Manager, Talent Development

The big picture: Axios is a respected media company dedicated to providing trustworthy, award-winning news content in an audience-first format known as Smart Brevity™. We’re looking for a strategic and execution-focused Talent Development Manager to accelerate growth, strengthen leadership, and ensure every employee has the tools to thrive. 

Why it matters: At Axios, we believe growth is a shared responsibility between employees, managers, and the organization. The Talent Development Manager will help shape how we build skills, support growth, and foster connections across the company - working closely with HR Business Partners, functional leaders, and cross-functional teams.

Go deeper: This role sits on our Talent Management team alongside our HR Business Partners. It is a blend of program design, project management, learning design, and facilitation. Responsibilities include: 

People Leader Development

• In your first year, assess manager skill and knowledge gaps and propose a blended learning strategy that aligns to business priorities.
• Build and launch foundational programming to support new managers as they transition into people leadership.
• Partner with HR Business Partners to address ongoing areas of manager enablement (e.g. feedback, performance coaching, career conversations).
• Apply adult learning and instructional design principles to ensure programs are engaging, practical, and impactful.

Performance & Talent Management

• Support performance and talent management processes, partnering closely with HRBPs and system administrators to ensure smooth execution.
• Help manage system workflows and communications related to performance cycles and talent reviews in Workday.
• Define and track key success metrics for performance and talent initiatives, translating outcomes into clear insights and recommendations for leaders.

Employee Development

• Launch and manage our online learning library in Workday Learning, including learning plans and competency-aligned content.
• Serve as a connector and advisor to teams looking to build learning experiences or upskill employees.
• Support the evolution of career growth frameworks in partnership with business leaders and HRBPs, ensuring alignment to competencies and development goals.
• Evaluate learning programs for effectiveness and business impact, making recommendations based on data and feedback. 

Program Management & Operations

• Lead program planning and execution for multiple talent initiatives, ensuring timely delivery, stakeholder alignment, and clear communication.
• Maintain consistent tracking and reporting across all programs, and continuously improve based on feedback and results.
• Facilitate select sessions or workshops as needed, with a focus on virtual accessibility, inclusivity, and practical application.

 The details: Ideal candidates will demonstrate most of the following:

• 7+ years of experience in learning & development, talent management, employee engagement, or related people-focused roles.
• Strong program and project management skills with a track record of bringing initiatives from idea to impact.
• Familiarity with instructional design or adult learning principles; ability to design and deliver effective learning experiences.
• Comfort working with HR systems (e.g. Workday) and fluency in tools like Excel or Google Sheets (e.g. pivot tables, vlookup) to analyze and report on engagement and learning data.
• A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as a foundational element of employee experience and learning design.
• Ability to translate data into compelling stories and actionable insights for leaders.
• Experience supporting manager development and/or engagement programs with measurable business outcomes.
• Excellent communication skills—both written and verbal—with experience crafting internal messaging and facilitating learning experiences.
• A collaborative, cross-functional mindset and the ability to influence leaders and navigate ambiguity while moving work forward.
• Bonus: Familiarity with Smart Brevity-style writing or enthusiasm for learning it.

Starting base salary for this role is in the range of $100,000 - $130,000 and is dependent on numerous factors, including but not limited to location, work experience, and skills. This role is bonus-eligible and this range does not include the bonus or other compensation and benefits. Axios' compensation philosophy takes into account cost of labor differentials across the country. Because this is a remote-optional job posting, this salary range takes into account all possible locations within the United States, but candidates will only be eligible for the salary range for their location.

What Axios brings to the table besides salary:

• 401(k) with employer match
• Robust PPO and High Deductible health insurance options on the Blue Cross Blue Shield network
• Employer Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution for the high deductible health plan option
• Dental and vision coverage
• Primary caregiver 12-week paid leave
• Generous vacation policy, plus holidays
• One mental health day per quarter
• Annual learning and development stipend
• $100 monthly work-from-home stipend
• Tele-mental health services through Headspace
• OneMedical membership, including tele-health services
• Personal health advocacy resources through HealthAdvocate 
• Inclusive fertility, hormonal health and family forming benefits through Carrot Fertility
• Access to the Axios “Family Fund”, which was created to allow employees to request financial support when facing financial hardship or emergencies 
• Increased work flexibility for parents and caretakers 
• Virtual company-sponsored social events
• A strong and positive work environment
• A commitment to an open, inclusive, and diverse work culture

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Axios is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, age, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. Axios makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.