The 8 Critical Y1 Hires

These are the eight roles that must be in seat before opening day. Every other seat can be filled after soft launch. If any one of these eight is missing at open, VAULT opens weak. The GM is the linchpin. The GM is hired first, and the GM hires four of the remaining seven.

Charlotte comp basis throughout. Timing measured from opening month, T minus months.

1. General Manager

• Role summary. Runs VAULT day-to-day. Owns P&L, service standard, staff, and vendor. Full spec in 01_GM_JOB_SPEC.md.
• Comp. $150K to $200K base, 15 to 25 percent bonus, 2 percent equity, $25K to $40K sign-on, $30K relocation, full benefits.
• When to hire. T minus 9 to 10 months.
• Sourcing. Retained hospitality specialty search, J. Patrick and Associates or DiJulius bench. Not LinkedIn primary. Warm intros from Aman, Four Seasons, or Equinox Hotels alumni networks.

2. Head of Programming

• Role summary. Owns the class calendar, guest instructor invites, curation, seasonal drops, and the creative language of every experience on the floor. Reports to GM on ops, direct line to Taj on creative. This is the second most brand-facing role in the club after Taj.
• Ideal profile. Prior Programming Director at Equinox flagship, Head of Studio at a top-tier boutique like Forma Pilates, Head of Programming at Remedy Place, or Creative Director at a Soho House gym. Deep instructor rolodex. Personal taste that Taj trusts on sight.
• Comp. $110K to $135K base, 10 to 15 percent bonus, 1 percent equity, full benefits, complimentary membership plus $300 monthly F&B tab.
• When to hire. T minus 7 months.
• Sourcing. Direct outreach through Taj’s and Trill’s networks. Instructor community referrals. Warm intros from studio founders in NYC, LA, Miami, and Nashville.

3. Director of Member Experience

• Role summary. Owns concierge, arrival ritual, boutique, retail, spa attendants, locker room, and clienteling. This is the person who runs “how it feels to walk in.”
• Ideal profile. Prior Front Office Manager or Director of Guest Experience at Four Seasons, Rosewood, or Aman. Or Client Experience Director at a luxury retailer such as Hermes Charlotte, Louis Vuitton, or Neiman Marcus SouthPark. Personal grooming and presence at Taj’s standard.
• Comp. $95K to $115K base, 10 percent bonus, 1 percent equity, full benefits, complimentary membership.
• When to hire. T minus 6 months.
• Sourcing. Hospitality specialty search plus direct outreach to Charlotte luxury retail. Warm referrals from GM’s rolodex.

4. Director of Finance and Ops

• Role summary. Owns accounting, payroll, HR, facilities contracts, POS system, membership billing, vendor management, and compliance. Frees the GM to be on the floor.
• Ideal profile. Prior Controller or Director of Finance at a private club, boutique hotel, or multi-unit hospitality group doing $10M plus. CPA preferred but not required. Comfortable with Toast or Mindbody plus NetSuite or QuickBooks Enterprise. Knows North Carolina employment law.
• Comp. $105K to $130K base, 10 percent bonus, 0.5 percent equity from future key hires pool, full benefits.
• When to hire. T minus 6 months.
• Sourcing. Local Charlotte CPA network, hospitality controller circles, Robert Half Executive Search for backfill.

5. Head of F&B

• Role summary. Runs the cafe, the lounge, alcohol program, private events food service, member snack ritual. F&B is a taste signal, not a profit center at VAULT. This person understands that.
• Ideal profile. Prior F&B Director at a lifestyle hotel, boutique members club, or high-end wellness resort. Experience with wellness-forward menus (Erewhon-adjacent, Sakara-adjacent), functional beverages, and light nightlife programming.
• Comp. $95K to $115K base, 10 percent bonus, 0.5 percent equity from pool, full benefits.
• When to hire. T minus 5 months.
• Sourcing. Direct outreach to Soho House, Aman, and Equinox Hotels F&B alumni. Charlotte chef community warm intros.

6. Head of Instructor Development

• Role summary. Owns the instructor pool, auditions, training, standards, retention, and comp for the 15 to 20 contractor instructors. Reports to Head of Programming.
• Ideal profile. Prior Master Trainer, Instructor Development Lead, or Master Teacher at Equinox, SoulCycle, Barry’s, or a top-tier pole and dance studio such as Body and Pole NYC or Allure Dance and Fitness. Certified across at least two of pole, contemporary, strength, PT.
• Comp. $85K to $105K base, 5 to 10 percent bonus, 0.25 percent equity from pool, full benefits.
• When to hire. T minus 5 months.
• Sourcing. Instructor community, master teacher circles, direct outreach.

7. Marketing Manager

• Role summary. Runs local marketing, member events, waitlist campaigns, and community moments in Charlotte. Reports to GM operationally with a dotted line to Tia Dunn for brand system and cross-brand alignment.
• Ideal profile. Prior Marketing Manager or Senior Associate at a lifestyle brand, boutique hotel, or luxury retail. Comfortable executing Tia’s brand system without inventing new rules. Native Instagram and TikTok, plus email lifecycle.
• Comp. $75K to $95K base, 5 to 10 percent bonus, no equity Y1, full benefits, complimentary membership.
• When to hire. T minus 4 months.
• Sourcing. Tia’s referral network first, then Charlotte agency backfill.

8. Community Manager

• Role summary. The face of member experience outside the walls. Runs the WhatsApp or member app community, hosts monthly member salons, coordinates member-of-the-month rituals, and is the first point of contact for member complaints before they hit the GM.
• Ideal profile. Charlotte native or 5 year plus resident. Deep social rolodex across Charlotte’s wellness, arts, and Black professional networks. Prior Community role at Soho House, Chief, The Wing (pre-close), or a private club.
• Comp. $65K to $80K base, 5 percent bonus, no equity Y1, full benefits, complimentary membership.
• When to hire. T minus 3 months.
• Sourcing. Taj’s Charlotte network, Community roles at private clubs nationally, warm referrals from Tia’s Nomad Society network.

Sequencing summary

Total Y1 leadership cash comp, roughly $780K to $970K base plus bonuses.

Total Y1 leadership equity allocation, 5.25 percent of the 10 percent option pool. Remaining 4.75 percent held for Y2 promotions and future key hires (VP Franchise Development, Assistant GM, Retail Manager).