Director, Talent Development & Strategy

About the Role

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.

Requirements

• 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

• 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.

Qualifications

• 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.

Pay

Hiring rate range: $105,000 – $140,000 annually (minimum will not fall below the applicable state/local minimum salary thresholds).