Fast Facts

The Princeton Review is seeking a Director of People Initiatives to lead talent management and employee experience efforts, ensuring alignment with business needs and fostering a high-performing workplace. This strategic position requires collaboration across teams to prioritize people-centered organizational growth.

Responsibilities: Key responsibilities include advising on departmental priorities, managing performance cycles, overseeing talent management processes, and leading special projects to enhance HR practices and employee engagement.

Skills: The ideal candidate will have strong strategic, analytical, and communication skills, with a focus on inclusion, belonging, and data-driven decision making within HR contexts.

Qualifications: Preferred qualifications include 10+ years in a strategic role, experience with scalable people-focused initiatives, and proficiency in developing learning experiences related to leadership and employee development.

Location: The position is located in the United States.

Compensation: $100000 - $130000 / Annually

About The Princeton Review: The Princeton Review is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admission services company. Every year, it helps millions of college- and graduate school–bound students achieve their education and career goals through online and in-person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors, online resources, and its more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House. The company’s Tutor.com brand is one of the largest online tutoring services in the U.S. It comprises a community of thousands of tutors who have delivered more than 22 million one-to-one tutoring sessions. The Princeton Review is headquartered in New York, NY. Follow the company on LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.

Summary of Position: Reporting to The Princeton Review’s (TPR) Head of People, the Director, People Initiatives leads a complex portfolio of work to support TPR’s talent management programs and employee experience efforts. This role plays a critical part in being a conductor of projects across the department, partnering with the Head of People to shape TPR’s people strategy, ensuring that departmental priorities are aligned and responsive to TPR’s business needs, center best practices in talent management, leadership development, employee engagement, and organizational practices that steward an employee experience that ensures staff can grow, develop and learn at TPR. 

This position is both strategic and operational, acting as a connector across teams and departments to support the Head of People to create a cohesive approach to talent management, employee experience, workforce development and operations. You will drive initiatives that prioritize a people-centered approach to organizational growth, focusing on fostering an equitable and high-performing workplace where employees can thrive and contribute to TPR’s mission. 

This role is ideal for a leader who combines critical and strategic thinking with a learning mindset, bringing a deep understanding of the particular strengths and challenges of a diverse workforce to design scalable interventions for long-lasting impact. 

Major Responsibilities: 

Strategic Advisory to the Head of People (40%) 

• Serve as a key advisor to the Head of People, supporting the creation and execution of departmental priorities, KPIs and goals.  
• Act as TPR’s trusted People Analytics resource, partnering with leaders across the People Function to manage data and reporting systems optimally, regularly providing reporting to the Head of People that drives decision making related to staffing, resource management and equity practices. 
• Serve as the owner of the HR dashboard, partnering with the team to ensure we are measuring the right activities and outcomes to demonstrate results against targets.  
• Partner with the Head of People and executive leadership to refine TPR’s multi-year People Road map and strategy. 
• Help define the people function’s leadership agenda, identifying roadblocks, priorities and areas of improvement; support the agenda of meetings.  
• Continuously refine and hold TPR’s talent management goals and vision in partnership with the Head of People to ensure each process is effectively addressing business and workforce needs. 
• Partner with the Head of People to define DEI at TPR and help to align inclusion, belonging and wellbeing initiatives with TPR’s business strategy, company goals, and cultural aspirations. 
• Provide thought leadership on inclusive policies, leveraging external best practices and emerging trends to keep TPR at the forefront of workplace best practice and equity. 
• Shape internal employee-facing communications to support staff’s understanding, engagement and accountability for processes from the HR function.  
• Driver of TPR’s Performance Management Cycles (40%) 
• Serve as the Project Lead on all TPR’s Talent Management Cycles, coordinating across operations and department leads ensuring integration and sequencing across all processes. 
• Own the ongoing maintenance of TRP’s competency model, in partnership with the People team to ensure continuity across all talent management approaches and policies  
• Serve as the lead on TPR’s annual performance assessment cycle; manage the process and user experience from end to end, including quarterly goal setting, performance review and promotions and advancement; including developing communications and partnering with the HRBPs and other leaders to operationalize merit-based increases resulting from performance management cycles, and all organization-wide communication.  
• Develop and deliver resources, tools, and training to help employees and managers navigate goal setting, performance feedback, and career development with an equity-focused lens. 
• Act as a liaison for TPR’s promotions cycle, serving as a project support to HRBPs working with managers and nominated staff; lead the development of staff communications, tools and guidance that engages staff in the process. 
• Partner with the Head of People on TPR’s approach to succession planning, supporting the design and annualized approach to implementation. 
• Owner of HR Function Special Projects (20%) 
• Partner with the Head of People on special initiatives and programs that up-level the HR function practices, increase operational efficiency, and cost savings, including but not limited to; identifying and leading the implementation of new HR tech solutions that meet business needs. 
• Oversee the design and implementation of TRPs annual employee listening strategy; including the staff engagement survey and other employee voice efforts.  
• Support the Head of People stand-up new functions, and departmental practices and capabilities.  
• Oversee the strategic direction of TPR’s employee lead groups, inclusive of Employee Resource Group (ERG) initiative, and other employee led committees, ensuring alignment with company priorities.  

Education, Background, Experience & Qualifications:

• You bring 10+ years of professional experience in a strategic role, providing direct support to executive-level leaders; exposure to HR disciplines is a plus, but not required. 
• You are an innovative leader with a track record of designing and implementing scalable people-focused initiatives in complex organizations. 
• You excel at partnering across teams, collaborating with leaders and colleagues to influence and integrate inclusion and belonging into organizational practices. 
• You are an experienced facilitator, skilled in developing and delivering learning experiences related to inclusion and belonging, leadership, and employee development. 
• You have a data-driven mindset, capable of analyzing trends to inform strategies, evaluate impact, and drive results. 
• You are organized and effective at managing multiple priorities, creating systems to support your work and the organization’s success. 
• You are a skilled communicator who can inspire and engage diverse audiences through writing, presentations, and interpersonal interactions. 
• You are passionate about creating an equitable and inclusive workplace that reflects TPR’s mission and values. 
• You hold high standards for confidentiality in your work.  

The Princeton Review is an equal employment opportunity employer. The Princeton Review’s policy is not to discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, disability, military status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law. The Princeton Review also prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on any of these protected categories. It is also The Princeton Review’s policy to comply with all applicable laws respecting consideration of unemployment status in making hiring decisions.

The Princeton Review is a drug free workplace.

Salary: $100,000-$130,000 per year, based on experience, geographical zone and a 40-hour work week.

To Apply: 

As part of your application, please include your resume and a thoughtful cover letter, addressed to Presceia Cooper, SVP, People, Head of People outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position. 

The Princeton Review offers a competitive salary and benefits package, commensurate with experience and skills.