Talent Development Manager

About the role

This is a hybrid strategic and hands-on role built for a company scaling quickly. We're looking for someone who can operate as a builder now — rolling up their sleeves on this year's execution priorities — while also shaping the talent development strategy that will carry the company through significant headcount growth over the next several years. Reporting to the Head of People, this role will be one of the first dedicated additions to a lean People team and will play a foundational part in standing up programs that don't yet exist.

This is not a role for someone who wants to only advise from the sidelines. In year one especially, success means shipping — building frameworks, running enablement sessions, and getting programs live — while keeping an eye on how each piece fits into a durable, scalable talent development function.

Immediate priorities

• Performance Cycle Rebuild — Redesign and lead rollout of the company's performance management cycle, including manager and employee toolkits, calibration process, and timeline.
• Job Architecture Training — Partner with the Head of People to translate the new job architecture and leveling framework into practical, digestible training for managers and employees company-wide.
• Manager Enablement — Design and deliver a manager enablement program covering core people-management skills (feedback, coaching, performance conversations, leveling decisions) for a manager population that is growing rapidly and unevenly experienced.
• Program Foundations — Stand up the supporting materials (guides, templates, FAQs, communication plans) needed to make each of the above self-sustaining rather than one-time efforts.

Responsibilities

• Talent Development Strategy — Partner with the Head of People to build a multi-year talent development roadmap aligned to the company's growth trajectory. Identify capability gaps across the employee and manager population as the company scales, and translate them into development priorities. Bring external best practice and market benchmarking into program design, tailored to the company's stage and culture.
• Program Design & Delivery — Design, build, and facilitate training programs, toolkits, and resources — performance management, manager enablement, career development, and related programs. Own program logistics end-to-end where needed: scheduling, materials, communications, and follow-through, particularly while the team is small. Build feedback loops and simple metrics to evaluate whether programs are landing and where to iterate.
• Manager & Employee Enablement — Serve as a go-to resource for managers navigating performance, leveling, and development conversations. Create scalable enablement content (playbooks, job aids, live sessions) rather than one-off, in-person-only support. Help managers and employees understand and use the job architecture and leveling framework in day-to-day decisions.
• Cross-Functional Partnership — Work closely with the Head of People on sequencing and change management for major rollouts (performance cycle, job architecture, future initiatives). Partner with business leaders to ensure programs reflect real operational needs, not just HR theory.

Required qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in talent development, learning & development, organizational development, or a closely related HR discipline, ideally including time at a smaller or scaling company.
• Demonstrated experience owning a program from design through delivery — not just contributing to one someone else built.
• Experience with performance management cycle design and/or manager enablement programs specifically is a strong plus.

Preferred qualifications

• Comfort operating without a lot of existing infrastructure; genuinely energized by building things from scratch.
• Strong facilitation and content-design skills; able to make technical HR concepts (leveling, calibration) land with non-HR audiences.
• Familiarity with job architecture/leveling frameworks (e.g., Pave or similar market-pricing tools) is a plus, not required.
• Prior experience in aerospace, defense, or another regulated/technical industry is a plus given the environment, though not a requirement.

Pay and benefits

The estimated base salary range for this role is $150k - $180k depending on experience. Other benefits include health coverage, flexible PTO, a friendly work environment, plus extra fun perks!