Global Director - Early Talent Programs

Global Director, Early Talent Programs 

Shark Programs, Recruiting & University Relations 

SharkNinja •  Talent Access • Needham, MA • Reports to: SVP, Talent Access 

Are you ready to be part of something new and exciting? Our Early Talent function is in build mode — fast moving, dynamic, and full of opportunities to create and shape programs from the ground up. Since this role was first created, Early Talent at SharkNinja has become a CEO-sponsored growth engine: our Shark Programs now span AI, robotics, social, affiliates, and web development, with intern and co-op cohorts embedded directly in the business, delivering real work with real accountability. Today, that lgobal portfolio spans 400+ approved interns and co-ops roles across 9 concurrent cohorts, a multi-million-dollar program budget, and a footprint of 20+ countries across North America, EMEA, and APAC — with continued global expansion underway. This role offers hands-on ownership of that engine — requiring adaptability, creativity, and a willingness to jump in and refine and scale what's working. 

The real opportunity? Running a hyper-growth, executive-visible portfolio at an inflection point — gaining rare experience in program design and expansion, and growing your career while making a meaningful, measurable impact. If you are excited by the idea of building, collaborating, and shaping the future of Early Talent at SharkNinja, this role is for you! 

The Role 

The Global Director, Early Talent Programs will own the strategy, operations, and growth of SharkNinja's Shark Programs and broader Early Edge experience — positioning SharkNinja as an employer of choice for early career talent. Operating with significant autonomy and executive visibility, you will serve as a strategic advisor to Talent Access leadership, P&C Business Partners, executive sponsors, and business leaders — shaping where the portfolio expands next, standing up new cohorts against defined launch conditions, and building the team and infrastructure the program needs to scale, including into new international markets. You are the enterprise subject matter expert on university relations, internship and co-op program design, and cohort operations, carrying forward a proven playbook: high-touch selection, hands-on daily coordination, defined scope frameworks, and performance scorecards that give every Shark a clear definition of success. 

What You'll Own 

• Portfolio strategy and expansion: assess where the Shark and Early Edge model goes next, build the business case with executive sponsors, and stand up new cohorts against the program's launch conditions — sponsorship, assessment rigor, daily coordination, and performance frameworks 
• Team and infrastructure: hire, build, and lead the Early Talent recruiting and program team (recruiters, coordinators, program specialists) — hands-on in year one, transitioning to team-led execution as the portfolio scales — including program budget, vendor, and platform ownership 
• Global program operations across the Shark portfolio — AI Sharks/SharkByte, Robot Sharks, Social Sharks, and the newest cohorts in Affiliates and Web Development — including cohort calendars, onboarding, scope charters, stand-up cadences, and 30/45-day scorecard reviews 
• Recruiting oversight: set intake standards with business sponsors, own sourcing strategy and assessment design, and ensure a high-touch, 5-star candidate experience — including executive-level referrals — executed day-to-day through the recruiting team you build and lead 
• University relations: campus partnerships, co-op program relationships, career fairs, and employer brand activation that keeps SharkNinja's pipeline diverse and full — across our U.S. hubs and expansion markets 
• Early Edge programming: mentorship, community events, cross-cohort experiences, and weekly Innovation Pod programming in partnership with program sponsors 
• Executive partnership: operate as the connective tissue between executive sponsors, hands-on delivery leaders, and P&C — keeping every cohort healthy and every sponsor informed with executive-ready readouts 
• The conversion engine: tracking performance through each term and managing the intern-to-co-op-to-full-time pathway, including return offers and flip-to-permanent recommendations 
• Data & storytelling: program metrics, conversion and quality-of-hire trends, and executive-ready readouts that tell the story behind the data 

What Success Looks Like 

• Owns program success end to end from day one — hands-on where it counts — while building the team, processes, and infrastructure that let the portfolio scale beyond any one person 
• Drives communication and collaboration with key stakeholders — executives, HRBPs, employer brand, and delivery leaders — to ensure the health of every cohort 
• Influences senior decision makers with a solution-oriented approach and consistent accountability; comfortable presenting to and being challenged by C-level sponsors 
• A curious, courageous builder: rolls up sleeves to build an industry-leading Early Talent program, embraces obstacles, and keeps a long-term view on program goals 
• Comfortable challenging others and being challenged while maintaining strong collaboration 
• Enthused to dig into data and metrics to uncover trends, tell the story behind the data, and drive investment decisions 

Desired Experience 

• Proven experience in early talent recruiting and university relations, with a track record of designing and scaling early career programs at global scale 
• Demonstrated program leadership of internship or co-op cohorts — design, recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and conversion — ideally across multiple concurrent programs 
• Bachelor's degree and 10+ years of progressive experience working with hiring managers, talent acquisition partners, D&I partners, recruiters, and senior leaders; demonstrated people leadership, including building and scaling a team 
• Strong program and project management skills: planning, organizing, and prioritizing multiple cohorts, timelines, budgets, and stakeholders at once 
• Experience owning a P&L or program budget of $1M+ 
• Comfort with AI-enabled ways of working — using AI tools to scale sourcing, communications, and program reporting — and enthusiasm for leading AI-forward talent programs 
• Passion for developing early talent and creating positive learning experiences; flexibility to adapt in a fast-paced, changing environment 

SharkNinja Success Drivers 

Rarely Satisfied  • Progress over Perfection  •  Details Make the Difference  • Winning is a Team Sport  •  Communicate for Impact 

Pay Range 153000 - 187000 USD