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Senior Manager, Academy Admissions

594 Broadway Suite 200 New York, NY 10012

The Senior Manager, Academy Admissions owns the entry point into the Studs Piercing Academy. The role determines apprentice hiring demand by market and by cohort, defines what a strong candidate looks like, and makes the admission decision for every seat. The work spans workforce planning, sourcing, candidate assessment, and licensing readiness, from initial cohort planning through the first day of training.

The role partners closely with Education, Compliance, Talent Acquisition, and field leadership. The Associate Director, Piercing Operations and Academy owns curriculum, readiness, and graduation. The Senior Manager, Compliance & Legal Operations owns licensing infrastructure (e.g., establishment licenses, individual piercer licenses, the Studio Compliance App). The Senior Manager, Academy Admissions owns who enters the Academy, on what timeline, and to what standard, maintaining admissions standards even when hiring demand and cohort timing create pressure to move faster.

This role uses graduate performance data and field feedback from the Piercing Field Trainer, Education team, and studio leadership to continuously refine candidate profiles and admissions standards. Which backgrounds produce strong piercers, which markets ramp faster, which candidate profiles struggle after graduation: these are admissions inputs, not afterthoughts.

This role is ideal for an operator who has run a structured admissions or recruiting function end-to-end and is credible with the piercing community. The role represents Studs in-market and must be able to build trust with experienced piercing talent.

Salary Range: $125,000–$155,000

Key Responsibilities:

Workforce Demand and Cohort Planning

  • Own the Academy demand signal: how many apprentice seats Studs needs, in which markets, by when. Built from the studio opening calendar, attrition data, and graduate performance.
  • Translate that demand into cohort hiring targets and class schedules in partnership with the Associate Director, Piercing Operations and Academy.
  • Adjust hiring targets and cohort planning as graduation rates, field performance, and pipeline conversion data change.
  • Escalate irreconcilable conflicts between hiring demand and cohort capacity to the SVP People.

Candidate Assessment and Admissions

  • Serve as hiring manager for every apprentice cohort. Own sourcing partnership with TA, set acceptance criteria, and make the admission decision for every seat.
  • Run a structured intake process: availability confirmation, licensing path assessment, BBP and CPR verification, and structured interview before any seat is offered.
  • Partner with Piercing Educators, Studio Managers, Regional Managers, and other field leaders during candidate assessment to evaluate technical potential, professionalism, and readiness for the Academy environment.
  • Build and maintain sourcing channels specific to the piercing community (e.g., industry events, shop-to-studio conversion, referral networks). Lead Academy presence at industry events and conferences; TA supports posting, logistics, and on-site execution.
  • Hold acceptance criteria firmly. Escalate any pressure to lower the bar to the SVP People.

Licensing Readiness and Cohort Intake

  • Ensure every candidate completes BBP and CPR certification before cohort start. Track completion; do not admit candidates who have not met the requirement.
  • Coordinate with the Senior Manager, Compliance & Legal Operations on market-specific licensing requirements when assessing eligibility. Coordinate licensing procurement for new cohort hires.
  • Maintain enrollment records and cohort rosters through graduation, ensuring data integrity across Academy systems and Signal.
  • Track and report on pipeline conversion, cohort fill rate, time-to-cohort, and licensing completion as primary success metrics.

Cross-Functional Partnership and Field Feedback

  • Partner with the Associate Director, Piercing Operations and Academy on cohort timing and the handoff from admissions into training. Graduation authority rests with Education.
  • Partner with the Piercing Field Trainer and Regional Managers on graduate performance signals, market-specific hiring needs, and candidate sourcing in new markets.
  • Partner with TA on sourcing strategy and candidate pipeline for each cohort cycle.
  • Report pipeline health, cohort fill rate, and demand signal status to the SVP People on a regular cadence. Surface risks before cohort timing or fill rates are impacted.

Requirements:

  • 5+ years in talent acquisition, admissions operations, recruiting, or a closely related function with demonstrated end-to-end ownership of a pipeline.
  • Track record of building or owning a structured admissions or recruiting process end-to-end, including intake, assessment, and conversion metrics.
  • Credibility with working piercers and the broader body-art community. This role represents Studs in-market and must be able to build trust with experienced piercing talent.
  • Strong operational discipline and comfort working with changing hiring demand, cohort planning, and pipeline reporting.
  • Strong cross-functional operator who can partner effectively with Education, Compliance, Talent Acquisition, and field leadership.
  • Comfortable operating in a fast-moving environment with minimal process infrastructure; this role builds as much as it executes.
  • Familiarity with BBP and CPR certification requirements and processes.
  • Experience with ATS platforms required; Signal or similar HRIS systems a plus.
  • New York, NY-based or willing to relocate; hybrid schedule with regular in-office presence required.

Benefits & Perks

  • Flexible Work Environment (3 days in office, 2 days work from home)
  • Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance (including a plan option with $0 in-network mental health visits)
  • Access to Mental Health and Work/Life Resources including Online Therapy, Gender Affirmation Support Services, and Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Voluntary Life Insurance
  • Health and Commuter Tax-Advantaged Accounts
  • Stock Options in connection with the Company’s Equity Incentive Plan
  • 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
  • Paid Time Off, Paid Safe & Sick Leave, and Paid Parental Leave
  • Paid Sabbatical After 4 Years of Service
  • Exclusive Employee Discounts on Piercings and Jewelry (we’ve got your friends and family covered too!)
  • Access to PerkSpot and additional benefits such as pet insurance, discounted tickets, personal finance coaching, healthy rewards, and more!

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