrastructure** that supports both individual growth and long-term business success.**RESPONSIBILITIES:****Agent Development Strategy & Program Leadership*** Lead the design and execution of a comprehensive agent development strategy across all business areas, including Music.* Oversee and evolve core development programs, including: + Assistant onboarding and training + Farmhouse and Trainee program integration + Early-career agent development initiatives* Ensure programming aligns with agency priorities, performance expectations, and long-term talent strategy.* Identify gaps in development offerings and implement scalable, high-impact solutions.**Performance Management Design & Execution*** Lead the build-out, standardization, and execution of performance management frameworks in partnership with HR and Business Operations.* Define and operationalize: + Clear performance expectations and success metrics + Feedback cadence and evaluation processes + Documentation and escalation pathways (e.g., coaching plans, performance improvement processes)* Ensure alignment across departments on performance standards, accountability, and evaluation consistency.* Partner with HRBPs and leadership to support managers in delivering effective, actionable feedback.* Integrate performance management into broader development programming to ensure a clear link between performance, progression, and promotion readiness.* Build out and utilize the Workday platform to administer performance management processes, including goal setting, review cycles, and performance documentation, ensuring consistency and data integrity across the organization.## **Cross-Functional Sprints Leadership & Execution*** Serve as a key leader within the **HR / Inclusion / Operations Sprints initiative**, partnering across HRBPs, Business Operations, Recruitment, Inclusion, and development teams.* Drive progress across critical workstreams, including: + Performance management frameworks for early-career agents + Standardized training curriculum (assistant through agent levels) + Career progression pathways and promotion criteria + Onboarding and orientation optimization* Translate sprint outputs into **practical, scalable tools and programming** implemented across the agency.* Ensure alignment across stakeholders and maintain momentum on cross-functional initiatives.## **Onboarding & Orientation Strategy*** Oversee the **agency-wide onboarding and orientation experience** for assistants and agents.* Partner closely with HR and on-the-ground team members to ensure: + Consistency across departments + Strong in-person and virtual delivery + Alignment with WME culture and expectations* Continuously refine onboarding experiences using feedback, data, and evolving business needs.## **Program Integration & Pipeline Alignment*** Ensure alignment across all early-career programs, including: + Assistant training + Trainee Program + Farmhouse + Additional development initiatives* Create a **connected and clearly defined development journey** from entry-level roles through early agent years.* Partner with leadership to ensure programs are integrated into broader talent and business strategies.## **Stakeholder Management & Agency Collaboration*** Act as a central point of coordination across: + Human Resources + Business Operations + Recruitment + Inclusion + Department and office leadership* Build strong relationships across all offices (Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, London) to ensure consistency and adoption of programming.* Present updates, insights, and recommendations to senior leadership.**ACCOUNTABILITY & EXPECTATIONS:** · Demonstrate ownership over agency-wide agent development initiatives and outcomes. · Drive alignment across multiple stakeholders and departments. · Deliver high-quality programming that supports both employee development and business performance. · Maintain consistency, scalability, and operational excellence across all programs. · Serve as a trusted partner to HR and senior leadership in shaping talent strategy.**ESSENTIAL JOB KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, & CHARACTERISTICS:****Professional Knowledge & Experience*** 5–7+ years of experience in talent development, organizational development, or related fields.* Must have previous experience using Workday as an HRIS* Experience building out and utilizing the Workday platform to support performance management processes.* Experience designing and leading scalable development programs in a complex, fast-paced organization.* Strong understanding of early-career pipelines, performance management, and career progression frameworks.* Experience working cross-functionally with HR, Operations, and business leadership.* Entertainment, media, or agency experience is strongly preferred.**Skills & Capabilities*** Strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into execution.* Exceptional stakeholder management and influence skills.* Strong program design, facilitation, and curriculum development capabilities.* Ability to operate both **strategically and tactically**.* Excellent communication, presentation, and organizational skills.* Data-informed mindset with strong analytical capabilities.**Personal Characteristics*** Collaborative and highly relationship-oriented.* Proactive, solutions-driven, and adaptable.* High level of professionalism, discretion, and accountability.* Passionate about developing talent and building high-performing teams.* Comfortable navigating ambiguity and driving change across a complex organization. *Per local requirements and in the interest of transparency, the rate shown below reflects the prevalent current hiring range for this position. Hiring pay rates are based on a number of factors, including location and may vary depending on job-related qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience. The company strives to provide locally competitive rewards packages, which include base rate along with, as applicable, short- and long-term incentives, growth and developmental opportunities, and robust benefits, such as health care, retirement, vacation and other paid time off, and additional offerings.**Hiring Rate Minimum:*$105,000 annually (minimum will not fall below the applicable state/local minimum salary thresholds)*Hiring Rate Maximum:*$140,000 annuallyWME is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, or religion or belief.