Talent Activation Strategy and Projects Manager

The Opportunity:

We've built a People organization grounded in trust, empathy, and high standards. Now we're in the harder work of making that scalable. That means moving from reactive, judgment-driven people decisions to durable systems and processes that hold up as we grow. We're mid-build. You won't be inheriting a finished playbook; you'll be writing it.

Our team, Talent Activation, is responsible for raising the performance bar and building a feedback culture, while protecting the culture that makes Grow worth working at. We're made up of Business Partners, Performance, Learning, and Employee Relations, and we operate with an unusually high-touch model: one Business Partner for every 30 managers, a rejection of traditional L&D in favor of real behavioral change, and a deliberate early investment in the systems and AI infrastructure that will let us move faster and more consistently as we scale.

The Talent Activation Strategy and Projects Manager is for someone who wants to be in the engine room of that build. You'll own execution of our highest-priority initiatives, turn strategy into tools and processes that PBPs and managers actually use, and help us become an AI-forward People organization without losing the human touch that defines our culture. You'll report directly to the Senior Director of Talent Activation and work closely with senior Talent Activation leaders every day.

If you're energized by complexity, accountability, and the chance to build something that lasts at a company with a mission that matters, this is the role.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Own the execution of Talent Activation's highest-priority initiatives on our roadmap. This is not a one-project-at-a-time role. You'll be running multiple complex, multi-workstream initiatives simultaneously – such as reworking our performance review cycles, standing up a Talent Density Mapping program, and designing individualized New Hire Onboarding into our performance culture – while keeping each moving from scoped strategy through frameworks, build, launch, and steady-state operation. Your primary internal clients are our People Business Partners (PBPs)
• Translate strategy into things people actually use. You'll take an opinionated Talent Activation strategy + roadmap and turn it into concrete workstreams, tools, playbooks, templates, and operating rhythms that PBPs and managers rely on every day. A good output from you isn't a deck. It's a process that runs without you in the room
• Drive cross-functional execution with rigor. You'll coordinate across PBPs, People Operations, People Analytics, and Legal to ensure programs are scalable, compliant, measurable, and system-ready. You'll maintain clear plans, timelines, risk logs, and success metrics and you'll know when to decide independently versus when to escalate
• Be a force multiplier on AI. We're actively building AI into how we work – including an AI coaching tool embedded in Slack for managers and an AI-assisted performance review process. You'll help us move faster and work smarter by identifying where AI can reduce manual work, improve signal quality, and support real-time decisions. You don't need to be an engineer, but you should have hands-on experience applying AI tools to People or operational workflows — and be genuinely curious about what's next
• Swing support as Business Partner. On an as-needed basis, you'll provide project and operational support to our Tech PBP (or others) by helping move people programs forward 

You'll Be a Good Fit If: 

• You've operated in complexity without a lot of hand-holding. 5+ years of experience in program management, consulting, Chief of Staff, or People strategy roles within a high-growth or scaling organization. You're comfortable in the middle of a build, not just at the beginning or end of one
• You're a project manager at heart and People programs are your domain. You've owned end-to-end execution of people programs that required rigor, coordination, and follow-through. Performance management, manager effectiveness, talent systems, or ER infrastructure – you know what it takes to get these across the finish line and into adoption
• You make things real, quickly. You don't just design – you build. You move fast, make judgment calls, and follow work through to impact, not just launch. Past colleagues would say you're the person who actually gets things done.
• You think in systems and measurement, not tasks. You look at the whole picture before solving the part in front of you. You identify root causes, find high-leverage solutions, and design for scale and measurability, not just for the problem today.
• You've started applying AI to your work and you want to go further. You've used AI tools in a meaningful way, whether to improve a workflow, draft communications faster, analyze data, or support decision-making. You're curious about where it's going and proactive about experimenting. 
• You communicate with unusual clarity. People who've worked with you would call this a standout strength. You think in frameworks + write crisp documentation, sharp FAQs, and manager-facing materials that reduce judgment calls rather than create more of them
• You handle sensitive topics with maturity and consistency. You navigate performance management and employee relations with discretion, sound judgment, and maturity. You don't panic or over-escalate.
• You know what success looks like and you hold yourself to it. You care about outcomes, not outputs. You'd be unsatisfied shipping a program that doesn't get adopted. You define what "working" means before you build, and you track it after.

Employment Type: Full Time, Exempt
Base Compensation: The base compensation range for this position is $144,000–$168,000 USD Annually
This is a hybrid role with the expectation to work onsite from our NYC hub location three days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) and travel 2–3 times per year (e.g., company and department offsites).
The base compensation for this role will vary depending on several factors, including relevant experience, qualifications, and the candidate's working location.