Director of Talent & Performance

SchooLinks•Austin, TX

9d•$145,000 - $165,000•Remote

About The Position

SchooLinks is transforming the future of student success through innovative college and career readiness solutions. We operate with PACE at our core: Performance-Driven, Above & Beyond, Caring Candor, and Effort & Ownership. We're building a championship team with high expectations, radical candor, and a relentless commitment to performance. This role is not about managing compliance checklists and benefits enrollment; it's for someone who thinks like a coach, acts like a strategist, and drives results like a GM. The Director of Talent & Performance works directly with the CEO to design and implement people strategies in key priority areas and has one direct report (HR Operations Manager).

Requirements

5+ years experience in leading people organizations, ideally in enterprise software and SaaS.
Strong understanding of performance management and top grading philosophy.
Strong sense of fiscal responsibility and understand budget management.
Operator first, HR second mindset.
Coach up / manage out mindset.
Strong understanding of KPIs across all departments.
Strong negotiation skills while maintaining diplomacy.
Comfortable with conflict and direct feedback.
Bias toward action and clarity.
Respected for judgment, not just empathy.
Energized by high standards and accountability.
Operates with urgency.

Nice To Haves

Experience implementing 9-box or similar talent frameworks.
Background in high-growth, high-expectation environments.
Track record of coaching leaders through tough people calls.
Track record of managing out underperformance effectively.
Familiarity with Amp It Up or similar performance-driven philosophies.
Experience working with founders or executive teams.
Has been part of a company that scaled rapidly.
Has personally made and stood behind difficult people decisions.

Responsibilities

Design and implement people strategies in the areas of Talent Acquisition and Performance Management.
Implement a rigorous hiring process to recruit A players.
Implement a top grading framework (9 box talent grid) across the organization.
Support and own HR compliance & HR risk management.
Support and own day-to-day people operations.