Director, Talent Acquisition & Development

NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. We create world-class content, which we distribute across our portfolio of film, television, and streaming, and bring to life through our global theme park destinations, consumer products, and experiences. We own and operate leading entertainment and news brands, including NBC, NBC News, NBC Sports, Telemundo, NBC Local Stations, Bravo, and Peacock, our premium ad-supported streaming service. We produce and distribute premier filmed entertainment and programming through our powerhouse film and television studios, including Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, and Focus Features, and the four global television studios under the Universal Studio Group banner, and operate industry-leading theme parks and experiences around the world through Universal Destinations & Experiences, including Universal Orlando Resort, home to Universal Epic Universe, and Universal Studios Hollywood. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. Visit www.nbcuniversal.com for more information.

Our impact is rooted in improving the communities where our employees, customers, and audiences live and work. We have a rich tradition of giving back and ensuring our employees have the opportunity to serve their communities. We champion an inclusive culture and strive to attract and develop a talented workforce to create and deliver a wide range of content reflecting our world.

Summary

The Director, Talent Acquisition and Operational Learning serves as a strategic talent leader responsible for building sustainable talent pipelines and developing critical capabilities that enable business performance at Universal Studios Hollywood. This role integrates workforce planning, hiring, onboarding, and operational learning to ensure the organization has the right talent, with the right skills, at the right time.

Culture

Beyond smarts and experience we look for exceptional talent. We’re very collaborative, so we want you to know our expectations up front: quick learner, be a thought partner, work smart and stay connected. We’re a team supporting a thriving guest focused business, so you treat your colleagues as a whole and have a strong ownership attitude towards your scope of oversight! Be prepared to work and be challenged while having fun.

Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership to the team in the development and execution of recruitment strategies for seasonal and full-time destination dedicated role.
• Coaches leaders and team members to operate as strategic talent advisors, not transactional partners
• Establish innovative sourcing strategies to attract top talent candidates and support business skill gaps.
• Foster a culture of inclusivity through strategic partnerships with internal leaders and external community organizations and/or agencies that focus on identifying exceptional talent
• Serve as business owner of applicant tracking system (Smart Recruiters) to ensure the ongoing problem resolution, improvement, data integrity and optimization of the system
• Conduct ongoing analysis of the Talent Acquisition function to determine how recruitment processes and protocols may be streamlined, new talent pools can be developed, and department resources can be most effectively deployed
• Own and evolve a destination‑level workforce and hiring strategy aligned to seasonal demand, labor market conditions, and long‑term capability needs
• Partner with Finance and Operations on forecasting, labor planning, and hiring prioritization
• Establish and monitor TA success metrics (e.g., time‑to‑fill, quality of hire, retention, candidate experience) and drive continuous improvement
• Serve as an advisor and strategic liaison to Hiring Managers and HR, providing guidance and direction related to all Staffing programs in support of strategic business goals and needs
• Partner with HRBPs and business leaders to link learning investments to performance, readiness, and succession
• Leverage data (engagement, performance, attrition) to prioritize learning strategies and measure impact
• Collaborate with center of excellence on the development and execution of UDX performance and development feedback tools.
• Design talent pathways that connect hiring, onboarding, development, and internal mobility
• Partner with HR and leaders to strengthen promotion readiness and bench strength for critical roles
• Lead the Team Member Engagement strategies and consult with organizational leaders on results interpretation and action planning. Partner with UDX on the design and execution of engagement surveys and ad hoc employee research.
• Partners with Comcast/NBCUniversal in the integration and delivery of core corporate programs.  Facilitates USH nomination process for corporate programs and serves as learning lead supporting NBCU Talent Lab.
• Build guest service delivery strategy and annual tactics based on company metrics/measures to support increased improvement. Supports both global guest service initiatives as well as functional support.
• Drive destination focused internship and recruitment programs intended to create a pool of talented candidates for entry to mid-management professional positions throughout the organization.
• Delivers key business activities, including internal leadership meetings and team events/off sites
• Develops and manages external vendor/partner relationships resulting in high-quality, cost-effective learning solutions.
• Builds and maintains strong client, and subject matter expert relationships to gather ongoing needs assessment information and build curriculum content and OD solutions.
• Provide regular reporting to HR and Executive team on the status of staffing activities and performance. 
• Other duties as assigned.

Here You'll Need:

• Excellent leadership, change management, consulting and influence skills while demonstrating the ability to think strategically and translate business performance gaps into learning and development strategies.
• 10+ years’ experience designing, developing, and implementing learning and/or talent acquisition solutions. 7+ years’ experience in a management/leadership role; or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Bachelor’s degree is required in Business, Human Resources, Organizational Development.  Master’s degree is preferred in Psychology, Instructional Design, or Organizational Development.
• Ability to work both collaboratively as a team across various functions and work independently in an ambiguous, constantly changing environment with a relentlessly solution focused attitude. 
• Ability to manage multiple projects to ensure on-time delivery and quality using both internal and external resources.
• Demonstrated success leading both Talent Acquisition and Learning/Development functions in complex, high‑volume environments
• Proven ability to translate business strategy into talent, capability, and workforce solutions
• Experience leading through ambiguity, scale, and change with measurable results
• Excellent leadership/interpersonal skills to establish and maintain effective relationships at all levels of the organization
• Demonstrated knowledge of strategic workforce planning to drive processes and deliver high quality HR services in a fast paced, highly dynamic environment.
• Experience building consensus and integrating processes, policies and procedures across multiple decision-makers in a hybrid corporate structure
• Hands-on, engaged, motivated self-starter with managerial experience
• Proven track record of success and a strong focus on quality and customer service
• Able to deal with immediate priorities while anticipating and planning for strategic future needs
• Ability to influence the organization with skill, grace and humor
• Proven ability to translate strategy to action and drive accountability for progress to key milestones

Desired Characteristics:

• Experience in theme park, hospitality or retail industry highly preferred
• Results focused; a consultative leadership style that builds high-performing teams across multi-disciplined projects that consistently meet targets and realize organizational benefits.
• Experience preferred in leading professional recruitment and learning and development functions. and
• Experience with applicant tracking systems
• Success in developing and negotiating major vendor relationships

Hybrid: This position currently has a hybrid schedule, which requires contributing from the office a minimum of four days per week. The Company reserves the right to change in-office requirements at any time.

This position is eligible for company sponsored benefits, including medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k), paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and a variety of other discounts and perks. Learn more about the benefits offered by NBCUniversal by visiting the Benefits page of the Careers website. Salary range: $150,000 - $185,000 (bonus and long-term incentive eligible).

As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with an NBCUniversal employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. NBCUniversal's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

NBCUniversal will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories, or arrest or conviction records, in a manner consistent with relevant legal requirements, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative For Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, where applicable.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to AccessibilitySupport@nbcuni.com.