Director, Training

Dave & Buster's Inc.•Coppell, TX

1d•$127,800 - $170,000

About The Position

The Director, Training leads the strategy, design, and execution of enterprise learning, leadership development, and talent systems that drive operational excellence, leadership capability, and a best-in-class guest experience. This role oversees field training, organizational development, and learning & development to ensure all programs are strategically aligned, effectively designed, and consistently executed across the organization. As the connection between Support Center strategy and in-store execution, this leader ensures every training solution not only builds capability but also reinforces a culture where team members deliver memorable, high-energy, and guest-first experiences.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in Learning & Development, Training, Operations, or related field
5+ years of leadership experience managing multi-functional training teams
Experience in hospitality, restaurant, retail, or multi-unit environments strongly preferred
Proven ability to build and execute enterprise-level learning strategies
Strong understanding of: Instructional design and adult learning Operational execution in guest-facing environments Learning technologies and LMS platforms
Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and drive cross-functional alignment
Strong business acumen and ability to connect training to measurable outcomes
Strong project management and prioritization skills

Nice To Haves

Experience in hospitality, restaurant, retail, or multi-unit environments strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Training Strategy & Business Alignment Define and lead the overall training strategy aligned to business goals, operational priorities, and brand standards
Establish a clear vision for how training drives Guest experience and hospitality behaviors, leadership capability and bench strength, and operational excellence and consistency
Partner with senior leaders to identify capability gaps and prioritize high-impact learning initiatives
Ensure training supports key business drivers (guest experience, sales, retention, compliance, leadership development)
Establish a clear roadmap for leadership development, onboarding, and operational training
Team Leadership & Functional Alignment Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team including instructional design, LMS and learning technology, and field training execution.
Create clear roles, accountability, and ways of working across the team
Ensure strong alignment between content design, system deployment, and field execution
Influence leaders across the business to take ownership of training and development within their teams
Instructional Design & Content Strategy Set standards for instructional design, ensuring content is: Operationally relevant (FOH/BOH application) Engaging and scalable Aligned with adult learning principles and rooted in guest-centric behaviors
Lead development of training for new initiatives & systems
Ensure existing training materials are up-to-date, accurate, and relevant
Ensure consistency across brands while allowing for operational flexibility
Learning Technology & LMS Strategy Ensure effective deployment, tracking, and reporting of all training programs
Leverage LMS data to measure adoption, completion, and effectiveness
Partner with LMS SME to continuously improve user experience and functionality
Drive innovation in how learning is delivered (microlearning, mobile-first, in-the-moment tools)
Field Training Integration & Execution Ensure training translates effectively from design to real-world execution in the field
Partner with Field Training Manager to: Validate that hospitality standards are being demonstrated—not just understood Reinforce training during key moments (menu launches, peak seasons, new initiatives) Coach leaders on how to model and reinforce hospitality behaviors with their teams Establish feedback loops from field to continuously improve training
Training Project Lifecycle Management Establish enterprise processes for training intake, prioritization, and execution
Ensure all initiatives are delivered with clear timelines and accountability, strong stakeholder alignment, and operational readiness
Balance competing priorities to focus on highest-impact initiatives
Measurement, Insights & Continuous Improvement (Owns) Define and track key training success metrics: Guest experience (OSAT, feedback trends) Team member engagement and retention Operational performance and sales
Use data and insights to continuously refine training strategy and improve effectiveness