Manager, Talent Growth & Performance

Who are we:
A professional basketball team and state-of-the-art arena/entertainment venue that specializes in creating memorable experiences for each guest we interact with. Some of our favorite things are live sports, concerts, comedy shows, family shows, and most any other world-class event you can think of, and we’re looking for someone who shares the same interests. We live for the fast-paced world of sports & live entertainment, and as such, we work hard, run fast, execute flawlessly, and party it up when it all comes together. Lastly, we strive to deliver wonderful experiences that create lasting memories, and we prefer to surround ourselves with those who are the best at what they do.

Who are you:
An enthusiastic lover of sports, live entertainment, and people. You have true passion for engaging in meaningful interactions and creating memorable experiences for all guests. You strive to be helpful, engaging, and knowledgeable of all things Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena. You enjoy being a part of an exciting and dynamic group, and you’re committed to continuously enhancing the productivity and effectiveness of your team. Lastly, you enjoy working hard and celebrating hard, and you’d be shocked if guests weren’t positively impacted by their interactions with you.

Job Summary:

The Manager, Talent Growth & Performance plays a critical role in unlocking the full potential of every team member by building the skills, mindsets, and capabilities that drive championship performance. This role architect’s forward-thinking strategies that directly impact team member effectiveness, guest experience, and business outcomes. The Manager partners closely with business leaders to identify capability gaps, design scalable learning solutions, and embed development into the flow of work.

In addition to program design and delivery, this Manager will lead the organization’s onboarding and role-readiness experience, support the VP in designing and executing the annual goal-setting and performance management process, and directly manage the Learning Coordinator to ensure high-quality operational execution and scalable delivery.

Key Responsibilities:

Performance & Capability Strategy

• Identify critical capabilities that drive business success and translate business goals into development strategies

• Partner with leaders to build skill pathways for team members across the organization

• Design and facilitate transformative learning experiences that include diverse delivery methods (e.g. instructor-led, e-learning, microlearning, etc.)

• Leverage modern learning technology, including the Workday LMS and emerging AI-enabled tools, to improve access, personalization, and effectiveness.

• Support the VP in designing, communicating, and operationalizing the annual goal-setting and performance management cycle.

Transformative Leadership & Manager Development

• Use instructional design practices to develop impactful leadership and management programs at every level.

• Equip leaders to effectively develop their teams, provide feedback, coach, and reinforce key behaviors in their role.

• Implement and debrief specialized leadership development tools including behavioral assessments, 360-degree feedback, and coaching resources to provide leaders with actionable insights that drive team performance.

• Integrate development plans with career pathways and succession planning.

• Manage, coach, and develop a Learning & Development Coordinator, providing clear direction, ongoing feedback, and opportunities for professional growth.

Onboarding & Role Readiness

• Own the end-to-end onboarding strategy and execution for new hires across all teams. This includes pre-boarding, day-one experiences, first-90-day learning plans, manager enablement, and role-readiness milestones.

• Create standardized onboarding curricula and role-specific playbooks that combine classroom, on-the-job, and digital learning to accelerate time-to-productivity.

• Partner with HR Business Partners and hiring managers to ensure onboarding plans are personalized and aligned to role expectations, competencies, and culture.

• Implement onboarding success metrics (time-to-proficiency, first-90 performance check-ins, onboarding NPS) and iterate based on feedback.

Measurement & Impact

• Oversee program delivery, assess learning effectiveness, and adjust based on feedback and performance outcomes.

• Measure and correlate learning interventions with key business outcomes.

• Partner with HR Business Partners to facilitate listening sessions, translating engagement survey data into targeted action plans that address performance barriers and enhance the team member experience.

Requirements:

• A minimum of 5-7 years of experience in talent, learning, and/or organizational development.

• Strong instructional design, facilitation and consulting skills with the ability to lead across formal and informal training settings.

• Proven experience in designing and facilitating learning programs, including leadership development and training needs assessments.

• Ability to manage ambiguity and deliver practical, innovative solutions in a collaborative environment.

• Proficiency with Workday Learning Management System (LMS), Canva, and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, etc.).

• Excellent written and verbal communication, presentation, and organizational skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in human resources, organizational development, business, education, or a related field.

• Experience working with a wide range of stakeholders, including HR business partners, vendors, and external community organizations.

Working Conditions:

• Environment: Office setting, with occasional travel for meetings or events.

• Hours: Full-time, hybrid with flexibility to work outside regular hours as needed.

• Fast-paced, collaborative environment, requiring flexibility and adaptability to shifting priorities.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.

If this opportunity looks exciting to you, please complete the application process. Go Hawks!