Director of Talent Strategy and Development

About PopStroke

PopStroke 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 PopStroke, 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, the teamwork is what we call The PopStroke Way.

Our Core Values

Make It Fun

If it’s not fun, rethink how we’re doing it.
We bring creativity, positivity, and joy into everything we do, from guest interactions, doing hard things, and how we support one another.

Bring the Energy

Your vibe sets the tone.
Every leader and team member influences the experience. Show up with enthusiasm, optimism, and presence.

Roll Up Your Sleeves

See it. Fix it. Jump in.

We are hands on problem solvers that jump in and become part of the solution. We leave things better than we found them.

Own It

Live your role with an owner’s mindset.
We take pride in our work, hold ourselves accountable, and treat the business like it’s our own.

Get Off the Hamster Wheel

Don’t repeat yesterday — rethink, improve, grow.
We challenge “the way it’s always been done” and are always looking for better ways to serve our guests and each other

Role Purpose

The Director of Talent Strategy & Development is the architect of PopStroke’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.

Core Responsibilities

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning (Primary Focus)

• 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

Onboarding & Ramp Excellence (Primary Focus)

• Design and standardize onboarding experiences that reflect The PopStroke 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

Training & Leadership Development (Primary Focus)

• 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

Performance & Talent Management

• 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

Culture & Operational Partnership

• Champion and operationalize The PopStroke 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

Additional HR & Business Support

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

Ideal Candidate

• 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

PopStroke is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.