Director of Talent Strategy and Development

Role Purpose

The Director of Talent Strategy & Development is the architect of Pop Stroke’s talent engine — responsible for attracting, onboarding, training, and developing the leaders and teams that power our venues. This role owns the full talent lifecycle: from hiring the right people, to ensuring an exceptional onboarding and training experience, to building leadership capability and bench strength across the organization.

Embedded in the business and closely partnered with Operations, this leader ensures our venues are staffed, prepared, and continually developing strong talent ready to scale with our growth.

This is a strategic talent leadership role with operational impact.

Reports to:

Chief People Officer

In-Office

Full-Time, Exempt

• Lead full-cycle recruiting strategy for venue leadership and key roles (OP, AOP, KM, and beyond)
• Partner with Operations to forecast workforce needs and hiring timelines
• Elevate hiring standards, interview processes, and candidate experience
• Train leaders on effective interviewing and selection practices
• Build proactive talent pipelines to support store openings and growth
• Ensure consistent, high-quality hiring across all venues

• Design and standardize onboarding experiences that reflect The Pop Stroke Way
• Develop structured 30/60/90‑day ramp plans for leaders and team members
• Partner with Training and Operations to ensure onboarding execution is consistent and effective
• Measure and improve early tenure retention and readiness
• Support onboarding strategy for new store openings and leadership transitions

• Partner with Training to ensure consistent skills development across venues
• Design and deploy leadership development programs
• Build clear development pathways from hourly team members to venue leadership
• Identify high‑potential talent and support internal mobility
• Develop succession plans and leadership bench strength
• Prepare talent for Special Ops opportunities and expanded roles

• Support performance management cycles and calibration discussions
• Coach venue leaders on feedback, accountability, and development conversations
• Align talent development efforts with business performance goals
• Reinforce a culture of ownership, growth, and continuous improvement

• Champion and operationalize The Pop Stroke Way across venues
• Support store openings, turnarounds, and leadership transitions
• Partner closely with People Operations & Compliance to ensure talent strategies align with company policies and risk management
• Contribute to broader People initiatives as needed

While the primary focus of this role is talent strategy and development, the Director will operate as a senior People leader and may assist in:

• Select employee relations matters in partnership with People Operations & Compliance
• Cross‑functional People projects and company‑wide initiatives
• Leadership coaching and business advisory support

• 8–12+ years in Talent, HRBP, Learning & Development, or Talent Strategy roles
• Proven success building recruiting systems and leadership development programs
• Experience in multi‑unit hospitality, retail, or operations‑driven environments
• Strong business acumen with the ability to translate strategy into field execution
• Executive presence and high emotional intelligence
• Bachelor’s Degree required
• Master’s Degree preferred

Pop Stroke is a founder‑led brand built by people who believe energy creates results and culture creates momentum. We aren’t here to simply run venues — we’re here to build something special together.

At Pop Stroke, every team member has limitless potential to become who they want to be. We encourage bold ideas, celebrate growth, and believe that when you’re supported, challenged, and trusted, you rise.

We solve problems together, jump in, and move the needle every day because we care. We lead with ownership, back each other up, and never lose sight of the fun along the way.

This mindset; the drive, the heart,…