Director, Training

Job Description:

The Director, Training leads the strategy, design, and execution of enterprise learning, leadership development, and talent systems that drive operational excellence, leadership capability, and a best-in-class guest experience. This role oversees field training, organizational development, and learning & development to ensure all programs are strategically aligned, effectively designed, and consistently executed across the organization.

As the connection between Support Center strategy and in-store execution, this leader ensures every training solution not only builds capability but also reinforces a culture where team members deliver memorable, high-energy, and guest-first experiences.

Key Responsibilities
1. Training Strategy & Business Alignment Define and lead the overall training strategy aligned to business goals, operational priorities, and brand standards

Establish a clear vision for how training drives Guest experience and hospitality behaviors, leadership capability and bench strength, and operational excellence and consistency

Partner with senior leaders to identify capability gaps and prioritize high-impact learning initiatives

Ensure training supports key business drivers (guest experience, sales, retention, compliance, leadership development)
Establish a clear roadmap for leadership development, onboarding, and operational training
2. Team Leadership & Functional Alignment Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team including instructional design, LMS and learning technology, and field training execution.

Create clear roles, accountability, and ways of working across the team Ensure strong alignment between content design, system deployment, and field execution

Influence leaders across the business to take ownership of training and development within their teams
3. Instructional Design & Content Strategy Set standards for instructional design, ensuring content is:

Operationally relevant (FOH/BOH application)
Engaging and scalable

Aligned with adult learning principles and rooted in guest-centric behaviors

Lead development of training for new initiatives & systems

Ensure existing training materials are up-to-date, accurate, and relevant

Ensure consistency across brands while allowing for operational flexibility
4. Learning Technology & LMS Strategy Ensure effective deployment, tracking, and reporting of all training programs

Leverage LMS data to measure adoption, completion, and effectiveness

Partner with LMS SME to continuously improve user experience and functionality

Drive innovation in how learning is delivered (microlearning, mobile-first, in-the-moment tools)5. Field Training Integration & Execution Ensure training translates effectively from design to real-world execution in the field

Partner with Field Training Manager to:

Validate that hospitality standards are being demonstrated—not just understood

Reinforce training during key moments (menu launches, peak seasons, new initiatives)
Coach leaders on how to model and reinforce hospitality behaviors with their teams

Establish feedback loops from field to continuously improve training
6. Training Project Lifecycle Management Establish enterprise processes for training intake, prioritization, and execution

Ensure all initiatives are delivered with clear timelines and accountability, strong stakeholder alignment, and operational readiness

Balance competing priorities to focus on highest-impact initiatives
7. Measurement, Insights & Continuous Improvement (Owns)
Define and track key training success metrics:

Guest experience (OSAT, feedback trends)
Team member engagement and retention

Operational performance and sales

Use data and insights to continuously refine training strategy and improve effectivenessQualifications
10+ years of experience in Learning & Development, Training, Operations, or related field5+ years of leadership experience managing multi-functional training teams

Experience in hospitality, restaurant, retail, or multi-unit environments strongly preferred

Proven ability to build and execute enterprise-level learning strategies

Strong understanding of:

Instructional design and adult learning

Operational execution in guest-facing environments

Learning technologies and LMS platforms

Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and drive cross-functional alignment

Strong business acumen and ability to connect training to measurable outcomes

Strong project management and prioritization skills

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?:

Dave & Buster’s is an imaginative and dynamic company dedicated to creating innovative entertainment experiences that bring joy, laughter, and excitement to people of all ages. Our mission is to foster a culture of fun and creativity, and we take pride in our commitment to delivering memorable and unique entertainment solutions.

Exclusive discounts on food and games at D&B & Main Event Paid Time Off (PTO) that increases with tenure
11 Company Holidays (Including your Birthday) & 2 Floating Holidays per year Medical, dental, vision and…